Picture a crowd filled with cheering fans and lights that draw your attention to a stage; from country music to rock and roll, concerts take place around the world and allow listeners to hear their favorite artists live. Musicians from all genres play at Oregon’s concert venues weekly, including the largest one, the Moda Center, which seats up to 20,500 people. 

Recently, record-breaking artists such as Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Noah Kahan have performed on month-long tours across the country and the globe. Noah Kahan’s tour, the “We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour,” features songs from his latest album, “Stick Season,” and others he produced throughout his career. Kahan and other musicians have had the opportunity to perform outdoors due to the warmer weather. He stopped in Washington on July 1 at the RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington, and sang for a crowd of Washingtonians and Oregonians.

In the Ridgefield crowd were Eva Darrow and Sage Henry, juniors, who first became fans of Kahan in 2022 when he released “Stick Season.”

“[Because it was outdoors] the atmosphere around was warm and the sun was setting,” Darrow said.

While on stage, artists can interact with fans through posters, items, and more. At this concert, Kahan went into the crowd and received a bandana from a fan.

“I remember dancing barefoot and everyone was just happy,” Henry said. “People were also yelling and it was just an overall great experience.” 

In February, Olivia Rodrigo started her world tour that visited over 10 countries and on Aug. 17, it officially ended. The tour, named the “GUTS World Tour,” was primarily dedicated to her new album “GUTS,” but also featured songs from her previous publications. 

On Aug. 10, Olivia Burden, sophomore, saw Rodrigo in concert at the Moda Center. 

“It was a very cool and energetic experience,” Burden said. “Even though the music is incredibly loud, it’s just a way to live in the moment. The community there is absolutely amazing and everyone you meet is going to be nice and friendly because we’re all there for the same reason.”

In 2022, Rodrigo went on a similar world tour, the “SOUR Tour,” for her breakthrough album “SOUR.” Burden had the opportunity to see her then on April 5 at the Moda Center. 

During the “SOUR Tour,” Rodrigo used almost half of the arena’s seating area, whereas for the “GUTS World Tour,” all seats were filled. 

“The vibes were way higher this time because of how many more people were there,” Burden said. “Both times, I really loved the thrill of seeing her for the first time at the beginning of the show.”

Similar to Kahan, Rodrigo connected with the crowd by having the entire stadium sing “Happy Birthday” to a fan and traded her guitar pick for a hat in the crowd. Watching moments like these with Burden were her brother and sister who also attended the concert.

“It’s always nice to have someone there to share the moment with,” Burden said. “It is amazing to have someone you can talk to, connect with, and have your different thoughts on things.”

Similarly, on Nov. 26, Heidi Goehring and Elie LeGare, juniors, will be heading to the Moda Center together to watch Zach Bryan perform live. The country tour began in March and has traveled across the country to eventually end in December in Brooklyn, New York. Halfway through the tour, Bryan released his fifth studio album, “The Great American Bar Scene.” The newly published songs were then added to the setlist of “The Quittin Time Tour.”

“It’s hard to compare and contrast all of his albums,” Goehring said. “There were some really good hits on this one, but I feel like there were a few that were okay.”

Goehring has been a fan of Bryan since she was in eighth grade when his song “Something In the Orange” began getting traction. LeGare, on the other hand, has been following him since 2019 when he released his song “Heading South.”

“If I’m being honest, I think ‘American Heartbreak’ is the best album and I don’t think anything will beat it,” LeGare said.

At the concert, Bryan will play his song “Revival,” where he will lengthen it to be over 10 minutes long. During the song, his banjo player will fake passing out as a reference to the song title.

“I’m really looking forward to the whole experience in general and hearing my favorite songs live,” Goehring said. “It’s going to be really exciting and I am also excited for ‘Revival.’”

One year ago, LeGare attended Bryan’s “Burn, Burn, Burn Tour” in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. Otherwise, she has gone to six concerts in the past two years.

“Zach Bryan is definitely one of my favorites to see in concert, maybe even my absolute favorite,” LeGare said. “My seats are not as close this time but it’ll still be great.”

Concerts and tours happen weekly at multiple different venues in Oregon, and these events can be tracked on websites, such as JamBase and Ticketmaster, list upcoming events and ticket information to help navigate listeners.