Last night, I had two options. I could either shell out $160 on a last minute ticket to see Tyler, The Creator at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, or I could stay at home and continue to drown in the feelings of sadness I’ve been experiencing over the past few months. The second option sounded way too appealing. I haven’t been able to pick up much work these days, so I wasn’t sure if making another dent in my wallet was the best idea at the moment. My distaste towards having to go to concerts and festivals alone has only been getting bigger, and I really wasn’t fond of the idea of going out alone again without any friends to meet up with. By staying home, I could also get ahead on the never-ending work this site requires, and maybe *finally* watch Encanto. After all, I should probably figure out who Bruno is, and why so many people have been talking about why they don’t talk about him.
I quickly realized the money would be spent on something else, perhaps something stupid, had it not been spent on this ticket. Money will always be made, and it comes and goes. Memories don’t.
It was a full send.
This was the first time I’ve ever made a last-minute decision to go to a concert. I purchased the ticket about 5 minutes before the first opener, Teezo Touchdown, was slated to begin. I live roughly 25 minutes away from the venue, and that’s only if the traffic on the streets leading to the freeway chooses kindness. But hey – at least I was going!
As soon as I hit the freeway, I started blasting Call Me If You Get Lost. I was immediately reminded of why I made the choice to go, and why I wouldn’t regret that choice. Tyler, The Creator has been one of my favorite artists since I was in high school, and it has been so fun to watch his evolution. Back in 2013, I could say I’d never know what that man would have up his sleeve next. Nearly ten years later, this statement still stands taller and stronger than the Washington Monument. My first time ever seeing Tyler was at his San Diego stop of the Flower Boy tour in 2017, and it was all I talked about for weeks. I was deep inside of the pit, and while I was smushed and thrown around, it was glorious.
My plan for the night was to just take it easy and enjoy the show from the back by the soundboard. By purchasing a General Admission Pit ticket and planning to stay in the back, I knew I’d also have a lot more room to move around. After parking, finding the GA entrance, and going wee wee, I made it down to the floor halfway through Vince Staples’ set. I was very surprised to see a B stage, and not too many people surrounding it.
Once the VERY moment hit when Tyler jumped onto the B stage to perform “See You Again” and a nice little platter of his old hits, every care of the world outside of the arena just ceased to exist. It’s nothing short of incredible having an artist you’ve admired for a decade stand right in front of you, going wild just like you.
So yeah… this is your sign to go to that concert alone.
