As the year end of 2024 approaches, one thing is for sure: 2024 was the year of concerts.
For this article, I reviewed the five most popular concerts among Arrowhead students: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Era’s Tour’, Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ tour, Noah Khan’s ‘We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour’, Luke Combs’s ‘Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour’ and Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’. These artists either performed in Wisconsin or a bordering state such as Illinois.
Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour
Many of Arrowhead’s Taylor Swift fans, or ‘Swifities’, would argue that ‘The Era’s Tour’ was the best concert of 2024. “Regardless of whether or not you are a Taylor Swift fan, ‘The Eras Tour,’ is more than just a concert; it is a 3+ hour long experience that leaves everyone in attendance with unforgettable memories,” Livia Guadano, junior, said. “The second you step into that stadium you are transported into a world of friendship bracelets, music, fun outfits, and a brilliant host that makes you feel anything BUT lonely.”
Olivia Rodrigo: Guts Tour
As an attendee of Oliva Rodrigo’s tour myself, I can confirm that this concert was amazing. She sang songs from both her “Guts’ and ‘Sour’ albums. “I thought it was a really great experience, there was a lot of positive energy in the arena and I had a lot of fun,” Frances Corry, senior, said. Similar to Swift, Rodrigo released a concert film. It can be streamed on Netflix.
Noah Khan: We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour
Noah Khan’s song ‘Stick Season’ hit number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February. At the end of March, his 32-leg tour began. Fans were disappointed by the postponement of his Alpine Valley concert, but the concert was worth the wait. “The concert was an unforgettable experience,” Ashley Megal, junior, said.
Luke Combs: Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour
Country singer, Luke Combs, was one of the most popular concerts among students. “The concert was something that I was looking forward to for months, and when I got there it did not disappoint. There were amazing openers like Mitchell Tenpenny and Jordan Davis that sang all their best songs,” Grace Kaczmarek, senior, said. “When Luke finally came on, he not only sang his newest songs but a ton of his old ones. It was probably the best concert that I have been to.”
Sabrina Carpenter: Short n’ Sweet
In 2024, pop-princess, Sabrina Carpenter, finally got the recognition she deserved. As a long time fan, I do not think ‘Short n’ Sweet’ is her best album, but it is by far her best concert. Her performance at the Sylvee in Madison for the ‘Emails I Can’t Send Tour’ was phenomenal, but with the increased budget, more fans, and bigger venues, the ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’ is nothing short of perfection. Carpenter keeps the audience dancing and is very interactive with fans.
Music is one of the many things that brings Arrowhead students together and 2024 offered many concerts for fans to enjoy. Myself and others are looking forward to seeing what artists are going to be on tour in 2025, will it compare to this year?
