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[pureunadulteratedfunk]

Music Midtown 2021 as told by a concert virgin

The year is 2021. A 22-year-old musician has never attended a concert outside of those of friends in mediocre college dive bars. Her concert-dwelling best friend stitches together an itinerary and an overpriced Airbnb. Several $20 beers and a ruined pair of white sneakers later, our author has some thoughts.

Music Midtown in Atlanta had the perfect mix of artists ranging from mainstream, indie, and nostalgic (Dashboard Confessional anyone?). I was especially impressed by the newer artists and how they still managed to move the crowds how they did. Tate McRae mentioned during her set that the last show she did was for only 150 people, and there were well over a thousand this time. For my first “real” concert experience, it did not disappoint. I was especially pleased that the venue enforced vaccination requirements, as I spent a lot of time pressed against strangers to get to a decent viewing spot in the crowds.

I was very satisfied with everyone I saw, but here are some awards for my favorite acts of this weekend:

Best Overall Set: girl in red

Pre-sunset sets have an obvious visual disadvantage, but Marie had stunning background graphics, performed exceptionally well, and even told us a funny story about her and Taylor Swift. I didn’t want to take my eyes off of the stage. Something I also love is how much she moves on stage. Jumping back and forth while playing guitar and singing leaves her out of breath for her banter between songs, but she’s putting on a hell of a show and you can tell she loves it.

Best Fans: Megan Thee Stallion and Machine Gun Kelly

While I couldn’t take my eyes off girl in red, I could not take my eyes off the other fans in Megan Thee Stallion’s crowd. It is no longer Hot Girl Summer, but it is now a Hot Girl Millennium. There was every type of person in that crowd, everyone knew every word and the dance moves to go with it. I’m only tying her with Machine Gun Kelly because his crowd chanted “Megan Fox” during any possible moment. I’m sure you understand.

Hidden Gem: Black Pumas

As I stuffed a plate of chicken tenders in my face while waiting for Miley Cyrus, we sat in a random spot between stages. For the first time all day, me and my two friends sat in almost silence and let this incredible groove fill the air. While I sat in that field, barbecue sauce on my fingers, I used the song finder on Snapchat and we promptly added “Colors” to our Spotify rotation.

Stay tuned next week for a deep-dive into Arctic Monkeys' most polarizing album.

Much love, Rachel