Written by Justin Rubalcaba
Mitski Miyawaki is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter that has had a career in indie/alternative music since 2012. Recently she’s had a surge of popularity due to Tiktok and her songs like "Washing Machine Heart" and "Nobody" are now very widely known. So when she released her newest album, "Laurel Hell," this January and announced a tour it's safe to say tickets sold out fast. I was lucky enough to get one of these and I’m here to tell you whether or not she was worth the 30-dollar ticket.
I bought this ticket for her show on March 3rd at the Shrine Expo Hall. I had never been to this venue before and it was all general admission meaning everyone was going to be standing, getting as close to the stage as possible. The days before the concert I saw how early people were coming to wait in line so that they could get the closest they could get but I hate waiting in long lines and just ended up showing 2 hours before the gates opened. Which landed me a spot in the middle where I was given a pretty good view. Although I have to say, this venue was not a place for a pit. The air conditioner was NOT on and the pit was VERY sweaty and uncomfortable. It also didn’t help that we weren’t able to bring in outside water bottles. This meant that a lot of people, including me, were extremely dehydrated and lightheaded as well.
Yet despite all of these hindrances, as soon as the opener came on I forgot about the pain and focused on the music. The opener, CHAI, was an artist I had never heard of and never enjoyed music but I soon became a fan. Their presence on the stage was one that I rarely experience and it served as a great opening act for Mitski.
Speaking of which, Mitski was amazing. Her stage presence was amazing, the crowd knew most of her songs so I felt a great sense of community and I was filled with the most immense joy. My back pain went away and the over-stimulation I was experiencing went away and I was now focused on Mitski and her music. She was kind and she made sure when someone passed out to make sure they were okay which is amazing and very respectful of her.
So in conclusion, is Mitski worth it? For a big fan, yes. Although if you're not a fan of tight spaces, I would totally not recommend it. Mitski is amazing and my review carries no hate nor lack of respect for her. I loved it, I just know most people wouldn’t. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget.
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