Musical Appetizers

Thank you guys for reading Musical Appetizers!!! Finals and the holiday season have arrived so I won't have time to post until next year. I've had so much fun writing about some opening acts that have been some of my favorite artists. It's crazy to think that several of the artists I grew to love have become some of the biggest artists of this decade. I don't have any concerts coming up in the next few months but I am hoping that some of these musical appetizers will release tour dates for 2023. I hope you find your favorite musical appetizers that can turn into your full meal!

Our last musical appetizer is Ed Sheeran! He opened up when I saw Taylor Swift on her Red tour back in 2013. I remember laughing because he is a ginger from England but I was interested in his music because he was reportedly Harry Styles' friend. The only song I knew by him at the time was Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift which he was featured in. It's crazy to think that he has become one of the most famous artists in pop culture right now. I have not seen him in concert since, but I still enjoy his songs when I hear them on the radio.

Our second musical appetizer today is Taylor Swift! It's hard to think about Taylor Swift as a musical appetizer when she is a grammy award winner and has gone on several stadium tours. I first saw Taylor Swift when she opened for Keith Urban in 2009. I don't remember much seeing as I was only 6. She has been all over the place with her music genres, but she is mostly known for performing country and pop music. I have seen her three times since then and every time I'm starstruck. I'm excited to see her two times next year on her Eras tour where she will perform songs from all TEN of her albums.

Today is going to feature two musical appetizers. First up is MUNA! MUNA is an all-female alternative pop group for Los Angeles. Their band consists of three members: Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. I first saw them open for Phoebe Bridgers in 2021. The three of them were electric on stage and just felt so welcoming. The fun thing about them is they are a Queer band and they like to call their sets "gay church." I have seen them twice now on their tour. Their music makes everyone feel accepted. MUNA is for the "girls, gays, and theys." Their album is in my top ten most streamed this year and I can't wait to see them for the fourth time soon.

Today's musical appetizer is 5 Seconds of Summer or 5SOS! I saw 5SOS both times they opened for One Direction. Almost ten years later, 5SOS has grown and is one of the top "boy bands." Yes, you heard that right: One Direction's opener outlasted them. The band is made of four members: Luke Hemmings (lead singer), Aston Irwin (drummer), Calum Hood (bass), and Michael Clifford (guitar). They are a pop group from Australia and have grown tremendously in the past 9 years. They have gone on numerous world tours and have made the Billboard Top 100 several times. I still have some of the pictures and videos from the first I saw them. I haven't had the chance to see them again because their tickets are EXPENSIVE. Seeing them open for 1D TWICE is a flex and I still have people telling me they're jealous.

Today's musical appetizer is Knox! Knox opened up for The Band CAMINO on their college towns tour back in September. Knox Morris is a 25-year-old from Ohio but now lives in Nashville, TN. His genre of music is alternative pop. He is another small artist that is now one of my top artists. When he originally opened, he only had three released songs and two unreleased ones. After he finished up opening on the college towns tour, he opened up for Bilmuriband. I'm excited because he will release the two songs on Spotify in a couple of weeks. His song I Don't Wanna Know is my second-highest streamed song for 2022.

Our second musical appetizer is The Wrecks. The Wrecks opened up for The Driver Era last fall. The Wrecks are an indie/alternative Band Consisting of four members, plus an extra member who only tours with them. Nick Anderson is the face of the group and songwriter. The Wrecks had a couple of EPs and one album when I saw them, and they have come out with a new album since then. I haven't been able to see them since because all of their shows have been either too far or sold out. Nick was very interactive with the crowd and even jumped on stage to join the crowd. The lead single from the new album Sonder is in my top ten most streamed songs for 2022. I hope they will have more shows soon so I can see them again !!! <3

Today will consist of two musical appetizers! Our first musical appetizer will be Renforshort. Renforshort opened for The Band CAMINO on their second leg of the tour. Renforshort is a 20-year-old pop artist named Lauren Isenberg. Her work includes a collaboration with Travis Barker (the Blink 182 drummer) and she wrote a song, Afterthoughts, for the Disney movie Clouds. Renforshort had a fun/spunky personality, kept dancing/jumping around the stage, and was very interactive. A couple of weeks after seeing her, she ca,e out with her first album, Amelia. I listened to the album on repeat for a solid month. I resonate with her song called Dear Amelia; it is about suffering from a mental illness and wanting to give up. I saw Renforshort again in September when she went on her tour. I was fortunate enough to meet her after the show and we talked about how mental illness affects our lives.

Today's musical appetizer is Ingrid Andress! She also opened up for Dan and Shay in 2021. I'm not the biggest fan of country music but she is one of several exceptions. Ingrid is a 31-year-old who moved to Nashville hoping to become a country music star. She is best known for her song collaboration with Sam Hunt. I fell in love with her confidence. She teaches girls/women that we don't need to act "ladylike". We have the right to work the way we want and our opinion matters. When I saw her she only had an ep and a couple of singles out. In August she released her first album which made me fall in love with her again. I, unfortunately, haven't seen her since September of 2021 because she hasn't toured near me since. I am hoping that she announces a tour for her new album soon.

Today's musical appetizer is Hastings. Hastings was the opener for The Band CAMINO's first leg of their tour. Hastings is a 22-year-old alternative singer named Matthew. He has two friends that perform with him, Holden Clontz (drummer) and Val Hoyt (bassist). When I saw Hastings, he only had six songs, which formed his self-titled EP. He now has nine songs along, one of which is a collab with sweetish DJs, NOTD. Hastings is predicted to be my top artist on Spotify this year. I've been obsessed with his music since seeing him in April. We now follow each other on TikTok! I haven't had the chance to see him live again, but I'm hoping he will announce a tour within the next year.