Music has always held a special place in my heart. There is just something so powerful about a beat or lyric that can move you emotionally.
I have such early memories of listening to music with my family and going to concerts. My first concert was “Hannah Montana,” and I remember it like it was yesterday. I got to be in a room with so many kids who were just as excited as I was.
After that, my mom tried her best to take my sisters and I to any concert that was happening and one of our reoccurring ones was The Jingle Ball in Miami. We would try to go every year because so many artists were at the beginning of their career and ticket prices were nothing like what they are now.
I consider myself lucky to have attended so many shows and seen so many great artists like Beyoncé, Demi Lovato, Rihanna and so many more.
Since August, I have attended three concerts and have one more planned for November. Some have been planned out while the majority of them are spur of the moment. I have no problem with putting my trust into buying day-of or day-before concert tickets.
The best thing about these types of tickets is watching the prices drop. I hate resellers but if a reseller drops their prices because no one is buying, then I don’t mind giving in. There are also profile seats that will open up the day of for much lower prices because you have a limited view.
I just did this for The Weeknd at the end of August. He performed at Camping World Stadium as part of his “After Hours Til Dawn” Stadium Tour. I didn’t buy tickets until four hours before the concert as my sisters and I waited for prices to drop, and we got lucky with tickets for $70 each. In the profile seats we had such a great time as the stage extended to the end of the stadium. That was my second time seeing The Weeknd and I would gladly go again.
In the beginning of September, I saw Kali Uchis, a Colombian American singer and songwriter. I have been listening to her music for years now and didn’t get the chance to see her on her last tour. I was so bummed out seeing all the videos of her performing that I told myself I would see her the next time.
I signed up for pre-sale tickets and got a good section in the Kia Center to see her performance. It was a great concert as she played almost all of her discography, my friend and I had so much fun dancing.
Knowing that I wasn’t missing out on the experience pushed me to look for other concerts I could attend. I found out that a jazz band I listen, berlioz, was performing at House of Blues in Disney Springs and I jumped to get a ticket. I love when performers are still growing in their music and fans because smaller venues give the best performances. The moment feels more intimate.
Something I had to work on when it came to concerts was going alone. Sometimes people can’t attend with me, but I don’t want to miss out. I had to work up the courage to attend these events myself. I went to the jazz concert alone and enjoyed the beautiful music.
I am attending a concert in Tampa for a DJ named Kaytranada this November. I’m going alone because no one could fit it in, and I refused to miss his concert. He rarely comes to Florida, and I knew I couldn’t miss that chance.
Events are meant to be enjoyed and if that means finding the joy alone, then it’s worth it. I think being okay with being alone has helped me. I know it’s on my terms and what I want to do. It often makes going to the events easier.
In this issue, we learn more about Sarasota’s Gulfcoast Pride as it debuts under Project Pride’s new leadership. Gulfcoast Pride is poised to become the largest Pride event in Sarasota’s history.
In Central Florida news coverage, Trina Gregory, Se7enBites owner, hosted Parking Spaces for Pride and Orlando Police are investigating an incident outside of Pulse. In Tampa news coverage, Creative Pinellas confirms its funding loss after a Pinellas County vote and Tampa Pride announces its 2026 hiatus.
I hope you will continue to support Watermark Out News and trust us to be your LGBTQ+ news source.
