Rap:

Senior Jaxon Coburn (he/him) has had his fair share of experiences with live music in Seattle. He said rap concerts are his favorite, having seen artists like Future, Travis Scott and Don Toliver live.

“Everywhere I go, I’d say it’s pretty active,” Coburn said. “All the tickets sell out pretty much every show.”

Coburn said his favorite Seattle venue for concerts is WAMU Theater, which has a general admission area instead of seating — a feature which he believes elevates the experience to another level.

“I went to WAMU for the Don Toliver concert. It was crazy. I was fighting for my life to stay alive,” Coburn said. “People were going insane. Me and my friends were struggling just to drink some water.”

Coburn also mentioned the sense of community Seattle’s music scene had fostered for him.

“You feel connected to the artist and to all the people around you,” Coburn said.

Coburn said he’s excited for future concerts in Seattle, and that he has at least one he’s set on attending. 

“I’m excited for the Destroy Lonely concert,” Coburn said. “I think I’ll go with all my friends again.”

Punk:

When she attended the first ever Animal House show with her sister two years ago, senior Lily Roberts (she/her) became hooked. Every month since, she has purchased a $10 ticket to a selection of local punk artists that changes each time, hosted in an expansive backyard in Shoreline. Roughly 250 people attend each performance, and they often sell out.

“They just let five bands that don’t have a large fanbase — they get to play and they get a ton of recognition,” Roberts said. “They provide water and food and the music is always really great. There’s usually a theme, which is also fun.” 

Roberts said the concerts feel like gatherings for a large, friendly community. Once, after she returned a stranger’s lost phone, their conversation rapidly evolved into a friendship. 

“I used to have really bad social anxiety, and I still kind of do,” Roberts said. “But going to so many concerts has sorta healed that because people are not as scary as you think — or as I thought. It’s really easy to be yourself and be loved for that.”

Similarly, senior Anya Polyanskiy’s (she/her) favorite local punk show draws people of various ages and cultures together under the First Avenue Bridge. She described the community as extremely caring.

“(My first time), I remember I fell into the mosh pit and immediately people were picking me up, making sure I got back on my feet and got out and I had water and everything,” Polyanskiy said. “They really welcome everyone. Doesn’t matter who you are.”

A little bit of everything:

The very opening note was just a massive hit on the bass drum. You could feel it in your body, and it was just so awesome,” sophomore Asha Dutt (she/her) said.

Attending the musical “Wicked” at Paramount Theater sparked Dutt’s love for live music that has driven her to concerts at least once every three months. Her choices are wide ranging, from country star Carrie Underwood to rapper Jelly Roll to the classical comfort of the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. 

“If one of my friends is like, ‘Do you want to go to a concert?’ I’m like ‘Yes!’ because I love broadening my music taste,” Dutt said. “I just feel like it brings so much to you to have that wide horizon on everything that you listen to.”

Polyanskiy, who frequents both  local artists like the psych rock band Yellow Peddled Flowers and visiting ones like Indigo de Souza, said that live music is a way to recharge.

“I get so excited because there’s so much energy,” Polyanskiy said. “I get to hear this live music and see people so happy and just in their element.”

She said that concerts are refreshing because attendees don’t need to worry too much about their appearance.

“When you’re in a mosh pit, you’re just moving around and doing whatever you want to do, and you don’t really care what anyone has to say about what you look or what you’re doing,” Polyanskiy said.

As for Dutt, who plays the euphonium, baritone and trombone, attending concerts has not only broadened her taste but also given her a deeper appreciation for musical skill. 

“You can see the effort the band’s put in,” Dutt said. “They’re preparing for months beforehand, and they know every single word without any sort of music or any sort of guide, they know every single word, every single beat, every single note. It’s so impressive and inspiring.”