Both longtime fans of Mitski, Nicole and I were thrilled to learn that Mitski was kicking off her North American tour in Miami Beach. Luckily, Nicole was able to get her tickets on the initial sale in October 2023, and I fortunately got waitlist tickets in December. We shared our excitement for the concert together, planning outfits and wondering what songs would be performed. As the days passed, we prepared ourselves to see Mitski begin her “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We Tour” at the Fillmore Miami Beach Theater. 

Jan. 26: Ivy

When I woke up on Friday, I felt immense anticipation and excitement for the concert. After having Mitski as my top artist for the past four years, I finally saw her live  –– something I never thought I would experience. In preparation, I had repeatedly listened to “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” all week, although I already knew many of the songs by heart. I planned meticulously: from when I left my house, to my makeup and outfit. As a reference to Mitski’s “Puberty 2” song, “A Burning Hill,” I wore a white button-down; “Today, I will wear my white button down.” To add to my outfit, Nicole and I both agreed that we had to wear what would be the most appropriate for a Mitski concert: black Dr. Martens. The realization that I was going to see Mitski did not fully set in until the car ride to the Fillmore Miami Beach Theater; not only was I seeing Mitski, but this was the first time I would attend a concert by myself.

In December, I received a text about waitlist tickets while I was in the grocery store. I dropped everything I was doing, desperately trying to purchase a ticket. On a whim, I decided I wanted to enjoy Mitski’s concert alone –– I wanted a personal experience with myself. I have been listening to Mitski for years; in moments of sorrow or joy, I would turn to her music. Her music offered me understanding, and put my emotions into words when I could not do so. Getting tickets to her concert felt like a key moment: in other words, a dream come true.

Upon arrival, I immediately understood why Mitski chose the Fillmore as her venue; it is an intimate, beautiful space. The first thing I noticed was the ambiance of the location and the amount of people rushing in with exhilaration. I engaged in conversation with all sorts of people –– I loved meeting people from different backgrounds and people who had traveled from all over Florida and even different states to see Mitski. While I searched for the merch line, I realized that the humongous lines were filled with people who had the same intention as me. As I made my way to a shorter line on the second floor, I ran into some friends from school and briefly said hello. While in the line, I met two people –– one from Boca Raton and one from Broward, who had previously seen Mitski perform in Georgia. After I had finally made it to the front of the line, I bought a Mitski t-shirt and made my way to the inside of the theater. 

When I bought my ticket, I was not too concerned about seating. Instead, I rushed to get whatever ticket I could, because I knew how quickly they would sell out. So, when I entered the theater, I asked an employee for help, expecting to get a basic seat; however, when I found my seat, I was surprisingly close to the stage. It felt too good to be true –– I sat in the red chair, watched the gorgeous, diamond chandeliers dangling in the air and the lights focused on the show’s opener, Tamino. Happiness surged through my body: I could not believe that I was sitting in that room at that moment, let alone with such a good seat. To Section ORCH, Row T, Seat 28, thank you for providing me with such a wonderful experience. 

Before Mitski announced her tour openers, I had never heard of Tamino. When I heard him for the first time at the concert, he had an alluring, powerful voice. Tamino’s stage presence was prominent, yet, all he had was himself and his three guitars beside him. Tamino sang for about 25 minutes before intermission began. During intermission, a large, red circular curtain overtook the stage; however, the curtain was not as large as the crowd’s suspense. After a few minutes of waiting, Mitski walked on stage and officially began the 2024 North American “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” tour with her song, “Everybody,” from her sixth album, “Laurel Hell.”  All I could think at that moment was, “I cannot believe I’m here right now, seeing Mitski in person.”

I absorbed every moment of the concert with every breath that I took. Unlike other concerts, the audience remained seated –– which cultivated a softer, more meaningful experience. There is an indescribable sensation I felt in that room –– hearing the instruments and Mitski’s voice in person, the amusement of the packed room and the vivid lights and choreography. Although I adore Mitski’s newest album, I was ecstatic when I heard the first notes of her song, “I Bet On Losing Dogs” from “Puberty 2.” After being such a long-time fan, I would recognize every song she played just off of the first few notes. In a way, hearing these songs live offered an epiphany: my life has drastically changed in so little time, yet I am eternally thankful for the everlasting changes that life brings. 

Another pivotal moment for me was when Mitski performed “Geyser” from her album, “Be the Cowboy”; listening to “Geyser” in person struck my soul in a way nothing else could. The most monumental moment for me, however, was when Mitski performed her most popular song from “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We,” “My Love Mine All Mine.” When I heard the first note from the steel guitar, it instantly had a great emotional impact on me. The song carries a profound meaning for me: it reminds me of how much I value love in my life –– not only the love I have and receive for others but the love that I hold within myself.  It felt significant and rewarding to experience that in person and realize how far I have come since the moments that I would listen to those songs to cope with personal events; it reminded me of the timeless growth that comes with hardship and success. The last highlight of the show was Mitski’s performance of “Pink in the Night,” from “Be the Cowboy.” This was yet another song that felt representative of my past –– specifically, 2021. It was one of the first Mitski songs I listened to, yet it had just as much of an impact as any other song on her discography.

The entire show felt like a paramount moment in my life; experiencing the Mitski concert alone felt like a personal milestone, not only because of how deeply I love and resonate with her music, but because it reminded me of the lengths that I have traveled, both mentally and emotionally. Mitski’s concert was one of the brightest experiences of my life, and I would not have traded it for anything in the world. I am grateful that I got to have such a lovely experience, and I am even more grateful to be sharing it with others.

Jan. 27: Nicole

Having texted Ivy numerous times the night before, full of questions and anticipation for listening about her life-changing experience at Mitski’s first concert of her tour, I woke up with a sense of overwhelming excitement on Saturday morning. I immediately texted my best friend, Bianca, who was going with me to the concert, and who bought the tickets for me as a special gift for my 18 birthday, “Are you ready for tonight?!” We both had waited for this day since October — originally, we did not foresee we would even be able to attend. The initial concert tickets had sold out in only a matter of seconds, and we were about to lose hope until Mitski announced a second concert day scheduled in Miami. Through lots of hope and much manifesting, we were able to get the tickets.

That morning, I picked out my outfit while listening to some of my favorite Mitski songs on shuffle. Those who are major fans of Mitski may know about Mitski’s nature of writing very melodramatic songs about heavy topics. Thus, my friend and I joked about “Dressing up like we were going to a funeral,” as per the concert dress code. I picked out a simple black sweater, gray skirt and a Mitski concert staple: black Dr. Martens. When the time for getting to the Fillmore came, my best friend and I were on our way through the busy streets of Miami Beach. It did not fully hit me then that I was going to see my favorite music artist of all time. I was just hoping at that point that everything would go smoothly walking into the venue.

Thankfully, even with a long line, we got there early enough to not have to wait very long outside and avoid the massive crowds. When I walked in, I was honestly taken aback by how beautiful the theater was — a pink chandelier and art deco decorations with posters of past bands I knew. We ran up to the second floor, as Ivy had recommended I do, to get merchandise and beat the crowds. Thankfully, the advice followed through, and my friend and I were immediately able to get concert shirts specifically made for the tour. To kill the extra hour we had before the concert, we ate delicious arepas these catering chefs made, then we ate some Italian ice. 

Admittedly, my friend and I got lost in that little theater, very often while trying to find where we sat. However, when we found it, we found ourselves to be at the very top in the mezzanine section. Normally, this would not be the greatest situation for anyone going to their favorite artist’s concert, but because Fillmore is such a small theater, we got a pretty decent view of the stage. 

I made a deal with myself at the beginning of the year to sketch any special moments of my year. So, during the process of waiting for the opening act, Tamino, I made a little sketch of the Fillmore theater from my seat, dating the sketch “Mitski Concert, 1/27/24.”

When the lights dimmed, Tamino took the stage. Apart from Mitski, this was another artist I genuinely felt so much excitement for as well. I first heard Tamino’s songs in 2020, and he became a consistent occurrence among my Spotify playlists. Hearing his alluring, siren-like voice through my phone speaker is one thing, but hearing him live was a beautiful, almost transcendent experience, singing one of my favorite songs, “Babylon,” amongst others. To hear him for about 25 minutes was such a joy, and served as a hopeful beginning to what would be an incredible concert. It was about 15 minutes after the opening act that the curtain turned red, the lights dimmed and cheering surrounded the theater as Mitski appeared from the side of the stage, starting with “Everybody,” from her album, “Laurel Hell.”

The concert experience, running for about two hours, posed as one of the best experiences of my life thus far. Even if I wasn’t as close to the stage as Ivy was, the experience was incredible and just as intimate and breathtaking as I had hoped. She even played many personal favorites of mine, including “The Deal” from her album, per the tour’s name, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” “Valentine, Texas” from “Laurel Hell” and “I Bet on Losing Dogs” from “Puberty 2,” amongst others.

However, the highlights of the concert for me consisted of three specific songs. The first was when Mitski sang what is probably my most favorite, and most personal song, “First Love/Late Spring.” The performance was so beautiful that I recorded the whole moment to keep the performance ingrained in my memory. Not to mention, the interpretative dance performance was equally gorgeous and illustrated the song’s meaning of love and depression so perfectly.

The second highlight came when Mitski sang her most popular song off the album, “My Love Is Mine All Mine.” Not only was the song absolutely beautiful, but the performance itself was stunning, with holographic mirrors coming down around Mitski from the stage roof, making Mitski look even more beautiful, and making for a great performance.

The third moment came as a personal favorite, when Mitski sang “Pink In the Night” in a folk rendition from her album, “Be the Cowboy.” This moment was particularly special to me, because “Pink In the Night” is the very first song I listened to by Mitski, and it is also the very first time Mitski played the song in concert, thereby wrapping together the moment perfectly.

It is unlikely I will ever experience a concert as beautiful and meaningful and personal as this one. I only hope to continue to watch the lovely Mitski for many more concerts in the future and to reflect on this concert experience as one of many core memories.