Grant Students reflect on their experiences seeing live music during Summer 2022.

KENDRICK LAMAR

A large transparent box lowers from the ceiling. Inside stands four people dressed in white HAZMAT suits surrounding fourteen-time Grammy award winner, Kendrick Lamar. 

After testing him, it is determined that Lamar is infected with COVID-19 — the news is followed by flashing lights as “Alright” begins to blare through the packed Moda Center. This skit that Lamar performs at all of his shows is just a small part of the experience of ‘The Big Steppers Tour.’

Senior Macy Fry eagerly stands pressed against the gate that separates her from the stage. The energy all around her is charged with excitement, growing exponentially as the night progresses. 

August 26 was Fry’s second time seeing Lamar live in concert. She went to the ‘Damn Tour’ in 2017 and was hooked on the adrenaline rush that Lamar instilled in the crowd. She hopes to continue this streak, seeing Lamar every chance she gets. 

Fry’s mother introduced Fry to Lamar six years ago, and she has been a fan ever since. Fry shares a deeper experience with Lamar’s music, saying, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City would be the soundtrack to my life and the song ‘Alright’ is a song that I live by.” 

The night was a blur of jumping, yelling and lights, but Fry clearly recalls the moment when Lamar looked at her and waved. Fry was infatuated when Lamar brought out his opener, Baby Keem, and they performed the hit song “family ties” together.   

Lamar put on more than just a concert; it was a cinematic experience. The relationship between the dancers, lights and performers made the show completely unforgettable for Fry and the tens of thousands of other attendees alike. 

ALICE IN CHAINS, BREAKING BENJAMIN & BUSH

The night of Sept.second got colder and colder as the sun went down on the lawn of the RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Clark County, Washington. The deafening traditional heavy metal filled the space where three teenage boys stood, surrounded by, “adults that used to be like grunge, but now they’re just too old.” 

Levi Homer, Kellen Clary and Neil Cameron are all juniors and have been friends since the beginning of middle school. At a young age, all three of them were exposed to a wide range of music genres, including more alternative rock artists like Alice in Chains. 

Growing up, Clary recalls how his father would constantly be playing a 1990s grunge station on a sound system that connected to his whole house. After hearing some of that music in person, Clary says, “it was cool to recognize and hear these songs I had heard my whole life sort of come alive.” 

The concert was a special experience for all three of them, enhanced by it being Clary’s first  concert and Homer and Cameron’s first time seeing this genre of music live. Hearing “Nutshell” allowed the boys to reminisce on a moment they shared together listening to the song for the first time. 

A moment that stuck with Cameron was when Breaking Benjamin told the audience that his first concerts were Alice in Chains and Bush and how lucky he was to be performing with them. 

Homer recognizes that the rowdy grunge scene might not be for everyone. Despite his enjoyment of the show, Homer views his relationship with the music as, “more like an art form that I appreciate, rather than something I connect to on a personal level.”

PHOEBE BRIDGERS 

The sun set over the McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater, the sweltering summer air perfectly encapsulating the melancholy artist Phoebe Bridgers —  causing the audience to transcend into a frenzy of anticipation and excitement. 

Malakia Dechet-Wetzel and her friend stood pressed together in an excited crowd, beside an older man who wasn’t wearing shoes. However, his lack of shoes didn’t seem to bother her too much considering how highly she spoke of her experience. 

In the gravel pit where Dechet-Wetzel stood, she could see a lawn covered in picnic blankets and could feel the vibrations of the base as it seemed to bounce off the expanse of people.

Dechet-Wetzel treasured her time seeing Bridgers and would see her again in a heartbeat. She highly recommends that others do as well. 

After discovering Bridgers’ music in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, her love for the artist has persisted. Bridgers’ somber melodies contrast Dechet-Wetzel’s upbeat and happy persona. While she might not have a direct, personal connection to the lyrics, they remind her of the time she spent with her family during the pandemic. She appreciates and enjoys Bridgers’ music because of, “how the lyrics are not super literal and you have to kind of interpret the meaning behind it.”

During Bridger’s performance, the backdrop illustrated a cartoon book with pages that changed to correlate with the song playing. Toward the end of her show, Bridgers’ played, ‘I Know the End’, and this high energy, upbeat song finished with a gut-wrenching scream from everyone in the crowd. Bridgers ended the night by playing a fan favorite, ‘Waiting Room.’ The lyrics became repetitive as the song came to a close — Dechet-Wetzel reminisces on this moment, saying, “It was really beautiful, everyone was singing along and people were linking arms and swaying.”

PICKATHON 

Late into the night, music can be heard across every inch of the Pendarvis Farm where the annual three day Pickathon Music Festival is held. Different sounds overlap each other from every direction: a smooth jazz band from the left, and a buoyant rap artist from the right. 

For the past four years on the first weekend in August, Joaquin Ruvalacaba has attended the Pickathon with a close group of family friends, finding comfort in the familiar grounds. 

This is the first year that Pickathon has been held since 2019, due to the long lasting effects of the pandemic. During the three year break the beloved main stage was replaced by smaller, more creative stages. Ruvalacaba recognizes the change in the environment and resents it,stating, “ it’s (Pickathon) getting worse, I feel like it used to be more fun in previous years.”

Summer 2022 Pickathon featured up and coming artists like Faye Webster, a tranquil and soothing young alternative singer. Also performing, hip-hop/rap artist GZA and his live band, The Funky Nomads, attracted a large fanbase.

Ruvalacaba speaks highly of a new band he saw called Thee Sacred Souls. Though they have yet to release an album, they have an organic R&B sound which made them a crowd favorite. Ruvalacaba says, “they gave a very positive energy that made them stand out.” 

The seemingly unlimited live music and freedom that is available due to the design and organization allows for people to feel relaxation while still feeling the elation of a music festival. With over 47 different performers, Pickathons wide variety creates an inclusive atmosphere for everyone.