“Energetic,” “hype,” “entertaining,” and “overwhelming” are just a few of the words MFS students used to describe concerts they attended this past summer. From country to rap, myriad summer concerts gave students the opportunity to see the artists they love. Many different factors contributed to the likability of a given concert, but one characteristic that stuck out to those interviewed was the culture and community of the crowd.
The concert scene in Philly this summer, according to those interviewed, consisted of three main groups: stadium tours, outdoor venues, and festivals. Stadiums tend to host the big names of the music industry; this summer’s lineup consisted of Beyoncé, Drake, and Ed Sheeran to name a few. These concerts are appealing to teens because they get to see extremely popular artists, although these concerts are more expensive than others. Outdoor venues attract lots of teenage concert-goers due to their more casual nature and cheaper prices. Going to these shows does not have to be a large commitment or planned too far in advance. The Mann Center and Freedom Mortgage Pavilion are two examples of these venues that held many popular concerts this summer. The final group of concerts are music festivals, where crowds can see many different artists over the course of the festival, drawing in fans of many different artists to attend.
Logan Shields ’25, who went to seven concerts over her summer break, shared that the Lumineers was one of her favorites. She highlighted a real “sense of community” among other fans that made the concert more enjoyable than others. Shields also noted that the Lumineers were “very interactive with the crowd … They told stories up there that were really immersive.”
Besides the Lumineers, Shields commented that Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and Post Malone stood out to her. These concerts were all held at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion; this venue makes for a good concert because of its unique environment. Concerts there, especially lawn seats, are relatively cheap in comparison to many other concerts, which tends to attract mostly teenagers to the venue. Having the option for lawn seats adds to the concert experience because audience members aren’t confined to just one seat, allowing them to walk around and talk to other people. Shields commented that she always makes new friends there since many people at the concert are her age.
Shields, along with Grace Gardner ’25, also attended the Barefoot Country Music Festival earlier in the summer. Gardner said, “Barefoot [Country Music Festival] was a lot of fun especially if you go with a group of friends.” Both agreed that there was a lot to do at the venue because it was a festival as opposed to just one show, though Gardner did note it was a bit overwhelming due to large crowds.
Anjali Shah ’26 attended the Drake concert at the Wells Fargo Center this August and had a great experience. Shah expressed a similar sense of community to Shields during the performance: “The whole culture of everyone inside – you can tell that everyone loved being there.” She shared that this sense of excitement was palpable, with even Drake himself commenting that “the crowd was one of the most hype crowds he’d seen,” according to Shah. As for Drake’s performance, she liked that the whole concert “felt like a story” and showed the progression of his music.
Shah did note, however, when comparing this concert to Taylor’s Swift’s Eras Tour that she attended in May, it was a different type of culture in the crowd. Shah shared, “At Taylor Swift, everyone in the stadium enjoys [the show] together, whereas at the Drake concert you go with whoever you came with.”
