Lots of teenagers’ biggest dream is getting to see their favorite artists live on stage. This dream can become a reality for some, and I was lucky enough to be one of the few. On February 17th, I was fortunate enough for my version of this dream to come true.
As a Christmas gift, my (favorite) cousin Charlee received four tickets to see Drake live in Pittsburgh. While I sat beside her at our grandparent’s house later in the week, I formulated my attack plan to convince her to take me as the fourth person. Clearly, since I’m writing this article, my plan worked! She chose me as the fourth person to attend. (My aunt and her boyfriend were the other two, and acted as our adult supervision/ride/payment methods since I’m only 15 and Charlee is 14)
Now, the good stuff. We attended night two in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, of Drake’s It’s All A Blur Tour, Big As The What? with Lil Durk and J. Cole. To say the very least, it was incredible! Personally, I’m not the biggest Lil Durk fan, but seeing J. Cole live was one of my wildest dreams for a while. I like Drake as well, and after seeing him perform, he secured a spot as one of my favorite artists, even if I like a lot of his older music more than his latest albums.
As for the actual concert itself, it was more than I could’ve expected. Drake performed about 40 songs, Lil Durk performed 4, and J. Cole performed 12. Drake performed a decent mix of songs from all of his albums, including his biggest hits, such as God’s Plan, One Dance, and Marvin’s Room, to name a few. The concert was located indoors at PPG Paints Arena. It was definitely a smaller venue than some, but that didn’t diminish the crowd’s energy at all. If anything, it made it better. I didn’t know if I’d be able to hear or speak the next day after the entire audience shouted the words to Sicko Mode (which Drake covered while a giant Travis Scott head floated over the stage).
Moving past the “logistics,” my favorite part was undoubtedly when J. Cole came out and started his segment with Middle Child, one of my favorite songs ever. I hate to make myself sound so basic, but I might’ve cried a little bit when he took the stage. Hearing No Role Modelz live felt like a fever dream that I never wanted to leave! His stage presence is incredible: no fancy tricks or outgoing costumes, just him and the mic. I was so excited to see him that it almost had the reverse effect. I felt so overwhelmed. I was almost calm at the idea of him being as regular as you and me. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, but anyone who’s witnessed their favorite artist live would understand.
Overall, the concert was more than a 10/10. I’m so grateful for this experience and wouldn’t trade it for the world. The light effects, multiple stages, fire, and setlist created the perfect atmosphere. I hope that everyone gets the chance to see their favorite singer/rapper/producer/etc. live. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for lots of people. I wish I had more details to give, but I’m still truly speechless at how breathtaking the whole night was. It was the time of my life, and I don’t know what could top it anytime soon.
