Billie Eilish Performs in State College
Billie Eilish performs at the Bryce Jordan Center on Feb. 10.
March 15, 2022
On Thursday, Feb. 10, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish performed at the Bryce Jordan Center for her “Happier Than Ever” tour. The State College show was the sixth stop on her tour.
Leading up to the big night, excitement levels were high as fans of Eilish were gearing up to watch her perform live.
“I am most excited to see what graphics she’ll use for the stage and how the lighting is set up,” freshman Ella George said prior to the concert.
On the other hand, freshman Esme Brandt was interested in interacting with the community of fans in the venue.
“I’m excited to be in the same space as a bunch of people, knowing that we all love Billie and have a connection about that,” Brandt said.
Freshman Addie Gagnon shared that she started listening to Eilish in 2017 at gymnastics practice, while Brandt shared that she too had liked Eilish for a long time, but especially liked listening to her new album.
The song that most were looking forward to was “Happier Than Ever,” which Gagnon said “is definitely one of my favorites that Billie has produced.”
Eilish took the necessary precautions to make the concert safe. Full vaccination or a negative Covid test was required to enter the Bryce Jordan Center and masks had to be worn. Eilish also checked up on her fans throughout the show to make sure they were okay—at one point, she told everyone in the pit to step back and told everyone in the seats to sit down for a song.
The concert was a big success. Eilish played favorites from previous albums and, of course, from her latest album “Happier Than Ever”, which was released on July 30, 2021.
As the concert began, Eilish shocked the audience with her entrance by jumping out of the floor onto the stage, which set the tone for the rest of the night.
“My favorite part of the concert was when Billie sang the song ‘Oxytocin,’” State High freshman Caroline Concepcion shared. “The whole venue was just going crazy. Billie interacted with everyone and kinda hyped everyone up and I loved that.”
Each stop on Eilish’s tour had its own quirks. Those at the Bryce Jordan Center paid homage to Penn State during Eilish’s performance, something freshman Alex Haskins detailed.
“At one point, a fan threw a Penn State shirt onto the stage and Billie held it up in front of her,” Haskins said. “And then she said something like, ‘Someone told me that when I go to State College, I should say ‘We are…” and then the entire crowd screamed ‘PENN STATE!’”
Eilish changed the setlist of the show during her performance and caught some fans by surprise.
”My favorite song she played was ‘ilomilo,’” Gagnon said. “I wasn’t expecting her to sing it, so it was a really amazing surprise.”
For those who were experiencing Eilish’s performance from the pit, there were pros and cons. Despite the close proximity to other concert-goers, many students believed they were having a more intimate experience with the artist.
“I ended up getting barricaded and Billie looked at me four times,” Tallyen noted.
However, no matter where fans were sitting, they had an amazing time.
“Her show was the absolute best I’ve ever been to,” Tallyen shared. “Her confidence was radiating off of her which made everyone not care what others thought and just dance the whole night, regardless of judgment.”
