VIP Access, Barricade Views: My Dreamy Night at The Favors Concert

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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If you are a concert-goer in New York, you know that securing a spot at the barricades can often feel like a ruthless, hours-long battle. However, my night seeing The Favors at Central Park SummerStage on Wednesday, October 1, was the most stress-free VIP experience I have ever had. The show was a chaotic, beautiful blend of incredible music, surprising celebrity parent sightings and a genuine connection with the artists, making it an undeniable 10/10.

I arrived at 2:53 p.m. to get in the VIP line and was immediately struck by the calm atmosphere. I was surprised to see how few people were camping out; I was around number 12 for VIP, while the General Admission line was only about 20 to 30 people long. The relatively short lines signaled a night of smooth sailing. I secured my ticket for $56 on Ticketmaster, and the SummerStage Member for the Day VIP upgrade cost me an additional $45.

While we waited, we were treated to a live soundcheck from The Favors between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. It was incredibly cool to hear the raw music echoing through the park, and if we strained, we could just glimpse their heads as they ran through songs on stage. Finneas O’Connell even took a moment to talk to us, saying, “For all of you who are outside early, thank you for being here.” We love Finneas!

The unexpected celebrity parent sightings truly elevated the pre-show experience. I casually spotted Mr. Patrick (Finneas O’Connell’s father) walking across the street. I was in total shock when I yelled “Patrick?” and he kindly waved hi. It was an absolutely surreal, stuck-to-this-day moment. Later, I spotted Maggie (Finneas O’Connell’s mother) near the entrance and made sure to say hi to her. She was so sweet, lively and kind. This time, I made sure I acted casual, keeping my excitement under control.

They finally started letting us in around 6:30 p.m. We grabbed our VIP merch and headed through the express entrance. The walk to the barricade was incredibly easy. We had a great view and could still walk around a bit while we waited before the regular GA ticket holders were allowed in. The hour before the show was super chill, though I couldn’t resist buying a very pricey sparkling water from the stand. I also saw many well known and highly respected people around. Although I was networking-ready, I decided not to interrupt, a decision I may regret later, but the focus was on the music.

Because I had chosen to secure my barricade spot and merch, I wasn’t able to take advantage of any of the SummerStage member amenities, but that was a worthwhile trade-off.

The Favors finally came out at 8:15 p.m. The band, which consists of Finneas O’Connell, Ashe, Ricky, David,and Lucy Healey, put on an amazing show. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. The set was filled with special moments and deep connections with the audience. My favorite “Favors song” is “Necessary Evils,” and I honestly cried when they played it , it hit so hard. My favorite Finneas song they performed was “Let’s Fall In Love,” and my favorite Ashe song was “Moral of the Story.” They made sure to constantly interact with the crowd, taking phones and flags and looking at our posters. They absolutely adored the fan project where we held up papers that said “The Favors are our home sweet home,” which was a special moment. They shared intimate stories about the songs as well as themselves, telling us how the album was inspired by New York City, making it feel like a home show. They also shared joyous personal news, including Ashe getting married to the right guy this month, and Finneas being engaged to Claudia (who was also there!). The show was made even more special because it was Lucy Healey’s birthday. The show was great, a solid 10/10. It ended at 9:45 p.m., and afterward, I even got to say hi to Ricky before he had to quickly leave backstage. It was a perfect night.

The setlist included these songs

“Restlist little heart”

“The Little Mess You Made”

“David’s Brother”

“Moonshine”

“Necessary Evils”

“Cleats”

“Angry Woman”

“The Dream”

“Ordinary People”

“Moral of the Story”

“Hollywood Forever”