Experiencing Concerts Abroad

The flashing lights, the explosive booming noises, the screaming adoring fans, these are all what make a concert memorable. Before coming abroad, I kept thinking about experiences I wanted to enjoy abroad. I saw that some of my favorite artists were performing in Paris and I knew I had to go. Since my time here in Paris, I have been to 4 concerts and I still have two more in December! I have seen Palace, an indie rock band from the UK, Frankie Cosmos, an Indie/Alternative artist from the U.S, Omar Apollo, an Indie Pop Artist from the U.S, Sabrina Claudio, an R&B artist from the U.S, Rosalía, a Spanish artist from Barcelona, and Clairo, an Indie Pop Artist from the U.S.

The first concert I went to in Paris was Palace’s. Palace was my first concert ever back in Madrid, Spain in 2017, so I knew I had to see them again! I was a bit hesitant on going to any concerts in Paris because I did not have anyone to go with me. I came to a realization that you won’t always have someone be there with you to experience events with. Don’t wait on other people to do the things you want to do! :)

Once I was inside the venue, I met three other people who also came alone. David,18, from Germany, Julio, 25, from Barcelona, and Claire, 23, from Paris. We had a great conversation and stayed together for the concert! We have become friends and I have even met with some of them on other days since the concert.

You might have read about Frankie Cosmos’s concert from my previous blog post, but if you haven’t, I had the opportunity to shoot concert photography for her performance. Since I was so busy photographing the concert and jamming out to her songs, I did not get to meet any new people. However, if the artist is a rising/smaller artist, and if you wait after the concert is over you may have the opportunity to meet them! I got to meet Frankie Cosmos, and she was the sweetest!

For Omar Apollo’s Concert, I went with a friend from IES Abroad. It was in the same venue that Frankie Cosmos performed in. His concert was amazing and he had great interaction with the crowd. My friend and I even met Peter, a teaching assistant living in Paris from the U.S! After the concert, my friend and I waited for some time to see if Omar Apollo would come out. The security guard started telling people to exit and made my friend and I leave. I stood by the exit and saw that he came out. There were still other people inside, so I reentered because I really wanted to meet him. Omar and I made eye contact and he smiled at me. He saw that I was approaching him when all of the sudden the security guard started yelling at me to get out. I obeyed his orders and left. Omar saw what happened and came out with me! We had a long conversation with him and some of his band members and even took a photo with him. It was such a euphoric experience.

For Sabrina Claudio’s concert, I went alone. The venue, L’Alhambra, in the 10th arrondissement, where she performed was around the corner from my house! The venue was an actual theater with seats, and while it suited her as an R&B artist, I wasn't able to walk around and make friends. Her performance was stellar though, and I will never forget it! 

Rosalia’s concert was unforgettable, to say the least. She is by far my favorite artist. I went to her concert alone too, but it was my favorite. She played at Salle Pleyel in the 8th arrondissement. She gave an epic performance and killed the crowd with her vocals. 

Clairo’s concert was amazing! She played at the concert venue, La Trabendo, in the 19th arrondissement. I went with two of my friends and ran into Peter, the guy I met at Omar Apollo’s concert! Her soft voice and bedroom pop vibes wowed the crowd and everyone sang along to her songs.

Before you go abroad, check to see if your favorite artists are performing in your study destination! Don’t say no to a concert or any experience you want to do just because you don’t have anyone to go with. Don’t wait on the world, let the world come to you! Enjoy the experiences and places you want to visit, because you’ll never know if you’ll have the opportunity again!

Check out the app BandsInTown to see where your favorite artists are performing next!