Two years ago, on a snowy February day, I anxiously waited to purchase tickets to once again see my favorite band in concert. I was ready to spend a good chunk of the money I had saved for VIP soundcheck tickets. I knew it would be a summer to remember. Little did anyone know that a global pandemic would postpone the tour for two more years.
Despite the postponements eliminating the possibility of me attending dates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I ended up still being able to attend four of the nearly seventy shows on the Take My Hand World Tour. Within six days, I traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Sterling Heights (Detroit), Michigan. This was not my first time going to multiple shows on a tour. In fact, I did so for the band’s 2019 tour with duo The Chainsmokers. However, going to consecutive shows was an experience I, in some ways, was not prepared for.
I began my journey on July 15 in Indianapolis. I was reunited with the band’s VIP coordinator, who, for many shows, has made my experience the safest and best it can be. Despite some rain in the early afternoon, myself and a few hundred other fans were able to enjoy the intimate soundcheck and Q&A session with the band. One of the two songs the band played happened to be “Girls Talk Boys,” a song created for the 2016 Ghostbusters soundtrack and not performed in several years.
After my dad and I stopped at a hotel in Indiana to rest, we made the drive to Chicago, where I met up with a great friend I had made through the band. I once again queued for the general admission pit, which unfortunately earned me a nasty case of sun poisoning (which I am still healing from). I cared very little about my burnt skin while singing, crying and hugging to songs like “Ghost of You” with my friend.
Cincinnati was my tenth time seeing the band and proved to be one of the best. I met up with another one of my best friends. Not only that, but I was also offered by the band two free tickets to their September 22nd show in London. Whether I will make the trip is yet to be determined but receiving such a gift from the people I look up to is something indescribable.
After a few days’ break, my mom and I drove to Detroit for my final show. I saw more friends (both old and new), doing my best to beat the heat and protect my shoulders.
This tour treated me incredibly well. I received guitar picks, front row spots, and plenty of hugs. I am extremely grateful that I got the opportunity to do something like this and can confidently say that all of it was worth the wait.
If you’re second guessing going to a concert, let this be your sign to go. The memories are priceless.
Carly Webster
Staff Writer