A Little Bit Sour

Delaney Bolstein

(Left) Situated just outside Atlanta, the Coca Cola Roxy, holding just 3,600 people became a place filled with teenage girls screaming about exes and heartbreak. The five minute walk to the theatre from my hotel went past the Atlanta Braves’ Stadium, and the game-day chants greatly contrasted the giggles from concert goers. And honestly, I felt a little bit judged by the macho ment with their loaded hot dogs and foaming beer. Photo by Delaney Bolstein.

Delaney Bolstein, Co-Editor
October 3, 2022

After the release of her debut album, Sour, a speech at the White House, a Disney documentary, and three Grammys, Olivia Rodrigo kicked off her first world tour. Small venues made up the majority of her stops, much to the dismay of fans, because tickets sold out the day of release. Resale prices went up to $3,000.00 as opposed to $60.00 face-value tickets. The
former Disney actress dubbed the, “Next Taylor Swift,” had the world watching. Filled with butterfly clips, purple glitter, and the overwhelming sense of teenage angst, Olivia Rodrigo’s first
leg of her tour, with opener, Gracie Abrams, embodied what it means to be a Gen Z girl. Still, it was not until May 9, that Rodrigo graced the stage in Atlanta, Georgia. Merely 100 feet from the
Atlanta Braves’ Stadium, The Coca Cola Roxy was transformed into a place of disco balls and neon outfits, and I had the privilege to attend.

(Above) As much as I enjoyed waiting in line, the line to the bathroom was horrendous. It took me 30 minutes to use the mere two stall restroom, for the overwhelming majority of concert goers were girls. Still, it was in this line that I met a 22 year old who arrived at 7:00 A.M. the night before. She spoke of haphazard attempts to fall asleep, the sound of other people arriving to camp out, and how she felt so weird to be having fun waiting in line. The most prevalent thing when we waited in line was the sense of excitement. Everyone of us were giggly and counting down the minutes until the show. The awful process that was getting tickets became worth it.
Photo by Delaney Bolstein. (Delaney Bolstein)
(Above) Olivia Rodrigo heartbreakingly sings a cover of Gwen Stefani’s “I’m Just a Girl,” because her Sour album only encompasses 30 minutes. This song emulates how Rodrigo’s pop-punk style contrasts with her innocence. Luckily, my seat was nearly perfect, as I could see
her the whole time. Photo by Delaney Bolstein. (Delaney Bolstein)
(Above) The line when I arrived to the concert three hours before encompassed a seven minute walk. Luckily, my seats were in the balcony, so I did not have to wait in the expansive General Admission line. Girls clad in butterfly clips and floral dresses made up the majority of concert goers. Olivia Rodrigo certainly has a demographic. The earliest of the fans arrived 4:00P.M. the night before the event to camp out. Yet, what was so beautiful about waiting before the concert was the sense of comradery. I complimented girls left and right and felt comforted by the amount of positivity. It truly was girls supporting girls. Perhaps it was being bored out of my mind in this line that restored my faith in humanity. Photo courtesy of Delaney Bolstein. (Delaney Bolstein)
(Above) As one can see, I was absolutely elated after the concert. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. The lights, the songs, her outfits, the band! The concert was just so perfect. It made me feel like singing alone in my car, unknowingly memorizing every lyric, was worth it, and there
were thousands of other girls doing the same. We belted out the songs with such passion that my I lost my voice. I gasped when she came on stage. It was in this moment, that I realized that I am a fangirl. I am no better than the “Beliebers” I had previously looked down upon with their
huge posters, face paint, and utter devotion to a random teenage boy. For I am a RodrigHoe. Photo courtesy of Eva Mitchell. (Photo courtesy of Eva Mitchell.)