The atmosphere in Chase Center is like no other, whether it’s hosting a professional sports game or an electrifying concert. As my best friend, Olive Chen, and I walked towards the arena, the anticipation in the air was palpable. All around, men and women alike were styled in cheetah print and knee-high black boots. Fans were flocking to the merch lines and photo op area, excitedly chattering about the show. Before the night even started, we knew it would be one to remember.
Olive and I purchased the tickets to Tate McRae’s Miss Possessive World Tour back in November of 2024. Back then, on September 24, 2025, it seemed like a lifetime away, but as the day approached, it slowly dawned on us that we were about to see one of our favorite artists live. On the drive up to San Francisco, we did most of our hair, makeup, and nails, but didn’t get everything done. Despite this, the minute we stepped out of the car on 3rd Street, all was forgotten. As we got into the outdoor merch line, all Olive and I could talk about was the upcoming show. We took photos of one another and hastily texted our other friends attending the concert. Even after entering the arena, our ecstasy couldn’t be contained.
Right as we got inside, we walked around searching for the indoor merch lines, as the outdoor line was sold out of the items we wanted. As we walked around, we recognized many students from Westmont High School and other schools in the CUHSD district. While we were unable to find our other friends from school, we continuously texted and called them preceding the concert.
Finally arriving at our seats, we watched a few songs by opener Zara Larsson, whose music is especially unrecognized in the United States. I’d suddenly remembered videos I’d seen on TikTok of other fans attending McRae’s previous shows in which they’d asked guest services if their seats could be upgraded. We exited our seats and asked the guest services worker at Chase Center if it was possible to be upgraded, and, contrary to what Olive and I expected, he said yes! I think that was the most unbelievable part of our night—both of our hearts were pounding as we headed toward our new seats.
Larsson’s set ended, and the wildness of the night suddenly hit me. Our new seats were in the front row of the section we originally wanted when we’d first purchased our tickets. Right then, I realized how close we were to the stage with the perfect view of McRae, as well. Neither Olive nor I watched any videos on social media about the concert, as we wanted the experience to be a complete surprise, and the show that McRae, her dancers, and her band put on did not disappoint. I’d like to give credit to her electric guitarist, Zack Fenske, and drummer, Carter Vaughan, whose duets throughout the show were beyond compare. Watching our favorite songs be performed so close to us was truly unbelievable; I had so many, but my top three were definitely “uh oh,” “Siren sounds,” and “Nostalgia.”
I’d seen numerous videos online about post-concert depression—the feeling of loss after experiencing your favorite band or singer’s concert—and I completely forgot what it felt like. But following McRae’s show, I had no idea what to do because, compared to the concert, my life feels so boring. I’ll be honest, I think I’ve rewatched all my videos at least 7 times since the show, and the amount of nostalgia (hahaha get it) I’ve been feeling is torturing me day and night. Without a doubt, I would give anything to relive the concert. I definitely lost my voice and my mind that night, but the memories I made were incomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced.