Have you been finding it difficult to keep up with all the pop culture in the music industry recently? If you have, you’re not alone. Especially in Tampa, there have been new tours every week it seems from new artists with completely different music styles and concert aesthetics. From pop singers to rappers and country singers, it seems like there hasn’t been a dull moment these past few months; however, here are the top three concerts you should have attended according to Berkeley students and what their concert experiences were like.
Concert 1: SZA’s “SOS” Tour
WELCOMING SZA WITH OPEN ARMS: Astounding the audience with her beautiful range, SZA sings her most popular songs from the SOS album while recreating its cover. (Photo Credit: Caroline Natalie Dann ‘25)
To start, SZA’s SOS tour was one of the most discussed tours both within and outside the Berkeley community. Even SZA herself told the audience that no matter how many places she had performed the tour previously, Tampa’s energy was unmatched making it arguably one of the best fall concerts in the nation. “Tampa, I have to say that your energy is A-plus-plus…the best,” she said to the screaming audience. One of our own students, Natalie Dann ’25 could only describe the tour as being “electric, show-stopping, and thrilling,” due to her dazzling vocals.
After Dann ’25 had gone to the concert with a group of friends, she said “Looking back on all our reactions to the songs was my favorite part.” Specifically, the song Good Days at the conclusion of the concert was the most memorable of them all. She then proceeded to describe the strong emotions each of her songs provoked, and how screaming the lyrics with her friends by her side was a magical experience.
Dann ’25 then goes on to highlight what an amazing performer SZA was in general and describes how you could tell she was meant to be on the stage. One example she gave of a strength that made SZA a good performer was something you might not expect: her improvisation skills. “The raft that she usually dangles from and sings from was broken, so instead of singing a song from there she added Normal Girl to her setlist,” she said. Not only that, but SZA made the show even more entertaining with her multiple outfit changes, a backdrop to match her album cover, and more. Overall she described SZA as an amazing entertainer, rightfully so, and really emphasized how SZA’s soothing tone and song lyrics can transport you to an alternate reality, the best magic of all.
Concert 2: Lil Baby’s “It’s Only Us” Tour
LIL BABY HAS SUM 2 PROVE: Lil Baby conquers the stage in his gemstone vest and massive screen projecting his “Untrapped” documentary. (Photo Credit: Caroline Tukuch Rodriguez ‘25)
Lil Baby’s It’s Only Us tour concert was another favorite at Berkeley. Being a very popular hip-hop and rap artist, it is not surprising that his tour gained so much attention. Many people say that Lil Baby is only an artist for younger generations; however, one of our own students Caroline Tukuch Rodriguez ‘25, attended the concert with her sixty-five-year-old grandfather to show that people of all ages can listen to his music.
“Me and my grandpa were really excited when Lil Baby started,” she said. “The whole section knew all the lyrics to his songs, and my grandpa was just bopping along.”
She went on to describe the concert scenery, saying there was a 360-degree rotating stage in the center, a “dance cam” and captivating backdrops to keep the audience intrigued.
“I thought his backdrops were really interesting because they showed his past and where he came from,” she said.
And, if you are not yet convinced that his concert was one of the best this month, another reason it blew the audience away was because of the emotion he conveyed. Even though Lil Baby typically writes songs about more surface-level things, the familiarity of his voice and memories linked to his songs still evoked strong emotions in people. “I cried during one of the songs because it hit home,” Rodriguez said.
Concert 3: Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” Tour
A NEW PERSPECTIVE: People behind the stadium gather together on picnic blankets to listen to Kahan’s music together and share smiles. (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Lai ‘26)
Last but not least is Noah Kahan’s Stick Season Tour concert which also left many fans in tears of joy. His folk and pop music combination is most widely known for being emotional, and talks about themes of self-discovery. “My favorite part was when he played a new song called The Shape of My Shadow,” said student Ella Adebanajo ’24.“It was a really emotional song and the whole audience went quiet. It was so sweet.” Another Berkeley student, Danica Muroff ’24 said, “My favorite part was when he played All of My Love or Stick Season because the audience was so lively.” Clearly, Noah Kahan is very skillful at evoking emotions and telling carefully crafted stories with his lyrics, not just in the studio but as a live performer as well.
Another reason students called him a skilled performer is because of the way he communicated with the audience. When asked what the most unique part of the concert was in their opinion, Adebanajo ’24 and Muroff ’24 said, “The concert was unique because he was very sweet to his fans, interacting with them every chance he got. It was unique because of all the funny things he said between songs.” His charismatic nature and kind personality onstage made his songs seem more genuine and easier to relate to, making the concert all the more enjoyable.
Overall, these three concerts seemed to be the fan favorites at Berkeley, but that is not to say the other artists who put on concerts this season did not have astounding performances. For example, I personally know many people who attended the Beyonce concert and Lana del Ray concert, and there was positive feedback from both crowds. But what do you think? Did this article convince you to listen to these artists’ music? Or maybe attend a future concert? Whatever you took away from this, I hope it opened your eyes to the unique variety of music tastes at Berkeley, and how lucky we are as a community to have access to such amazing live performances.
