Tokyo Drift || HS

27 || Space Cowboy

THE MEDIA ENTRANCE TO Bridgestone Arena is more packed than I'm expecting.

After getting off my flight, catching a car to my hotel, then swiftly changing into a sleek outfit for the concert, I don't have much time left to waste. But unfortunately, it appears like the rest of the reporters have all cut their arrival as close as mine. We now stand in a crowded line, aiming to get our badges checked at exactly the same moment - thirty minutes before the concert starts.

I look around the gate, noting scores of people pouring in from different entrances. Men, women, non-identifying. Young, old. Different races. Lovers of pop and lovers of country.

It seems that Kacey can really draw an eclectic crowd.

I'm distracted from my people-watching by a reporter murmuring in front of me.

"I heard she landed the largest attendance at this arena by any female artist in history." The man says to another writer.

"Yea, and she's got a couple special guests coming." The other man adds in. "I believe Maggie Rogers?"

"Should be interesting." The first man shrugs. "I mean, more content for us."

I listen to them drone on and on about the companies they work for and the different writing styles they enact. So by the time I get to the security guard at the front, I'm more than ready for one of the media coverage's complimentary drinks.

Once I gain clearance to the venue, I'm shuffled down a tunnel to follow the rest of the editorial crews. They place us all in the section directly in front of the stage alongside the photographers.

I lean against the metal fence that barricades the rest of the crowd - spinning around to observe the vast amount of audience members who converse with one another while they wait. It's almost deafening. I wouldn't be surprised if the rumor that the man heard is true.

The minutes pass slowly. I feel much more aware of my solitude without Jalen by my side. I set down a couple of menial items to block off my spot, then head out of the gate to grab a free drink from the stand.

I walk back sipping a large IPA - the swigs of bubbling alcohol causing me to feel slightly more at ease.

I turn back to the stage and watch the crew set up the floor. They drag heavy speakers and reorganize the mics. Doing sound checks on each piece of equipment before the show starts. I glance at the stadium lights and large screens surrounding the arena. I can already tell that Kacey's show is going to be full of flashing lasers and psychedelic imagery to match the theme of her album.

I would really be more ecstatic to be here if this assignment didn't get in the way of my night with Billy Joel and Jalen. Kacey's album deserves every award it got. I genuinely enjoy her music.

I just wish I wasn't here alone.

The crew seems to be running slightly late, but I don't think I've ever been to a concert that starts on time. Another fifteen minutes pass before the lights begin to dim.

Soft swells of violin echo through the darkness of the stadium. Right in front of me, a rainbow prism of light shoots up from the stage and forms a large triangle, flashing toward the ceiling with an elaborate glow. Neon lasers of different colors beam from the stage. I'm transfixed by the show of rainbows. Yellow, pink, green, blue. I rotate my body to take in the view all around me.

There's something about watching the awe of the crowd - the unity they all emanate as they gaze at the artist in front of them. It's something mystical. Like their reactions are all knit together, individual yet part of a bigger thing.