Alive and in concert
Going to Cowboy Carter had me thinking of all the great pop shows I've gotten to see so here is a ranking nobody asked for and nobody will like
This month, I finally made it to a Beyoncé concert. This is big news—for me, personally, of course, but also for my friends and family who have been judging me for my Taylor Swift mania, convinced I wouldn’t give Bey a chance. Now, I’m not one to set queens against one another. But I am someone who loves a good show.
So here I am ranking every major concert I’ve been to based on my vibes alone. Forget talent, forget vocals, forget cultural importance. Will this be controversial? Listicles always are. But in this outrage culture that’s the fun of internet writing. And because this is my show, I’m going to go from best to worst. Or, really, fave to least. It’s not about the performances, the staying power of the star, or really even production value. It’s about when I had the most fun in situations that are always The Most Fun™.
2023, “The Eras Tour” Taylor Swift
SoFi stadium (LA), floor seats
The eras tour is not my favorite Taylor Swift tour, but this was my favorite experience. It was the last leg of my groupie life and the best seats I’ve ever had. 10/10 no notes.
2018, “reputation” Taylor Swift
University of Phoenix Stadium (AZ), floor seats
Opening night of a controversial new tour on my birthday? Sorry, that’s just hard to top. It was supposed to be a flop but instead she introduced the now-ubiquitous use of flashing bracelets and gave a rough speech heavily pointed at KimK that she edited out of all future performances. She opened the stage with soundbites from reporters hating on her. There were so many snake visuals after being cancelled on snake day!!! You just had to be there.
**Bonus points for experiencing the mashup of ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Should’ve Said No’ first.
2018, “reputation” Taylor Swift
AT&T stadium (Dallas), section 500 floor seats
This was the last stop and the show she filmed for the tour movie. My friend (and podcast cohost) Ashley and I decided to go last minute and got terrible nosebleed seats. I made fringe jackets, she made podcast business cards, and we spent the whole preshow trying to get noticed by Taylor Nation for their famous seat upgrades. AND IT WORKED. Dancing in the atrium to Camilla Cabello, someone came up (clearly aware what we were trying) and asked us if we wanted floor seats. So we rushed down as the opening act finished and had the best night 20 feet from stardom.
Of course, my love of this night will also always be colored by the fact that I, Shelby Boyer, got featured in the Netflix tour movie. Not that it’s available to watch anymore1.
2015, “Main Event Tour” New Kids on the Block (feat. TLC and Nelly)
Madison Square Garden (NYC), section 200s
I had never heard a NKOTB song before in my life. But it was Madison Square Garden with my two best friends and our tagalong guy neighbors somehow less enthused than us. We went for Nelly, fell in love with NKOTB, and I about died when Marky Mark showed up for a quick cameo. Talk about living the dream.
2015, “1989 Tour”, Taylor Swift
MetLife Stadium (New Jersey), section 400s
I had so much fun crashing this show with my friend Cesar and his friends (the real Taylor fans). We got nosebleed seats but dragged ourselves out to Jersey to chase down tour trucks and get photos before security yelled at us.
And honestly I’d pay anything, do anything to watch that “Wildest Dreams/Enchanted” mashup any day. Plus, she trotted Nick Jonas out for this one and her “Style” runway included supermodel besties as well as Uzo Aduba and the US Women’s soccer team (?). Absolutely unhinged. It was a crazy time to be a fan.
2025, “Cowboy Carter” Beyoncé
SoFi stadium (LA), floor seats
I’m surprised it’s this low too. I loooooooove Cowboy Carter. But after the worst Ticketmaster experience of a long range of terrible Ticketmaster experiences, and seats that maybe weren’t worth the price (if only because of the neon signs touting her new haircare line), the cards were stacked against it. Still, she can serve vocals and dancing and there’s no denying that. The visuals in-between sets were truly awesome. I could have done without all the child labor but hey it’s a family business. Still, when she played a mashup of Love on Top, Single Ladies, If I Were a Boy, Irreplaceable, etc. etc. etc.—I went feral. Plus, I did get this shot from the one (1) song she sang on our side of the stage and that’s pretty cool.
2018, “reputation” Taylor Swift
NRG Stadium (Houston), section 100s
Listen. reputation really is that bitch. It is the best show. So fast paced (just under two hours) with hit after hit, every single song better live, every inch of that stage utilized. This was my first time going to a Taylor show with my husband and while I know he didn’t have nearly as fun as I did, it was just as electric as the first time I saw it.
2019, “Cuz I Love You Too Tour” Lizzo
Revention Music Center, standing room only
This was probably one of her last shows at this sort of small, standing-room-only kind of venue. And it was packed so fun. I’ll never forget the flute solo and the joy of singing “Truth Hurts” with an audience of mostly women (my favorite kind of audience). But really the most memorable part of the night was watching some girl absolutely eat it outside the venue because that looked like it hurt.
(In other bad news, I also was so delirious driving my sister and I home that I forgot to turn my headlights on for about four blocks and got mad when some poor civilians tried to jaywalk in front me, the actual ghost car criminal. That’s the kind of embarrassed that will haunt me till I die.)
2013, “The Red Tour” Taylor Swift
Energy Solutions Arena (SLC), section 100s
I had been a casual/closeted TS fan for a couple albums at this point so when the Red album came out I knew I was going to buy tickets even without a plan of who I would go with. I ended up going with my roommate who was not as big a fan but we still had a fun time and I was blown away by the spectacle of it all. Electric violinists, extreme costume changes, mashups with The Lumineers? It’s wild how far she has come from this—both vocally and scope-ly—but it was such a fun moment to finally admit I was a stan.
2023, “The Eras Tour” Taylor Swift
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), section 100s
I went with a group of girl friends and it was so fun to live it up in Vegas beforehand and get all dolled up in our very cool costumes. It was my first eras show and I’d gone in blind so I was sort of stunned and confused by the format, expecting more mashups and getting only greatest hits. But from the folklore cabin to the reputation set, it was definitely an experience with a capital E.
2024, “The Short n' Sweet Show” Sabrina Carpenter
Kia Forum (LA), floor seats
She was late. And I’m too old to be out like that. And there were so many kids. But Domingo came! And her costumes were sparkly! And I loved her quieter sets…like singing on the bathroom toilet. Cute!
2013, Houston Rodeo, Pitbull
NRG Stadium (Houston), section 100s
I sent my husband (then-boyfriend) on one too many twirly rides at the fair so we actually had to leave early before he barfed—but not before I got to sing “I saw I came I conquered or should I say I saw I conquered I came” live with Mr. Worldwide himself. It was delicious.
2015, “1989” Taylor Swift
LSU Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge), section 200s
We got one of the few performances of “You Are In Love” and that’s a call-and-response I think of often. This was my first time seeing the 1989 tour and while it was fun, the memory just doesn’t stand out as much as the others.
2017, “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” Halsey
Toyota Center (Houston), section 100s
My husband and I got these tickets for free last minute with no real connection to Halsey. It was her first arena tour and she pulled it off with a cool set and great vocals. Very moody, very smoky, very fun to just chill in the vibes alone.
2023, “The Eras Tour” Taylor Swift
SoFi Stadium (LA), section 500s
Necessary caveat to say I LOVED the company I took with me to this one (girls trip with all my sisters and my mom).
We dressed up, we sparkled—and we were also in the literal last row of a huge stadium. Serving for ceiling than stage. It was a fun view but it was still…you know…pretty far away from the action. Getting to see the addition of “Long Live” was a highlight though.
2024, “Voyage to the Blue Planet” Weezer
The Anthem (DC), standing room only
I had a great time tagging along with my brother, their number one fan. But I should have done more research into their full discography because I was unprepared for the love “Pork and Beans” got. Still, you know I came alive when “Beverly Hills” came on.
2023, “The Eras Tour” Taylor Swift
NRG Stadium (Houston), section 100s
Seeing something as expansive as The Eras Tour multiple times means there’s bound to be a low point. Our view was blocked by a sound tower and our backs were up against a food vendor wall. It was a fun time but, with such a long show, you don’t want the deck already stacked against you.
2009, Secondhand Serenade, Parachute, We Shot The Moon
Thanksgiving Point, outdoor festival
This was my first concert and something I dragged my freshmen roommates to while wearing a going-out blazer. Led to an entire facebook photo album with bad digital pics and captions like this:
2015, “1989” Taylor Swift
Staples Center (LA), live stream
I’d heard about people livestreaming full concerts and it was her last night in the US. I logged in not expecting to watch the full set but…how could I stop myself? Every twist was more unhinged than the last. She played Smelly Cat (from Friends) with Lisa Kudrow! It felt like a fever dream but maybe that was more to do with the fact that I was laying in my twin bed in New York City watching a grainy feed at 3am.
2013, “Legends of the Summer” Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z
Candlestick Park (San Francisco)
The year is 2013. “Mirrors” has dominated the radios, been heard in every Forever 21 dressing room, and soundtracked my spring. I’ll admit this was a spectacle. But the experience has soured in my memory because…well, obviously.
It was pretty fire to hear SexyBack live though.
Unless you somehow maybe possibly downloaded it illegally….for posterity…?