Attending music concerts is a common way for students to unwind during the school year, and with summer right around the corner, many are looking to spend more time with their favorite artists. “Music allows me to concentrate while doing work, helps me relax, motivates me before sports, and lets me enjoy car rides. I really love going to concerts, too,” junior Maddy Mathew said.

Enjoying different types of music, students have a wide variety of tastes and preferences.. “My favorite genre is indie rock, but I like everything,” junior Maddie Zincke said.

Music festivals are engaging and attract a large number of students who have enjoyed the atmospheres in the past. Certain circumstances can improve concert experiences, such as seat location, venue, crowd size and the performance itself. “I have only attended two concerts: TV Girl and Lil Tecca. I liked TV Girl more because the audience was much more calm and you were able to really sink into the experience and enjoy the beauty of the live music,” junior Naomi Negussie said.

This upcoming summer, students plan to see popular artists. Negussie has tickets for Vacations and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Zincke is interested in Childish Gambino and The Smashing Pumpkins. Mathew and Zincke both hope to see Future and Metro Boomin. These artists will perform at larger venues like Capital One Arena and Nationals Park and smaller venues like the 9:30 Club. Childish Gambino will perform with WILLOW and The Smashing Pumpkins will share a set with Green Day, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. “I hope to attend them if available,” Zincke said.

Students plan to use concerts to stay in touch with friends over the summer. Although it allows for increased freedom and independence, summer can be isolating without the presence of school. “Summer concerts are better with other people, so I definitely plan to invite my friends so we can enjoy them together,” Mathew said.

Some artists, to the disappointment of fans, aren’t performing this summer, or at least not nearby; fan favorites who haven’t released new music in a while won’t be around this summer. Matthew wishes Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar were around, and Zincke wants to see Radiohead. “I really wish Justin Timberlake, A$AP Rocky, Lana del Rey, and Two Door Cinema Club were performing this summer,” Negussie said.

Music festivals, larger concerts where numerous artists perform over multiple days, are also of interest to students. The atmosphere at festivals is different than at smaller venues; festivals are usually much more dense and crowded. “I’d be interested in attending a music festival. I think they’re a great way to discover other artists while having fun,” Negussie said.