STORY BY BELLA GARCIA, MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARITSSA AGUILAR, STAFF WRITER
With the 2023 fall semester in progress, Cypress College students reminisce on the concerts they attended and special moments they experienced this summer break.
With entertainment history being made this summer with events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, people were dressing up and heading to concert venues at any given chance. According to IBISWorld, an industry research company, the Concert and Event Promotion industry has increased 9.1% per year for the last 5 years. Measured by revenue, the market size of the industry has reached $65.0bn in 2023.
Alexa Delgado, a first-year dental hygiene major, and Andrea Gonzalez, graphic design major, were two Cypress chargers kind enough to share their summer concert experiences with the Chronicle.
Q: Who did you see in concert and/or what festival did you attend during your summer break? How excited were you?
Delgado: I saw a metal band from the 80s called “Venom.” And I went with my bud from middle school [and] we were both very stoked about it.
Gonzalez: On June 23, my brother and I went to a concert for the band Palace. It was held at the Wiltern in LA.
Q: What did your pre-concert routine look like? And what about your post-concert routine?
Delgado: My pre-concert routine consisted of getting V.I.P before the show started, and hanging out in the lounge with the band members. We snacked on candies and drank energy drinks to get the fuel for the epic show that was about to happen. We talked with the members, took pics, and got posters and our shirts signed. They even drew us tattoos to get. Post-concert vibes included driving home to get tacos because any food around concert venues is extremely pricey.
Q: What was the overall concert experience like?
Delgado: The overall concert was great, since we got there early we were in the barricade and were extremely close to the bands playing. The only situation I didn’t expect was the venue being so tiny. Since the venue was very small it got extremely hot and we were allowed only 1 cup of water from the bar. The bartenders had a really bad attitude whenever someone ordered water. I understand it affected their tips, but it was honestly extremely hot and everyone was dehydrated.
Gonzalez: At first our experience wasn’t good at all; we had people being rude to us because [someone] kept disregarding my presence and space. I told him multiple times that he was putting his hands in front of my face, and that his friends kept pushing my brother and I. Eventually, two girls in the group called me a bitch under their breath. I couldn’t handle it anymore…and I decided to upgrade my tickets to VIP seating. It was an extra $120, but worth it…and it made everything better; We both got a perfect view of the stage and every member.
Q: What did being able to experience seeing the artist you saw live mean to you?
Delgado: Being able to see [Venom] live was life changing. I’ve been a fan for years and even have posters of them on my walls, so seeing these band members come to life was so awesome. They sound even better in person. The guitarist even let my friend hold his guitar, and it made us love them even more.
Gonzalez: I’ve listened to Palace since high school, so having the money now to finally see them in concert was so much better than having their music play on full blast in my AirPods. Their music just speaks to my soul and resonates with me so much.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share regarding your concert experience that we may have not covered?
Delgado: All in all, I highly recommend going to concerts because it’s one thing listening to music in your room, and it’s another thing being able to hear it in front of you.
