A Night of Music

This past Saturday, I sat on my bed scrolling through my phone when I had found out that tragedy struck in Squirrel Hill, PA. Just like wildfire, sadness had came about in all of Pittsburgh and around the world. During the Saturday morning worship, a man by the name of Robert Bowers walked right into the Tree of Life Synagogue and began shooting–he killed 11 and wounded 6 (multiple police officers were injured as well).

Robert Bowers, who committed a hate crime, acted alone and forever changed the lives of those people who were at the Synagogue, and residents of Pittsburgh.

In a time of tragedy, there is one outlet most of us turn to–music. No matter if it was heartbreak, a bad day or the greatest day of our lives, we always turn to music. On the same day of the Synagogue tragedy, it was the 96.1 KISS Halloween Party with performers, AJ Mitchell and Sabrina Carpenter.

Naturally, when a mass shooting occurs or an attack of some sort, people may be hesitant to go to a concert or be around huge crowds. That wasn’t the case Saturday night, when residents of Pittsburgh joined together for a night of music.

Both AJ Mitchell and Sabrina Carpenter put on great sets for a smaller performance. I had actually never listened to Mitchell before this show. I thought he was pretty good! He definitely gives me some early Shawn Mendes vibes, and his songs kept me dancing for his entire set. Mitchell’s set only lasted about 20 minutes, and though his set was probably shorter because he’s just starting out, I was left wanting more.

And then, there came Sabrina Carpenter. Though I’m 26, and Sabrina Carpenter is (I think) 19, it may be “weird” to some that I’m a fan of hers, but isn’t that the magic of music? No matter age, lyrics are words that say what we are too afraid to say, and that resonates with everyone.

That’s why I like Sabrina’s music, it resonates with me.

She was phenomenal! From the moment her band got on stage, Sabrina was a true performer. What I also loved was that she interacted with the audience, and had humorous moments with us. Carpenter performed her hits such as “On Purpose,” “Alien,” “Why,” and “Almost Love” just to name a few. Not going to lie, I really wished she performed her newest single, “Paris.” For someone so young, Sabrina Carpenter has a very long career ahead of her.

It’s interesting, on a day of tragedy some decide to mourn with family, lash out in anger, unite with strangers to walk in memoriam for the victims, or we gather for a night of music. It’s interesting to see how everyone reacts in a time of devastation. Saturday night, I looked around at all of faces of those at the concert while I held my boyfriends hand, and thought:

“Tonight, with strangers, we are all here for an escape. And all at once, I’m connected with these people through music.”