After going to so many concerts and shows, I thought I would make a list of all the concerts I have been to so far and when.
I've been fortunate enough to have seen quite a few concerts through Summerfest. Summerfest is one of the largest and probably cheapest music festivals in the US. Being able to see a variety of semi-mainstream bands for the price of admission, which is under $20. Most concert tickets are usually $100+ per ticket, so seeing a concert for under $20 or even free on special free admission days is pretty special. Only the headliners of the Marcus Ampitheatre have to pay full price for their concert tickets due to the most famous musicians at the time playing that stage. I've also been fortunate to now live between Milwaukee and Chicago so I have even more options for concerts.
The concerts and shows I will list will be from the past 11 years. I have been to other shows with my parents before 2012 including Cheap Trick, The Guess Who, and REO Speedwagon, but I was too young to remember much about those experiences.
Sublime with Rome
July 8th, 2012
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
This was my first time at Summerfest, and the first concert I chose to go to with friends instead of my parents. I had a blast exploring the Summerfest grounds, and really fell in love with the festival that day. I remember finding out a guy in my grade that I was kind of friends with was going to be at this particular show. I'm not even sure how I found out, maybe we had talked about Summerfest? Sublime had been one of his favorite bands and I desperately wanted a reason to go to Summerfest. Plus admission is free on the first and last day of Summerfest during certain hours. My friend Caroline and Ashley went with me. We were planning on meeting up with said guy (and his girlfriend I think?) on the grounds, but that didn't actually happen. They were too interested in being close to the stage for the performance, and Caroline, Ashley, and I were more interested in exploring the grounds and watching the concert from afar. (Here's a picture from that day, we were too far away to get good pictures of the actual concert. Caroline and I at 16).
Twenty-One-Pilots and Grouplove
June 26, 2013
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
The next year I was excited to go back to Summerfest after having loved it so much the year before I decided to go again. This time going on the first day of the festival instead of the last. Both being free admission. This is one of the more iconic concert. Basically my friend Amber and I saw twenty-one-pilots by chance before they got super famous for free. They were playing before the band Grouplove, and my friend thought they had an interesting band name so we watched their show. We ended both becoming big fans of twenty-one-pilots after. I saw them 2x after that which will be mentioned later in this post. I was supposed to see them a 4th time in 2021 but couldn't go last minute. Amber and I had only known one Grouplove song, but decided out of the headliners for that particular night, that's the one we would be most interested in. The thing about twenty-one-pilots is they know how to put on a show. They involve costumes, storytelling, and special effects in their songs, along with audience participation which makes them stand out from a lot of bands. At this particular concert Tyler (the lead singer) began climbing one of the towers at the side of the stage. The security guard instead of telling Tyler not to climb followed him and began pulling on his leg, which could have been pretty dangerous.
The Barenaked Ladies
July 4, 2013
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
The next week after seeing twenty-one-pilots and Grouplove I wanted to go back again. I think I was even given free admission tickets to be able to get in for free. I looked up different bands that would be headlining again and my friend Alicia and I decided on "The Barenaked Ladies" (Summerfest, when I first started going in high school was more for the experience of being on the grounds, and seeing bands with 1-2 songs that you sort of liked. Due to the cheaper prices. Now when I go to concerts, it's because they are one of my favorites.) The Barenaked Ladies ended up being one of my college friends favorite bands as I would find out, so I listened to them frequently for a couple of months in college.
Paul McCartney
July 16, 2013
Miller Park (Milwaukee)
This has to be the most special and exciting concert I had ever been to. Paul McCartney was my biggest idol back then, and I also had been through a Beatles phase so this concert was a big deal. It was definitely like living in a dream. My parents had bought 6 tickets on presale so we could all go together: My mom, dad, brother, his girlfriend, me, and whoever I would bring along. I brought my friend Amber along who was also a big Paul McCartney fan after my influence. I remember it being a super hot day. Paul McCartney played non-stop with no breaks and then did like 3 encores. Singing my heart out to my absolute favorite songs, and Paul McCartney sounding almost exactly like he did when he was in The Beatles was so magical. I was beaming the whole night during, and afterwards.
June 25, 2014
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
In 2013 the song "Do I Wanna Know" by the Arctic Monkeys had been pretty popular, and I liked it. The Arctic Monkeys were also pretty mainstream and seemed pretty cool so I decided it would be cool to see them live. (Again I just really loved Summerfest a lot). I'm pretty sure the day of the Arctic Monkeys concert was also a free admission day. I went with my friend Liz W, Tia, and Tia's cousin. I think we were in the 4th row back about. I only knew 2 of their songs before going to the concert, but did buy one of their albums afterwards.
July 3, 2014
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
Of course I went back a 2nd time, and this time I knew more than just two songs by the band. Woo Hoo. I actually had the album "How to Safe A Life" and had listened to it quite a few times before the concert. I went with my friend Camara who had been a friend from high school who had been visiting home from Green Bay at the time (She went to UW Green Bay for college) She's 2 years older than me.
Tyler Oakley (For the 2nd time)
Tyler Oakley
October 4, 2014
Athenaeum Theatre (Chicago)
This doesn't have to do with music, but it was a show. I was really big into watching YouTube from Mid 2013-2015. One of my friends in high school had introduced me to his favorite YouTuber which happened to be Tyler Oakley. I began frequently watching his videos, as well as different YouTubers he was friends with. He became my favorite YouTuber so when I saw he would be nearby I bought two tickets without first figuring out how I would even get there or who would go with me. My aunt and uncle graciously volunteered to take me to Chicago and pick me up from college to take me, which would end up being an over 2 hour drive for them. They didn't care as they knew how excited I was to go. While on stage he had the audience participate in different games, and told stories. It was slumber party themed. I ended up meeting Tyler Oakley in 2016, but more on that later.
Ed Sheeran
July 3, 2015
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
My friend Liza who I went to college with at Parkside had invited me to go and see Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran was playing at the biggest stage at Summerfest for one of the nights so the tickets to his concert were full price. We hung out on the grounds before we got to our seats for the show. She had graciously bought us both tickets for the show. Back then I think I only knew the song "A Team", but I still really enjoyed going.
(Note: I would occasionally wear crop tops in 2014/2015...they're not for me anymore.)
Twenty-One-Pilots (For the 2nd time)
The Rave (Milwaukee)
October 30, 2015
My friend Amber and I along with her sister decided to see twenty-one-pilots after they had announced their tour for the album they had released in May, 2015. 2015 is when twenty-one-pilots became super well-known and started selling out shows. 2015 was also the year that quite a few songs became popular on the radio. We knew we needed to see them again together. We had became even bigger fans then we already were in those past two years. Leading up to the show in Milwaukee Tyler and Josh from the band were making fake campaign videos for fans to decide which member was the best. It was all a big joke, that they had done just for fun. However, they decided whoever lost would have to get the others name tattooed on their leg, done by the other member. The poll ended right before the Milwaukee show, and it ended in a tie. Since the poll had ended right before the Milwaukee show they decided that they would do the tattooing live halfway through the show, so I got to witness that live.
Troye Sivan
February 20, 2016
The Rave (Milwaukee)
2016 was the year for seeing YouTubers in person. While I am writing this blog I noticed in 2016 that I had seen a total of five YouTubers. Troye Sivan, Tyler Oakley, Dan Howell, Phil Lester, and Shane Dawson which I will talk about each separately later in this post. I discovered Troye Sivan through YouTube in 2013. On his YouTube channel he posted different comedy skits. However, he had also acted as the lead character in the Spud movies. The Spud movies are based off a popular book series in South Africa, which is where Troye is originally from. Troye was also a talented singer. Through YouTube he would also post original songs he had written, and now lives his life as a pop star. It was great getting to watch his journey to growing in fame, doing what he loved most and having other people discover his work to as he became more mainstream. This particular show I went to was during the tour of his first album. I really enjoyed his first album, but haven't listened to any of his post 1st album stuff yet, but I'm sure it's great as well. I went with my friend Laurette. She would also join me for when I met Tyler Oakley in April 2016.
April 21, 2016
Marquette University (Milwaukee)
As stated above the decision to meet Tyler Oakley was very last minute. I went to my class at Parkside and afterward I had been scrolling on my phone in my apartment on campus....when I saw a tweet from Tyler Oakley. (I don't even have a Twitter anymore). The tweet stated that Tyler would be at Marquette University that night, and in order to go to the show you could pick up a bracelet for free admission in the student center. I texted my friend Laurette who liked to go on spontaneous adventures with me. Even if it was last minute. She agreed and I picked her up soon after not knowing how fast the bracelets would go. We got to Milwaukee in plenty of time, and they still had plenty of bracelets. We explored a little bit what was around Marquette before returning back and waiting in line to be let into the building. We ended up being 3rd in line at the door, and got there 2ish hours early. When we were let into building we were able to get front and center seats. At that time the season of the Amazing Race Tyler and Korey had been on was airing on TV so they talked a bit about that as well as other things going on in their lives. Korey had been at Marquette with Tyler. Afterwards, you could go and meet Tyler. Since I was one of the first people in, it meant I was one of the last people in line to meet Tyler. Luckily he didn't turn anyone away. However, the meet n greet was really quick, around 20 seconds and you weren't allowed to take pictures. Tyler signed my copy of his book that I had gotten, and I told him he was my favorite YouTuber, and asked to shake his hand. I think I complimented his outfit, and he complimented my shirt which was apart of the merch he sold.
Dan and Phil
May 29, 2016
Milwaukee Theatre (Milwaukee)
Dan and Phil were one of the many YouTubers I used to watch and still watch occasionally. They had just written a script for a live show, and decided to tour around the UK as well as the US. Their videos on YouTube usually contained silly, creative content. They were roommates, so they often filmed videos together. The show they performed was theatrical and followed a whole story plot. One of the set pieces was a giant microwave that they entered the stage through. They brought a lot of past content from their YouTube videos into the script for the show along with new story points. When ordering tickets I originally ordered two tickets, but I ended up buying two tickets twice, and couldn't get a refund or sell the extra two online so I found two other friends to go, and they reimbursed me. I went with my friend Alex L. from Parkside and her sister Annie.
Shane Dawson
July 24, 2016
North Central College (Naperville/Chicago)
One of my friends from college had been a fan of Shane Dawson, and needed someone to go down to Chicago with her to meet him. He was doing a tour, after releasing his first book. His book featured stories written about his life. Shane Dawson is one of the 1st YouTubers, who still remains a YouTuber to this day. At that time I had been skeptical about what I thought about him. Some of the jokes he tells are off-putting and various degrees of inappropriateness. However, I knew how hard it was to find people to go with you somewhere when going to see different people/shows so I agreed. The meet n' greet would feature a picture with Shane, and a signed copy of his book. We hung out a little bit in the area before getting in line. It ended up being one of the hottest days of the summer as it was July. By the time you got to meet Shane I as well as most people were drenched in sweat. It wasn't a glamorous moment. The meet n' greet moved along really fast. You got to say hi, get a picture and then leave. I get that it's the most efficient way to meet tons of people at once, but it's not as genuine. They were probably pushing people even faster through due to the heat as well. After reading through his book I grew to like his content after getting to know his story. In 2019 he would create different themed series on YouTube that really blew up. Since then there has been some controversy surrounding him, but I still occasionaly watch his videos.
Panic! At the Disco
July 17, 2018
The United Center (Chicago)
On a whim one day I decided that one band I kind of wanted to see live was Panic! At the Disco. I looked up Panic! on Google to see if they were currently touring or would be soon. When I did I found a tour date for Chicago in July and decided to buy tickets. In the weeks leading up to the show I began to listen to more of their music, having had only known the main hits. I was late to the party as I feel like a lot of people were fans of Panic! when I was in high school, but I didn't like things that were too mainstream so I was stubborn. When listening through their stuff I became a bigger and bigger fan, and really did a deep dive into the history of the band like I had done with The Beatles years before. For this particular show I went with my friend Faille who had a similar taste in music as me. Their newest album had come out a month before the concert so they were touring that album. The concert consisted of Brendon Urie playing a piano while it got elevated, and Brendon walking through the crowd.
Ryan Ross
December 15, 2018
The Pico Union Project (Los Angeles)
After reading through Panic! At the Disco's history I discovered Ryan Ross, one of the original and founding members of Panic! At the Disco. I discovered that my favorite Panic! albums were the 1st and 2nd album when Ryan was still in the band. Ryan wrote most of the lyrics to the songs for the 1st two albums, and played guitar. I looked up Ryan to see what had become of him after leaving Panic! to find that he had performed two shows in LA in 2018 after not having played any shows in years. It was a good time to have discovered him. When it was announced he would be playing at a Christmas themed show in LA in December I did the only logical thing, convince some friends to go with me to Los Angeles. It was made into a fun girl's trip with the last night we would be in LA, being the night of the concert. It also happened to be my first time in California after I had been wanting to go for awhile. The trip was super fun and memorable despite a few hiccups, and I got to meet my favorite musician. He still is. It was very surreal. I sat in front of the stage on the floor. There were other musicians also performing that night besides Ryan, but Ryan was one of the main musicians. After the concert they said they would stick around and meet anyone who wanted to meet them so I got to meet Ryan. Luckily I was one of the first people to meet him so my other friends who didn't really know anything about Ryan didn't have to wait so long. Ryan was very genuine and really listened to what you had to say. He spent a couple of minutes with each fan before moving onto the next one which I really valued. The rushed meet n' greets where you just get to say hi and get a picture are a bit disappointing. I was actually pretty confident and not shaky when speaking with him which was a miracle. I told him how I had flown out from Wisconsin and how it was my first time in LA. He asked me what I had done so far, and when my flight back was and took a picture with me and gave me a hug. I went to LA with my friend's Lizzie and Anna who are sisters along with their friend Katie. (Picture is of me interacting with Ryan that my friend Lizzie took.)
Panic! At the Disco (For the 2nd time)
January 27, 2019
Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee)
2019 turned out to be an excellent year for concerts, at least for the bands that I like. I ended up going to a total of 8 different shows, which looking back seems really insane. I usually end up going to 1 or 2 concerts/shows a year. Only two of the shows cost more than $100, whereas the other 6 shows cost $30 and under. The first concert I attended in 2019 was Panic! At the Disco, and since it was January it was bitterly cold with a possible snowstorm in the forecast. Friends I had asked to go with me ended up canceling because of this and other things. I was left with no one to go with. My mom ended up volunteering to go as a way to make sure I got to the concert safely with the unknown weather, and not wanting me to miss the concert. She had heard me discussing them and listening to their music so she came to know a bit about them. This show was the 2nd leg of the same tour they had been doing in 2018 so it featured the same setlist/features as the show I had seen in Chicago, but it was fun to see it all again, and with my mom. The snowstorm ended up not coming, but the walk from where we parked wasn't great. It was -10+ windchills that night.
iDKHOW
February 26, 2019
101.1WKQX Radio Station (The Lounge) (Chicago)
The full title of this band is I Don't Know How But They Found Me. I was a little put off by the name with it being so long, but after giving it a listen I learned how talented they actually were. Dallon Weekes, the lead singer had been a member of Panic! At the Disco from 2009-2017. After awhile Dallon decided that he wanted to do his own thing. The project was secret at first. They would go to small venues and play to gain an audience the "natural" way. Dallon didn't want his past association with Panic! be what got his songs popular. They eventually went public with their band, and as it turns out some previous fans had found them, which also goes back to the band name. The name doesn't make it any easier to be able to explain to someone who they are. Dallon is an amazing frontman, and it's awesome to see him in this role after he played a background role in Panic!
For this particular show a Chicago alternative rock radio station had a chance to be able to win tickets to be able to see iDKHOW play in a room of the building at the radio station. The room was an intimate space where they would only let about 15 people attend. They frequently have different bands play shows in this room which they refer to as the Lounge. If you were one of the winners after texting a code to a number you would also get to take person of your choice along with you. This particular event happened to take place on my 23rd birthday, so I thought that it would be an amazing birthday gift to be able to go. A Panic! fan account that I followed ended up being one of the winners. She didn't have anyone she knew personally who was a fan of iDKHOW, and wanted to be able to have another fan go. After telling her it would be on my birthday she chose me. I made my way there by train the day of, and watched as they performed three of their newer songs live as the radio announcer interviewed them. After the show everyone was able to get a quick picture with them and say hi. One of those fast meet n' greet situations. I was wearing a small birthday crown for my birthday, so they told me happy birthday as well. I saw them 3 more times in 2019 after this.
iDKHOW (for the 2nd time)
May 15, 2019
Lincoln Hall (Chicago)
Since iDKHOW was such a new band it was even harder to find people to go to see them with me, so I decided to go alone. In hindsight the show was in Chicago at night, and I was taking the train in, so it wasn't the safest, but I did just fine. I thankfully didn't have any creepy moments, and was able to take an Uber right from the train station to the venue. Their liveshows are a lot of fun and have audience participation as well as the lead singer splitting the crowd in half and walking through it.
Jon Walker
May 17, 2019
Coach House (Schaumburg/Chicago)
Two days after iDKHOW played in Chicago, Jon Walker was also coming to Chicago. As with iDKHOW and Ryan Ross, Jon Walker was also tied to Panic! At the Disco. Jon Walker had been the bassist for Panic! for the first two albums, and then was replaced by Dallon (iDKHOW) after he left. I debated on going as it would mean traveling to Chicago yet again, but decided the ticket prices were too good to miss. I again went to Chicago by myself, this time driving and parking directly in front of the Coach House. The Coach House ended being a bar that contained a stage and lots of floor space. I had finished my exams for college so I didn't have to worry about college classes. Before the show started I decided to eat while sitting at the bar. What I didn't expect was Jon Walker coming to sit at the bar. Usually musicians hide out before the show, but here he was casually sitting and chatting with people. Since Jon was born in Chicago, it turned out a lot of his family members had come to the show as well. After another fan approached Jon after he left the bar I did as well afterwards, and we were able to take a picture. While unlocking my phone Jon made the comment that he now knew what my lock code was on my phone. He asked me where I had drove in from and when I said Kenosha, he said his aunt had also come from there and we could have carpooled. While Jon was sitting around a half hour later before the show I decided I would buy him a beer. (I don't know if he actually drank it, I don't think I would have out of caution. Especially since they opened the beer at the bar. I talked with other fans to pass the time before the show started. There were probably around 20 of us total at that show, so I was able to get as close as I wanted. After the show one of Jon's family members had started talking to me. I wish now that I had asked for their contact information, especially after they said they would come up to Kenosha sometimes and visit one of the restaurants there. After the show I had more time to talk with Jon, and I asked him some questions about his music, and talking about what I did for work. We probably got to talk a total of 10 minutes total throughout the night, which was super cool.
Skillet
July 6, 2019
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
I had asked my roommate at the time Abby if she wanted to go to Summerfest with me. I'm pretty sure I had gotten two free admission tickets. She agreed, and we decided that we would go to see Skillet. We got there in the afternoon, and hung around the grounds, occasionally stopping and watching other musicians play. The show for Skillet would start at 10pm so we worked on passing the time. Skillet is how I found out that harder rock songs can also be Christian. I'm lucky enough to have gotten to know some of the members on a personal level which has been a treat. I only knew a few songs, but it was still awesome to see them perform on stage with a crowd of thousands of people. (I don't have a picture from this particular show).
iDKHOW (For the 3rd time)
July 24, 2019
The Rave (Milwaukee)
I saw iDKHOW for the 3rd time, and it was the same style of show as the one in May had been. Performing old and new songs, and coming into the audience. In Chicago I was towards the back (still had a good view because it was a small venue), at the Rave I was closer to the stage, and was standing pretty close to Dallon when he parted and came through the audience. I went to this show alone as well, but bought parking so I didn't have to walk far alone.
Ryan Ross (For the 2nd time) (Dead End Kids Club)
October 13, 2019The Echo (Los Angeles)
In September it was announced that Ryan Ross and some of his other musician friends would be going on tour in some Southwest cities. It would be the first time in years that he would be going on tour, and he would also be playing new songs he had written but never released. I decided I needed to see him again as this was big news. I put another trip together and decided which Southwest location I would go to. I decided on LA yet again, and my friend Shayna came with me. I got to explore LA again while going to different places from the last time, and Shayna who didn't know of any of the musicians either decided to come along. (It was a good thing that I didn't wait for them to tour in the Midwest like they said they might for 2020, because that never happened and still hasn't) I bought special VIP tickets which allowed you to get a picture with the main performers as well as a signed poster and shirt with tour dates. It was close to Halloween so I wore a roaring 20's esque outfit. During the VIP pictures I got them to pick me up and hold me for the photo. With the VIP tickets you also got to be close to the stage. Their tour photographer got quite a few pictures of me in the crowd and outside the venue. It was amazing again being so close to the stage while my favorite musician was performing. The last song of the night performed was Ryan singing "Northern Downpour" my absolute favorite Panic! At the Disco song. Ryan hadn't performed any Panic! At the Disco songs publicly after leaving Panic! until the tour so that was a big deal as well. I again talked with Ryan after the show, and we got a picture together. I wasn't able to speak as long as the time before, but we were still able to chat for about 2ish minutes. He told me to have a safe flight home, in which I responded "you too". (He lives in LA).
Twenty-One-Pilots (For the 3rd time) and iDKHOW (For the 4th Time)
December 13, 2019
The Aragon Ballroom (Chicago)
I found out that iDKHOW would be the opener for twenty-one-pilots in Chicago, and began looking up tickets. Having two of your favorite bands playing seemed so amazing. The tickets had sold out within minutes since it was a twenty-one-pilots concert. As it got closer to December I looked on ticket resale websites and was able to secure a ticket through that. It was pretty last minute, and I would be graduating college the afternoon after the concert, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It seemed like a good graduation present to myself as well. I traveled to Chicago by train after work, and took an Uber from the train station to the venue. We ended up getting stuck in traffic for a bit so I ended missing a little of iDKHOW's set. iDKHOW had just released a small Christmas EP of original Christmas songs they had written and ended up performing one of those at the concert. I had to stand towards the back of the venue but was still able to get an okay view. Twenty-One-Pilots came on stage after and they put on an amazing show like always. I had seen one show from each different album tour.
Hella Mega Tour (Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer)
August 15, 2021
Wrigley Field (Chicago)
I had been wanting to see Green Day in concert for years so when they announced they would be going on your I jumped at the chance to get tickets. Seeing Fall Out Boy live and Weezer would also be a bonus. I bought tickets when they first went on sale during the fall of 2019. I thought waiting a year to go to a concert was a long time, but I ended up having to wait two years in the end. I knew the tickets would sell out fast so I went to the website right away, and was put in a virtual long line to purchase tickets. The website decided to stop responding after I had hit confirm, so I had a mini panic that I had missed my chance to get tickets. Luckily I had gotten a confirmation email that the purchase had been successful. The day of a group of friends from church had planned a trip to go explore Chicago. We joined them for a little bit before leaving to go to the show. The show started at 5pm since there would be three bands playing. Starting with Weezer, and ending with Green Day. We had decent spots on the 2nd level. During Fall Out Boy's set I decided I should go to the bathroom if I wanted to see all of Green Day's set. Tons of port a pottys were set up for the concert so I used one. Fall Out Boy had started their encore while I was heading to the bathroom and shot off fireworks which sounded like gunfire at first. It was incredible getting to see Green Day live. I brought along my friend, Aimee.
For King and Country
July 9, 2022
Summerfest (Milwaukee)
My friends Mary and Megan were originally going to go to Lake Geneva for the day, when at the last minute their cousin had asked them if they wanted to go to Summerfest. We changed plans and headed to Milwaukee instead for Summerfest. It was the last day of Summerfest so admission was free at a certain point in the afternoon which we took advantage of. We looked to see who would be headlining, and decided we would see For King and Country. Since it was around 4 with the concert being at 10 we walked around the grounds. While at the concert we were able to secure front row seats. The show had a lot of effects and was entertaining to watch.
iDKHOW (For the 5th time) and JoyWave
August 27, 2022
The Sylvee (Madison)
If you're keeping track with counting, this would be my 5th iDKHOW show. I saw that they were touring after not having toured for 2 years because of Covid and wanted to see them live again. I thought that Joywave would be opening for them, but it turned out they were coheadlining the show, and played a full set. iDKHOW had just released an album in Fall 2020, and was playing mainly songs from that album which I had really loved. However, Dallon did not come into the crowd at this show. I drove to Madison by myself and parked in the parking garage right next door.
My Chemical Romance (Riot Fest)
September 16, 2022
Douglas Park (Chicago)
My Chemical Romance was a band I wanted to see, but never thought I'd be able to. I really got into their music in April of 2019, and luckily for me they announced that they would be getting back together on Halloween 2019. They had broken up in 2012. It was thrilling to know that they had gotten back together. The tour got postponed to 2022 of course. I found out that the only place they would be playing near me would be a music festival in Chicago which you would have to buy a pass for. A full music festival seemed intimidating, but it would be my only chance at seeing MCR so I bought passes for the day they would be there. I took the day off work and visited the Botanical Gardens with my friend Faille before we headed to Douglas Park where MCR would be playing. Douglas Park was packed with people. There were booze tents everywhere as well as merch, but only four food options with fair food. Funnel cake, icecream, corn dogs etc. We ended up waiting in line for an hour and a half before heading towards where MCR would be playing. We stood way towards the back, and people were still in our space. MCR would have people take a step back during each song so no one would get crushed. Even though we could barely see them from where we were it was much safer than being closer, and we could get out faster after the concert. Even given the discomfort and bad food options it was so cool getting to see MCR perform live in person and sing along to the songs. They played songs from all of their albums, and played a different setlist each night. Riot Fest made me incredibly thankful for Summerfest which is way cheaper, and has an actual park set up specifically for festivals.
Phantom Planet
May 22nd, 2023
The Metro (Chicago)
I went over this in my last post, but basically I had gotten into Phantom Planet's music in 2020, which is when they also released their first album after 12 years. I really liked this particular album, and waited to see if they would do a show in the Midwest at some point. They had gone on hiatus until 2019 when they announced the hiatus would be ending. (Seems like a theme, musicians finally releasing music and going on tour after not doing so, only for 2020 to ruin plans). When they got back together they wanted to release music more on their own terms instead of being connected to a record label. This would mean less ability to tour, due to less money. They'd essentially be breaking even mostly to go on tour. This made it harder to be able to see them. In 2022 they decided they wanted to do a 20th anniversary tour of their 2002 album "The Guest." They announced that they would be playing a show in Chicago in 2022, and New York but ended up canceling those dates. I waited many months to see when they would reschedule the Chicago show. They didn't end up announcing the show until the end of February this year, and I bought tickets right away. I had met the band in a virtual meet n' greet almost exactly a year before, and told them I would probably see them in Chicago. For the virtual meet n' greet you got to facetime the band for 5 minutes. On the day of the show I did a half day of work before driving down to Chicago with my friend Rebecca. I bought VIP tickets which included attending soundcheck, having a drink with the band backstage before they went on, and a free autographed vinyl. (The VIP experience was for two people). Since I had already met them I decided to let other people interact with them first, and waited after the show to approach them after they had come outside. Alex, the lead singer had recognized me. It was an incredible experience getting to be part of such an intimate experience with the band.
Lovejoy
December, 7th 2023
The Rave (Milwaukee)
Wilbur, the lead singer of Lovejoy first got famous by streaming himself playing Minecraft with his friends during quarantine. In 2021 he ventured into music, and created the band, Lovejoy(British). I first found Wilbur through his livestreams. He does other livestreams now, but still streams Minecraft sometimes. He mostly gives life updates and shares stories from touring. His personality is silly and charismatic which makes him enjoyable to watch. Lovejoy came to Milwaukee earlier this year, but sold out so I was unable to see them in May. Lovejoy was actually touring around England when I was over there and I debated going to a concert over there, but decided against it. On the radio I heard they would be headlining the Rave's special holiday show. The tickets only costed $50. People were trying to sell tickets for over $200 for one ticket when they the tickets sold out in May. I brought along my friend Rebecca who had come to see Phantom Planet with me in May. I usually end up going to shows like these by myself when the artist isn't super mainstream. Lovejoy did play a sold out show, but many people don't know about them yet still. I don't know if the typical person would know who Phantom Planet is either even though they had been around a lot longer, and are more well-known.
I drove with Rebecca after work to Milwaukee. I had thought the show started at 7. So when we got there at 6:20 I was a little stressed. We were planning on eating dinner first then walking to the show from the Ambassador Hotel restaurant. I wouldn't have minded missing the opening bands, but didn't want to miss any of the Lovejoy set. Restaurants can take awhile to get out your food too. It was around 7:30 when we finally finished dinner. Luckily I had checked the ticket and saw it had an 8pm start time. I was able to relax then and not rush eating. (Side Note: Do not mix spinach artichoke dip, deep fried cheese curds, a daquiri, and chocolate cake). (A day later my stomach has been so upset.) We used the fancy Ambassador Hotel bathroom before walking across the street to the Rave. The bathroom had a stained glass door, and individual towels fresh out of the dryer to wipe your hands. Rebecca pointed out that there was a bin you could put your dirty towels in, and being in a British way of thinking I put my towel in the "bin" (trash can), but pulled it out when I realized. :P
The Rave was decorated for a haunted holiday tour going on in December so it had creepy Halloween decorations with Christmas decorations as well. The Eagles Ballroom at the Rave (the biggest room) has a 4000 people capacity. We ended up being further back but you could still see the stage fine, especially Wilbur since he's around 6'3. It was fun dancing to the songs and getting to see Wilbur in person from afar. The bands Little Image, and The Beaches did opening sets before Lovejoy came on. Between songs Wilbur talked about how Milwaukee was even colder than England, despite being more north. He also discussed how last time they were in Milwaukee someone threw a cheese hat on the stage. His top memories of Milwaukee were the amazing crowds, and cheese hats. His voice seemed different in person then it does on his livestreams, and more British. It got hot in the venue (like what usually happens in the Eagles Ballroom with so many people. Luckily there wasn't any pushing or people in your space, although I'm sure that occurred if you were more towards the front.
iDKHOW (For the 6th time)
April 9th, 2024
The Rave (Milwaukee)
(I'm writing this more than two months after the show so some details may be wrong.)
I went back to the Rave solo for this show. I had bought tickets the week prior. A lot of the other cities had sold out, but Milwaukee still had tickets available and they were under $50 so I decided why not? I got off of work at 5 and made my way to Milwaukee shortly after. I was able to spend some time at my apartment first since the concert didn't start until 7:30pm. I parked in a nearby parking lot once getting to Milwaukee and in such a rush of excitement locked my keys in my car. It turns out I had parked next to a security guard who had watched the whole ordeal pan out. He asked me if I had locked my keys in my car. I said that I had and he told me not to worry about my car, and go enjoy the show, and worry about it when I get back. That I wouldn't have to worry about my car, because he was a security guard employee for the Ambassador Hotel. I thanked him and then made my way to the concert. I did think about how him saying those things was kind of suspicious and maybe he wasn't a security personnel after all and my car would be gone after the concert. (It turns out he was telling the truth, and my car was still there with intact windows. I thankfully have a membership to AAA, and they came an hour after the concert ended. I waited inside the Ambassador Hotel for them to come. It was still cold especially at night so I was glad I parked so close. I also had gotten to know the Ambassador Hotel after eating there beforehand at the Lovejoy concert I attended the December before. While I was waiting the security guard who also must be a musician promoted his music to me via a QR code.) I wasn't able to get too close, but it was fine because you could see the stage from anywhere in the room. It was fun to see songs from the new album performed. This was my 5th time seeing iDKHOW and like always Dallon crushed it. Like always he parted the crowd, and walked into it while getting the two audience sections to sing different notes for the song. The crowd got really excited when the band started playing a cover of "Murder on the Dance Floor" which I assumed was one of their new songs I just hadn't heard yet. It turns out it was a popular song on Tik Tok which really separates the crowd from Gen Z and everyone else. Dallon recently let go of his drummer and close friend Ryan Seaman who he discovered had been stealing over $10,000 from him.
Phantom Planet (For the 2nd time)
June 15th 2024
Taste of Randolph (Chicago)
I talked about this concert more in depth in a previous post, but the short of it is I heard via the radio that Phantom Planet would be coming to Chicago to play at Taste of Randolph in Chicago. I thought I had heard wrong since Phantom Planet wasn't currently on tour, and lived in LA. I confirmed that I did indeed hear right and made plans to go see them when they came. My roommate and I traveled down to Chicago and spent most of the day there. The weather was a little hot, but pretty perfect for a summer day in Chicago. I was able to stand in the front row at the barricade while watching them perform. The festival had them do a 75 minute set which they were shocked about. It was the perfect venue with the Chicago skyline in the distance and the occasional train passing by. There were two elderly men who were sat front and center at the barricade in lawn chairs who really seemed to enjoy the music. To stall a little bit because they were ahead of schedule, Alex (the lead singer) told the story behind the lyrics of "The Galleria" which is probably their most straightforward song. :P When one of the trains passed by Alex paused to point it out and say "Epic!." Like the show the previous year Phantom Planet was able to make the live show super energetic even with the slower songs, and I had a lot of fun.
Green Day (For the Second Time) w/The Smashing Pumpkins
August 24th, 2024
Miller Park (American Family Field) (Milwaukee)
That is all of the bands I have seen so far. This post took longer to type up then I thought it would, but I have seen quite a few shows. It was awesome being able to look back at these fun memories of special nights. I will definitely be going to more concerts in the future, and will probably add to this post after doing so. Hope you enjoyed reading!
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