Year in Review: The Best Concerts of 2016

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Alyssa Bardol
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Artist: Beyoncé
Venue: The Dome
City: St. Louis
Date: September 10

If anyone knows how to put on a show, it’s Beyoncé, and I am sure all 70,000 in attendance of her St. Louis date of the Formation Tour would testify to that. Beyoncé’s set was two hours long, giving the crowd plenty of time to sing and dance along to all of Beyonce’s greatest hits, from Destiny’s Child to Lemonade.

With giant LCD screens, confetti bombs, extravagant lighting, and insane vocals, the crowd, including myself, left with an entirely new standard to hold concerts to.

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Artist: Fifth Harmony
Venue: Starlight Theatre
City: Kansas City
Date: September 1

If killer live vocals are your thing, make yourself no stranger to the girls of Fifth Harmony. The “Work From Home” singers not only nailed their vocals, but worked hard to put on a huge production full of choreography, fan interactions, and fun.

Out of all of the shows I went to this summer, the girls of Fifth Harmony threw the biggest bash and created the most memories of them all.

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Artist: Machine Gun Kelly
Venue: The Pageant
City: St. Louis
Date: November 11

This November, Machine Gun Kelly and his “Alpha Omega Tour” rolled through St. Louis. Along with him, he brought his high energy, punk/hip-hop fusion hits, including “Young Man,” “Till I Die,” and even “Wild Boy.”

Accompanied by his full live band, he spit off his quick-witted lyrics and commanded the stage with his righteous demeanor and the sold-out crowd ate it up, including myself.

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Artist: Sk8
Venue: The Pageant
City: St. Louis
Date: October 23

Mark my words: Sk8 will be selling out arenas himself sooner than you’d think. The Omaha native has been taking the rap scene by storm for the last year all while remaining unsigned. On his tour with 3LAU, he debuted new music from his upcoming album titled L2TP and had the crowd vibing along with him.

At only 21 years old, it is crazy to see how far he has come and watching him perform in front of two thousand people is only the beginning. That night put Sk8 and his music on my watch list.

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Artist: Timeflies
Venue: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
City: St. Louis
Date: September 2

Cal Shapiro and Rob Resnick, also known as Timeflies, have been on the road touring and making music since 2010. They are known for their off-the-cuff freestyles and remixes for popular songs, both of which they made a staple in their set that night.

Shapiro was given a sheet of words in relation to St. Louis, in which he pulled off a freestyle to the instrumental of Desiigner’s “Panda,” then immediately transitioned into a rendition of DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.” Driving the fans insane with energy, it was so easy to delve into the atmosphere they created.