After announcing the final theater tour, my cousins and I knew we had to go. We’ve been listening to Rex Orange County’s songs all summer so we knew this tour would be special to us, especially since it falls around my cousin’s birthday. Rex had tour dates all across America, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Oakland. On top of that, each city had 1-3 nights. We got our tickets for the November 19th Oakland concert at the Paramount Theater. Counting down the days up to the concert, I’ve been searching for the perfect concert outfit, listening to the setlist, and watching other fans’ experiences.
Arriving at the concert, we waited in line for the doors to open. While in line, a sweet mother and daughter passed out beaded bracelets, all Rex Orange County-themed. I got one with lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Television/So Far So Good. There was also this random guy selling shirts that had some explicit language and had nothing to do with Rex Orange County, but it was hilarious.
The doors eventually opened and the line started moving quickly. The security was surprisingly not so strict. We just walked through the metal detectors and didn’t have our bags checked, which was a little concerning. Other than that, we got our tickets checked and received awesome news. We got our tickets upgraded! Our seats were originally going to be on the balcony all the way in the back, but we got upgraded to the floor! We sat just a few rows from the stage. I was so happy and grateful for everything. Entering the theater, I was amazed by the architecture. We found our new seats and were thrilled to see how close we were to the stage. This was the first time I’ve ever been so close to an artist.
Rex started the concert with some of his songs from his newest album, The Alexander Technique. I felt that the songs weren’t really sing-along songs but more feeling the vibe type of songs. He then transitioned to some older and popular songs including, The Shade, Television/So Far So Good, Best Friend, and more. This was when I started screaming and jumping around.
At one point, Rex came off stage and walked around the floor. Many fans got to be so close to him, but he never came around to my section. During the song Happiness, someone had just proposed to their partner. I didn’t get to see it happen, but after the song, Rex announced it and congratulated the happy couple. A little towards the end of the concert he said goodbye and went backstage. Everyone knew this couldn’t be the end, the audience chanted “One more song!” over and over until he came out again. It was so exciting. Some people on the floor eventually ran up to get closer to the stage, my sister and cousin were a part of that group. They got so close to the stage that their hands were on the floor of the stage and they even got to touch his hand. I was going to go with them but they left so quickly, they got swallowed by the crowd. I was so happy for them.
Rex’s performance was amazing. His energy and connecting with his fans was so special. However, no matter how much energy my cousins and I had, we felt that not many people had the same energy, something I think Rex also noticed. Throughout the concert, he asked to bring the energy up even more and said that other concerts had a little bit more energy than us. I was a little disappointed, not at Rex, but at the fans. This is his first night in Oakland and this was his first impression on us. Other than that, the rest of the performance was great, the stage design, the lighting and the band.
This is by far the best concert I have ever attended. This was my first concert with my cousins and my first concert being on the floor instead of nosebleeds. This was so special to me and I’m so thankful I got to attend. I would definitely see him again, whether it’s his own concert or if it’s at a festival. Seeing Rex live made me like him and his songs even more. This was definitely a core memory for me and my cousins. I would definitely recommend going to a Rex Orange County concert, the vibe and atmosphere was incomparable.
