Senior Nathania Au, who attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in July, said warm nights and freedom from coursework are the perfect concert ingredients.
“You’re out of school, vibing with friends and just having a good time dancing and screaming and away from responsibilities for the night,” Au said.
This summer, Pepperdine students sought out their favorite artists at concerts around the world. Venues and genres differed, but Waves shared a unanimous appreciation for live music in the summertime.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour commenced in Arizona in March and circled back to the West Coast in July and August to conclude its initial American leg. Waves attended Swift’s Santa Clara and Los Angeles shows in masses, including Au, who said it was “the best experience of [her] life.”
“She performed all the best songs with so much depth and emotion, and her production was just on another level,” Au said. “There was fire, confetti, fireworks, and I was on my feet for all three and a half hours screaming and dancing.”
Junior Kira Landis said she later attended one of Swift’s six August shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Despite the chaos that might have ensued from a six-show production, Landis’ review was nothing short of glowing.
“So many people were complimenting one another and smiling at one another, which created such a healthy environment,” Landis said.
This positive dynamic between fans includes trading friendship bracelets. A lyric in “You’re on Your Own, Kid” — a song on Swift’s “Midnights” album — inspired the tradition.
“Being surrounded by equally excited people who were all so kind to one another at the Eras Tour was such an amazing experience,” Landis said.
Metro Boomin
Concerts may not be the first activity to come to mind when considering Pepperdine’s International Programs, but senior Mary Karapetyan, a former advertising assistant for The Graphic, found herself with a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to attend a Metro Boomin show while studying abroad in Florence.
A longtime Metro Boomin fan, Karapetyan said she took the train with two friends from the program to attend the Italian music festival La Prima Estate, which featured the popular artist.
Karapetyan said she remembers listening to hours of Italian music by unfamiliar artists before Metro finally took the stage. She said the wait was “well worth it,” and she had the chance to meet actor Louis Partridge, who was also in attendance at the festival.
In the spontaneous spirit of Pepperdine study abroad, Karapetyan’s group improvised their return trip to Florence. “We spent the entire night outside the train station,” Karapetyan said. “My two friends slept on the floor.” The group finally caught a 7 a.m. train back to Florence — just in time for class that morning, she said.
Lizzy McAlpine
Angelee Valdez (center) and friends — Jamie Santos (left) and Isabella Aydin (right) — took a group photo outside Lizzy Mcalpine’s May concert at The Wiltern. Valdez said the sold-out theater was packed with energetic fans. Photo courtesy of Angelee Valdez
Small artists who found fame through social media and streaming platforms connected with ever-expanding audiences this summer. If the name Lizzy McAlpine doesn’t ring a bell, the chorus of her hit single “Ceilings” most certainly will. Featured in nearly 748,000 TikToks, the crescendoing, lyrical track went viral just before McAlpine’s Los Angeles shows at The Wiltern. McAlpine sold out the historic venue, which has previously hosted the likes of Tom Petty, Metallica, Stevie Nicks and Adele.
Juniors Angelee Valdez, Jamie Santos and Isabella Aydin attended the concert in May. Valdez said Spotify playlists tailored to her music preferences prompted her to further explore McAlpine’s discography.
Valdez, who sat in the last row of the theater, said she and her friends stood on chairs to view the performance. A group seated nearby laughed and sang along with hers, their distance from the stage causing no detriment to the energetic atmosphere, Valdez said.
“That moment was a reminder of how amazing it is that music can bring people together,” Valdez said.
Ricky Montgomery
Sage Lee (left) grinned at the Bittersweet Daze Festival in July, hosted at The Greek Theatre. Lee said the festival offered some of her favorite artists and songs. Photo courtesy of Sage Lee
Third-year Sage Lee attended the Bittersweet Daze Music Festival in Los Angeles in July, which featured Mxmtoon, Grentperez, Cavetown and Ricky Montgomery. Like McAlpine, Montgomery is adored on TikTok. He boasts 1.6 million followers on the social media platform, with his popular songs “Line Without a Hook” and “Mr. Loverman” playing in over 320,000 collective videos.
Lee said she was a prior fan of nearly all the featured artists at Bittersweet Daze, which was held at The Greek Theatre. The outdoor venue provided a perfect setting for appreciating the sunset during the concert, Lee said.
“I just enjoyed being able to listen to their music live,” Lee said. “It was beautiful sitting outside and just relaxing since it’s not a hardcore concert.”
Despite the calm setting, Lee said the evening was not without excitement. One of her favorite memories from the night was when she failed to recognize Montgomery walking by while she was waiting in line for festival merchandise, she said.
Louis Tomlinson
Louis Tomlinson’s “Faith in the Future Tour” stopped in Nashville in June. Olivia Mastalerz said her sister, a longtime Tomlinson fan, inspired her attendance at the show. Photo courtesy of Olivia Mastalerz
Waves also stopped at Louis Tomlinson’s “Faith in the Future Tour” this summer. The tour — named for the former One Direction member’s sophomore solo album — completed 39 shows in America before moving to its present run in Europe.
Junior Olivia Mastalerz, who attended the Nashville show in June, said she began listening to Tomlinson’s music because of her sister, who adored One Direction. Tomlinson shared in an interview with Billboard he was the most prolific songwriter of the five boy band members, and he continued to write solo music after the band’s 2015 split.
Mastalerz said she credits her sister, who kept up with Tomlinson’s music after One Direction’s disbanding, with her appreciation for his music. Her favorite songs are “Bigger Than Me” and “Holding On To Heartache,” both of which are included on the tour’s setlist.
Concluding her statement on a personal note, Mastalerz said her favorite memory from the show was when Louis first arrived on stage.
“I got to watch my sister have a dream of hers come true,” Mastalerz said. “She was incredibly happy, which brought me lots of joy.”
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Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
Email Alexandra Speck: alexandra.speck@pepperdine.edu
