This was my first real concert. The only one that I actually went to and stayed for the entire show. I was skeptical at first when it came to buying the ticket. It was getting close to finals, and my money was running low. I asked my friends about whether or not I should buy the ticket. It was about $30+ and with tax it ran up to about $50.
They kept pushing me to buy it and kept saying, “YOLO.” I laughed at their responses and clicked confirm on Ticketmaster.
The day of the concert arrived and my teeth were showing for the entire day. From the moment I woke up and realized that later on, I get to see Todrick Hall, I knew that the day was going to be one that I would remember forever.
I first saw him on YouTube. While I can’t remember whether or not I was introduced to him by a friend or if I found him as I was scrolling through YouTube, I fell in love with his voice instantly.
I watched his skits and music videos. I tried to research him and I even made sure to always check his page for new uploads.
My best friend told me one day when we were in high school that Todrick was going to be on MTV, and we were ecstatic. After every show aired, we’d talk about what happened and whether or not we liked the song that he wrote and shot a video for.
A couple years had passed and then I found out that he’s a drag queen and choreographer, which added to the hype I felt.
So when I saw that he was coming to Raleigh, I knew I wanted to see him.
I walked into the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts and saw the long line of people trying to buy his merchandise. I saw some people just standing around, and I passed by this random girl and spoke to her. We talked, and I told her that this was my first concert and my first Todrick concert. She was in shock and told me that I should buy merch and that if I had two things of merch then I could meet him after the show and take a picture.
After telling her I was a college student and didn’t really have money to blow, she gave me a merch bag. She told me that it was an extra and that she didn’t want it and told me that I could have it. I had never been more thankful in my entire life. This random girl gave me the bag so that I could buy one thing from the merch table to be able to meet this guy I’d been idolizing.
That concert had me on my toes the entire time. Before he even came out on stage, the music boomed. It was so loud and the bass was so deep that I felt every song in my chest. It just vibrated through me, and I loved every minute. It was a two-hour show filled with screaming, singing, laughter and even adorable moments, such as bringing some of the kids on stage to dance with him during certain numbers.
When the show ended and I was in line to meet him, I don’t think my cheeks stopped stretching from all of the smiling I was doing. I was so happy I got to meet him. His voice is amazing and I love to watch him as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. Everyone is so amazed when they get to meet a celebrity and even if he’s not as big as Beyonce or Kendrick, he’s still someone important.
That entire year had been stressful with trying to manage my grades, my emotions, and trying to make sure things were OK with my dog and stuff back home. The year had been difficult and it was like my brain, body, and soul couldn’t catch a break!
That concert gave me the extra push to get through the rest of finals. It boosted my spirits higher than they had ever been. Being able to be around people who were giving off these positives vibes and being somewhere that I could just let go. I could pour myself into the performance and others would do the same. I felt a belonging that I didn’t know I needed.
This concert was money well spent, and whenever he comes back to Raleigh, I will purchase another ticket and just live my life.#Don'tKillMyVibeDon'tTouchMyWeave