I have been listening to Billie Eilish’s music for a while now, so when I found out that she was coming to Chicago, I was thrilled to go. It was my first concert, and I did not know what to expect. The concert took place on Nov. 13 at the United Center, where I couldn’t wait to see Eilish’s performance, as well as seeing what other concerts should aspire to.
When I first entered the United Center, the “feeling” hit me. The area was huge, the blue lighting with light fog was breath-taking and the bass playing in the background was loud and impactful. My friends and I were lucky to get in the front row behind the barricade. We waited for about 30 minutes for the openers, Nat and Alex Wolff, to start. Even though I did not know who they were, their songs were fun, distinctive from each other, and great to listen to. Each song had separate, original stories from the singers that emulated through creative lyrics and original melodies. Their themes were distinctive and were a nice, calm start for the concert. The hype during their performance was progressive though, and listening to them play while waiting for Billie kept the audience entertained for a while. Nat and Alex Wolff had a tough time keeping the audience engaged with each additional song, but there was nothing negative about their songs or performance.
However, when they finished playing after an hour, we waited an extra hour for Eilish to perform. I began to get impatient and think, “Is this how all concerts are? Is Billie ever going to come out? Was it worth it to wait this long?” I was developing mixed feelings. Finally, around 8:35 p.m., Billie Eilish came to the stage, and my perspective immediately turned around. The whole crowd screamed, including myself, as she appeared in the center of the stage. I couldn’t stop screaming as excitement overflowed me and everyone in the crowd. The music was way louder than I thought it would be, and there was fog, flashing lights and beautiful displays on the screens. Eilish stood with her microphone in hand and began to sing.
She started with my favorite song, “Chihiro,” which is about the Studio Ghibli movie “Spirited Away,” where it talks about loss, facing the unknown and reuniting with loved ones. Eilish’s vocals were beautiful live, and she interacted with the audience a lot during her songs. That was just the beginning of this amazing experience.
During “Therefore I Am,” Billie approached my friend group and I for the first time. She stood just less than 10 feet away from us, looking down and singing towards us. The whole crowd began screaming louder as excitement filled all of us. Seeing Billie in front of me was shocking; I didn’t expect her to be as close as she was. We all jumped up and down, having a great time while she stayed with us. She then skipped around to each side of the stage, eventually coming back with huge flames of fire coming from the middle center of the stage. We were so close that I could feel the heat on my face. When Billie finished her song, the crowds screamed for two minutes straight while Billie grabbed her mic and smiled, taking in her “I made it” moment.
The viral “When the Party’s Over” harmony build up followed after “Wildflower.” I got to experience seeing Billie Eilish record harmonies live. The crowd stayed as quiet as they could while Eilish hummed beautifully, sitting in the center of the stage, everyone’s phone flashlights shining and surrounding the whole concert, making a lovely scene.
One of the most emotional songs she played was “The Greatest.” When the chorus played a second time, I took in the emotional moment. The verses were very impactful, and thoughts of my life flooded through me: “I loved you/ and I still do/ just wanted passion from you/ just wanted what I gave you.” The “I waited” part was the most powerful for the crowd exploded again, the flashing lights, the huge bass booming through our bodies, and Eilish giving all her emotion into the lyrics.
A couple of songs later, Eilish came towards my group again. During “Everything I Wanted,” she ran across the side of the stage and held out her hand for everyone, running across. I was lucky enough for Billie to touch my hand twice with the many other fans screaming and having a great time like I was.
Songs later full of more screaming and sing-alongs, Eilish came and sat down directly right in front of my friends and I for “What Was I Made For?” When we all reached out our hands, Eilish leaned towards us, holding each one for a couple seconds, including mine. I sang happily along with her, smiling and taking in this wonderful moment. She stayed sitting closest to us for the rest of the song until she stood up and walked around the stage, the crowd fully immersed in her music and stage presence.
She came back near us for “Bad Guy” and “Birds of a Feather” for a couple of seconds. I enjoyed every second of it, telling myself to fully take in the moment and that Billie Eilish was right in front of me multiple times. Suddenly, white confetti exploded over us like twinkling snow as Billie Eilish danced and skipped across the stage. Finally, the instrumental for “Blue” played while she came to each side of the stage and bowed to us. Soon enough, the concert was over.
This was an amazing first concert experience. Though the hours before the concert were rough, long and waiting in line for hours was hard, it was all worth it. Being there with Billie was an amazing experience that I know I will never forget.
