On January 24th, Gracie Abrams announced Dora Jar as the opener for her upcoming Europe and UK tour. One fan took offense to this and created a petition to replace Jar with a different opener. This is something I have never seen before and never thought I would see.  Thankfully, Abrams was quick to come to Jar’s defense, but the whole situation had me thinking about opening acts as a whole.

Truthfully, when I go to a concert, I don’t give a lot of thought to the opening act. I bought tickets to see the headliner and that’s who I am most excited to see. That being said, I do try to arrive at concerts in time to see the opening act. Worst case scenario, I sit through 20 minutes of music that isn't quite to my taste. Best case scenario, I discover a new artist that I love, and a majority of the time, this is the case. In 2022, I saw Ella Jane open for Peter McPoland. I had heard a few of her songs, but wasn’t super familiar with her discography. Her energy was incredible and as soon as her set was over I began following her on Instagram to keep up with her, and I still follow her to this day.

All this to say that openers are a chance for fans to discover new up and coming artists that will likely fit right in with the rest of their music taste. Now maybe I’m a bit biased because I had the chance to interview Dora Jar and she was absolutely lovely , but I think Gracie Abrams fans are in for a treat with their opener. Regardless of what your next concert is, try to catch the opening act. Chances are you’ll discover your new favorite artist.