Ahh, the freedom of summer is just around the corner. No schoolwork, no waking up early, and no late nights studying. Instead, it’s almost time for late night concerts, and what a summer to be alive in North Carolina with a star-studded slate of singers coming to town.
It all kicks off next Tuesday, May 19th, with Pitbull playing at Coastal Credit Union Music Park, where concertgoers are bound to have the Time of Our Lives.
Junior Alli Peterson is just one of the many Gators that are going to be in attendance for Pitbull’s Fireball performance.
“I’m really excited!” Peterson exclaimed. “Concerts are so special because they bring everyone together in a fun environment, and that’s why so many people, especially high school students love them.”
Along with Pitbull, Peterson will also be attending Kesha’s June 10th concert, Tim McGraw’s August concert in Raleigh, and Jack Johnson’s concert where she will certainly turn the world upside down.
All three of these concerts are destined to be very popular for high school students, and you can expect many of your fellow Gators to be there too.
“Concerts are great for high schoolers,” Peterson said. “They are a great opportunity to meet up with old friends or people from other schools and just have a good time! I think teenagers enjoy them solely for the purpose of making memories.”
The Triangle area will be no short of country concerts this summer as well. Ella Langley, Hardy, Sam Barber, Forrest Frank, Noah Kahan, Jordan Davis, Shaboozy, and Ty Myers will be representing the genre across various venues in the area.
Popular country singer Morgan Wallen will also be performing at Clemson, a short drive across the South Carolina border, where many Gators will also be for his two night series in the Palmetto State.
And for the older generation—teachers, this one’s for you—Guns N’ Roses will perform at NC State’s Carter Finley Stadium on July 23rd. Bob Dylan also comes to town on July 28th.
For Peterson, the concert she is most excited for is Widespread Panic, which she will see in action at famed Red Rocks in Colorado, proving that Raleigh isn’t the only place Gators can see their favorite singers in action.
In fact, many Gators will make the trip across the South Carolina border to Clemson for Morgan Wallen’s two-night series on June 26th and 27th. And in the Charlotte Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium, summer concerts include Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, ACDC, Usher, and Ed Sheeran.
“I think concerts are about both the social and music experience,” Peterson said. “I’ve been to huge concerts, and smaller, more chill ones, but both are great! The music is what brings everyone together, but the social experience is what makes it so fun.”
It doesn’t matter who you’re seeing: Lil Wayne in September or Hank Williams Jr. on June 20th, you are bound to have a good time. So, I challenge everyone to go to a concert one night this summer with your friends, and enjoy all the vibes and festivities summer concerts have to offer.
