One of the things I missed doing most during the pandemic is going to concerts. I had been to four of them pre-pandemic: Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At the Disco, Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy. They are some of my best memories. There is nothing like screaming your favorite songs in a crowd full of fans just like you. Therefore, when I saw girl in red was coming to Baltimore, Md. at Ram’s Head Live for her “Make It Go Quiet” tour, I knew I had to go.

Girl in red is the stage name for Marie Ulven. I became a fan of hers approximately two years ago, back in March 2020. Like many of us, I was stuck inside, bored out of my mind and spending my days mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. One of her songs started trending, and it got stuck in my head, so I decided to look it up on Spotify. Instantly, I decided I liked her music and downloaded her entire discography.

I originally bought tickets to the show back in October, and honestly, I had no idea if the show was actually going to happen due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, tickets were only $60 through a reseller, and I was not about to let that opportunity pass. As the date moved closer and closer to March 12, I was pleasantly surprised when it was not canceled.
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Since I could not go to Baltimore by myself, I decided to drag along my friend, Rome. Although he did not know girl in red’s music, he was still up for the adventure of going. He put up with my insistence that we both had to wear red, and we ended up wearing matching red flannels. He honestly made a great experience 100x better.

This concert was three firsts for me: my first time visiting Baltimore, my first general admission concert and my first girl in red concert. Unfortunately, I did not get to see much of this city because of the random snowstorm we got, but from what I saw, I would like to visit again.

The general admissions part of the concert was the thing I was most scared of. I arrived in line three hour before the doors even opened so that I could get a good spot. Rome was not too thrilled about that part. To entertain ourselves, we took pictures, played dozens of rounds of 20 Questions, he taught me the Macarena and we made friends with people next to us in line.

Finally, around 7 p.m., the doors opened and we were allowed inside. Immediately, Rome and I rushed to the merchandise booth where we bought tour t-shirts. They only cost $35 each which shocked me because in my experience, they usually cost around $45. Still, they are quite nice quality shirts.

The opening act was Holly Humberstone, who will also be the opening act for when acclaimed singer Olivia Rodrigo goes on tour. I did not know Humberstone before she came on stage, but I was immediately a fan the second she started the singing. Her voice was fantastic, and I loved hearing her talk because of her British accent.
When girl in red finally came on, the entire crowd was electric. Her stage presence was other-wordly despite her admittance that she was having a rough day. After the first song, I had nearly lost my voice from screaming so loud, and by the end of the night, I was hoarse but so incredibly happy. Even during her stripped back song, I felt so incredibly energetic despite having been awake for so long.

Overall, I am so thrilled with my experience at the girl in red concert. For a few hours, I was distracted from school work and life in general. It was such an amazing time, and the next time she is performing close to me again, I will definitely be buying tickets.