The Channels Editors share their favorite concerts they have ever been to. This semester, we worked together to curate the SBCC Mixtape, showcasing the music taste of our community.
Sylvia Stewart, Editor-in-Chief
The best concert I’ve ever been to was the Peachy Tour at SOMA San Diego this past February. I had been looking forward to it for weeks. Honestly, I went mainly for Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, the brothers behind bands Enjoy and Puzzle and the core of my all-time favorite band, The Garden. There’s something about their weird, chaotic energy that makes me feel like I belong somewhere.
What really took me away though was how much I fell in love with all the other artists performing that night. George Clanton absolutely blew my mind. I’ve listened to a little of his music before, but hearing it live was a completely different experience. His dreamy yet electric vibe made me feel so content.
I remember just standing there, smiling, taking it all in. Now I listen to his music all the time, especially when I’m cleaning the kitchen on Saturdays or rushing to finish my paper. It somehow makes boring tasks turn into a Mario Kart rainbow road, crazy, colorful and fun.
Then there was Mind’s Eye. I had been obsessed with their song “Wasted Affairs” since high school, so when lead singer Vince Lopez screamed it in my face, my heart stopped. To top it off, he played “Wishing For Me,” which I proceeded to play religiously in my car for the next three weeks.
That night, I felt completely myself, surrounded by people who like the same weird, beautiful sounds that I do.
Djamila Rodeck, Opinion & A&E Editor
When I think about my favorite concert, I immediately think of Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers Tour in 2022. It was my first real concert experience and I honestly couldn’t picture anything that could’ve been better. I still remember spontaneously getting tickets the day before, placing me in the last row. Somehow, my friends and I managed to sneak our way really close to the energy circle right in front of the stage.
The vibes at the concert were unreal. From pre-act Tanna Leone, the crowd, the stage setup, the dancers and all of the performances, it was perfection. Baby Keem and Kendrick’s chemistry on stage was incredible and they performed an amazing setlist. He played some of his really popular songs like “Money Trees,” “HUMBLE.,” and “DNA.,” but also performed a lot of the songs from his new album. It was a roller coaster of emotions in the best imaginable way and marked an absolutely magical night to me.
If I could, I’d go back to Oct. 13, 2022, every day. Let me say post-concert depression is real and I feel it to this day. I can’t wait to see him in concert again this year.
Viviana Ruiz, News & Sports Editor
My favorite concert has to be my second concert I ever attended in 2013. That was the Justin Bieber “Believe Tour”.
I remember walking into Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena, with my puffy black and purple tutu, JB Believe T-shirt, ready to scream my 7-year-old heart out. I got the tickets for my birthday, not shocked at all because I knew I’d see him live at least once in my life.
I was the typical obsessed little girl who loved Justin Bieber and looking back 12 years later I’ll always remember how happy and in awe I felt. It fulfilled my childhood dream at the time and that’s a huge reason why it’s still my favorite concert today.
Plus, his song called “Beauty and a Beat” with Nicki Minaj has remained a huge hit and I have it on video with an old memory card that I can always brag about.
It truly changed my little girl self and made me wish I became a pop star. Even though I am not a pop star, that one concert from when I was seven will always hold a special place in my heart.
It’s a moment I look back on and realize I’ll always be that little girl screaming “you know you love me, I know you care, just shout whenever and I’ll be there” at a Justin Bieber concert.
Hiroto Sato, Features Editor
My favorite concert I’ve ever been to was HARD Summer last year. There I finally saw one of my favorite artists, Disclosure. I went with a group of my best friends. All of us had been listening to them since we were in high school and had been talking about seeing them one day. The day had finally come, we got to listen to the music that we listened to on our way to school, the beach and whenever we hung out. They came out playing one of their most recent songs called “She’s Gone, Dance On”. From the moment they came on stage, all of us lost our minds and voices. The most memorable moment was when they played a song called “ Help Me Lose My Mind”. A song we all listened to constantly for a summer that has so many good memories attached to it. And to be able to listen to the song live, surrounded by the people who make up those memories associated with the song made it all feel surreal.
Go check out The Channels’ curated Spotify playlist “SBCC mixtape” to hear what the Santa Barbara community listens to.