A 15-Year-Old YouTube Fangirl’s Firsthand Account Of Her Trip To A Troye Sivan Concert

By 04/05/2016
A 15-Year-Old YouTube Fangirl’s Firsthand Account Of Her Trip To A Troye Sivan Concert

[Editor’s Note: There are a growing number of publications devoting coverage to YouTube and social media stars, printing stories online, in newspapers, and in magazines about this emergent class of celebrity. Tracking and touting the paradigm shift in entertainment and popular culture is great for everyone in the online video and digital media industries, but one voice has been grossly underrepresented in all the coverage. The voice of the fans. In order to remedy the problem and gain at least some insight into the millions of teenagers who consider YouTubers bigger celebrities than traditional media stars, we’ve partnered with an intrepid and enthusiastic high schooler to give us the firsthand scoop. To read more articles from our young contributor, click right here.]

The first time I watched Troye Sivan he was with Tyler Oakley, scrolling through the interwebs on their Tumblr Tag Challenge. He had a thick Australian accent and lovable awkwardness that would make any girl swoon.

I was mesmerized.

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Since that day, Troye has grown from a shy adolescent singing cover songs into a camera to a confident 20-year-old superstar taking the world by storm. Thanks to YouTube, I have had a virtual front row seat for this amazing journey! And thanks to Troye’s recent tour, I’ve now had a physical front row seat, too.

I arrived at The Fillmore Philadelphia around noon on March 4, 2016 — nearly nine hours before Troye would take the stage for this leg of his Blue Neighborhood world tour. As with all YouTube-related events, there was already a line of fans stretching around the entire building and down the block. Some, I soon learned, had arrived as early as 5:00 AM. Unwavered by the below freezing temperatures, they were hoping to get a spot close enough to the stage to hold Troye’s hand.

Most were teenagers, wrapped in blankets and phones outstretched — probably vlogging the experience to later post onto YouTube. There were also tweens, who were huddled together, with a designated parent sipping coffee and wondering how much longer until they could get inside. For most of us, this was not only a chance to see our YouTube idol live on stage, but also a rare opportunity to meet our Internet friends IRL for the first time.

Waiting-in-line friends!

Waiting-in-line friends!

As luck and perseverance would have it, I won a meet-and-greet opportunity with Troye through a weeklong call-in contest (lucky caller 20!) sponsored by 96.5 AMP Radio. Thanks to the best radio station in Philly, we were also treated to a sound check with Troye. The other winners and I all stood there anxiously, staring at the stage and wondering if this was really happening. The excitement was palpable!

When he walked in, everything clicked into place. He was so welcoming and easygoing — as if we were all just a group of friends hanging out. He began his soundcheck with “Bite,” then transitioned to “Fools,” telling us that he was adding something new and special to the bridge. “Reggae time,” he shouted as the beat turned less electronic and more tropical. Confidence and coolness radiated through his body and electrified us all. His vocals were the best I had ever heard them.

Boys and girls, Troye Sivan has entered the building.

Boys and girls, Troye Sivan has entered the building.

Next came the meet-and-greet photos. Forgetting that we had been asked not to hug Troye as he was recovering from illness (which had caused him to cancel two Canadian tour dates the week prior), I lost myself in the moment, ran up to him and hugged him like there was no tomorrow. (Sorry, Troye!) Two poses later, I hugged him again and walked out of the building with a huge smile plastered on my face.

Shhhhhhh....just be quiet and let it soak in.

Shhhhhhh….just be quiet and let it soak in.

My friend Chloe and I, and the few others who had managed to get their hands on VIP tickets, were pulled from the regular line and placed into a new line — the line that would enter the venue first. Given that we were the first in this line, we were assured a spot at the barricade — the coveted spot to be for the concert. The show was general admission and it was completely sold out. Once the opening band, LANY, finished and the Blue Neighborhood set was in place, the crowd roared with anticipation.

Wearing a metallic silver bomber jacket over a black ‘Fireproof’ T-shirt paired with high-waisted jeans, Troye sauntered in, looking gorgeous as ever. Hit after hit, he sang, nailing each note and commanding a presence like no other musician I have ever seen. The crowd went wild, singing every lyric and screaming during the instrumental parts. He sang songs from TRXYE, Wild, and Blue Neighborhood. He even sang “Gasoline” — “for the first time in front of an audience,” he said.

SG-Troye-Sivan-Concert-singing

Troye in the moment.

The experience was breathtaking both literally and figuratively. Whenever Troye reached out to touch the hands of his rabid fans, the crowd moved like a rogue wave, careening forward, crushing those in the front in an attempt to reach the shore, or in this case, the barricade. Some victims, like my friend, Ashlynn, had to be escorted to a safe place by security due to physical injuries, and even because of panic attacks.

Boys and girls, Troye Sivan has entered the building.

Troye Sivan Is. So. Close.

Between songs, Troye engaged the crowd with conversation. He talked about being on the Today show the morning prior and how he felt tired today, but then he “walked out here and saw all of this and heard you guys scream and I feel like the most alive I’ve ever felt in my life!”

Before he sang ‘Heaven,’ he got personal by sharing his mindset when writing the song. “When I was 14 or 15, I was like this tiny little ball of gay anxiety, slowly but surely figuring out who I was and what that meant to my future.” Other highlights included his reaction to fans throwing gifts, including hats (one of which he put on), flowers, and even macaroni and cheese (a favorite of Troye’s). At one point in the concert, instead of body-surfing, there was ‘gift-surfing’ taking place. From the middle of the crowd, a gift appeared and made its way over the heads of fans until it reached the stage. Troye remarked, “I feel like you guys are Oprah, and I’m me, and you guys are going to be like ‘Troye, check under the speaker. There’s a key for a car.’”

Youth,” which is currently climbing the iTunes charts and can be heard on radio stations across the country, is the song he chose to end the concert. When he sings the chorus, “My youth is yours,” it feels like it’s really true. He grew up in front of the camera, for all of us to see. He went from being that irresistible, shy Aussie boy to a confident, capable, undeniably talented phenomenon. His development online has inspired many, and has shown me that anyone with a camera and a heart can make it big anywhere.

Sofia Graziano has been a YouTube fan for over five years. She is currently in 9th grade and has aspirations of being a film major at a top university. For now, she spends her time attending far too many YouTube events (meet and greets, conventions, concerts) and enjoys every second of it. You can stay up to speed with what she’s up to on twitter at @otheroakley and check out her other contributions to Tubefilter right here. She took all the photos featured in this story, too.

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