Enjoying his time, he is surrounded by bright lights, loud shouting, and people swaying side to side; he is experiencing all the key elements of a concert. Senior Hector Perez speaks very highly about his need to advocate for his culture through his music taste. He does this by mentioning artists he enjoys listening to such as Peso Pluma and Fuerza Regida. Perez also uplifts these artists by attending their live performances.

The concert environment of being able to connect with artists interests students. Environmental details include high volume, big energy, and an emotional interaction through the song lyrics. Cultural and social influences also cause students to listen and interact with different singers. Additionally, concerts themselves need a lot of preparation in order to achieve a great atmosphere. 

“I’ve been to a few concerts and I really like getting to be up close and personal with artists that you already know,” freshman Ayden McShane said.

During the summer, Perez attended two concerts with his brothers. He saw Peso Pluma on Aug. 3 at the CHI Health Center. Additionally, he attended the Fuerza Regida concert on June 16 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 

“Those two artists are some of the biggest artists in the regional Mexican genre,” Perez said. “It’s the most popular genre right now in Spanish music and they are the biggest artists and my favorite.”

According to the science and technology journal Nature, music provides a way for people to bond socially and culturally. Perez expresses how he thinks the concert environment is fun and how his Hispanic heritage impacts his musical taste.

“They are Mexican and music by my people so I got to support them,” Perez said. “They make good music and they try to promote Mexican culture so I got to support it.”

Currently, a very popular artist among teenagers is Olivia Rodrigo, and McShane went to one of Rodrigo’s concerts for her GUTS tour on March 13 at the CHI Health Center. Aside from social and cultural significance, McShane shares why he enjoys her music. 

“It’s my sister’s favorite singer and my mom got us both tickets,” McShane said. “Her music is relatable and she has fun songs.” 

With her mom, sister, and brother, senior Madison Bissell went to a Luke Bryan concert on July 26 at the CHI Health Center. Along with being a well-known country singer, Bissell said Luke Bryan is also one of their mom’s favorite artists. While attending his concert, Bissell feels happy, positive, and gets nostalgic feelings of being a little kid again.

“I love Luke Bryan,” Bissell said. “He was the first country singer I got introduced to as a kid so he is a core memory now.”

The environment of a concert is another factor on why students attend. The upbeat conditions of live music are a reason why people are attracted to attending. 

“I think the concert atmosphere is very fun,” Perez said. “Everyone is standing and jumping around and it’s very exciting. But, you get super tired and by the end you can’t talk, your voice is sore for a couple days. But, I love concerts, they are so much fun.”

To create a fun atmosphere, a lot of preparation is needed for live performances. A very popular summer music festival that occurs every year at the American Heroes Park is called Bellevue Rocks. One of the organizers for this festival, Community Relations Officer Phil Davidson, shares that the Events Committee of the Bellevue Community Foundation starts setting up for the event 9 to 10 months in advance.

“The first things we need to get secured are the headlining bands and securing a stage that is big enough to meet their performance requirements,” Davidson said. “Our date is set in stone due to a national performing group that is available on our date and within our price range is always a challenge for our committee.”

Starting with a budget given by the BCF Board of Directors to the band committee, the members begin finding a headlining band that can meet their performance date, budget, and genre of music. They prefer to find nationally known touring groups and country acts since they are the most popular as their Saturday headliner. 

“We start our marketing efforts in March with an announcement about the bands and amp it up a little each month until the festival takes place,” Davidson said. “By providing a large, high quality carnival and live music, we hope to create a family friendly event that truly offers something for all ages.”