As I sit in Falvey, attempting to pump out the last pages of every final paper I never wanted to write, I succumb to procrastination. Summer is so close, yet so far away. As I contemplate the proximity of summer, I begin to think of all the distinctly summer experiences I’ve never had. I’ve never been to sleep away camp. I’ve spent very little time at the Jersey shore, despite being a New Jersey resident. Yet, what is most surprising are all the concerts I’ve never been to. And just as this notion enters my mind, Ticketmaster.com once again gets the best of me and my studiousness.

Summertime has always said “concert season.” Nothing sounds better than a night of live music under the stars. The time for concerts is undoubtedly upon us, especially for rite-of-passage concerts. While I admit I may have fabricated the terminology, I’m sure you are familiar with the concept. Rite-of passage concerts are concerts that everyone in your high school went to. They were the concerts that could basically make or break your summer.

The majority of Villanova students have been to one of these concerts, which have become a staple in American summertime culture. Where I am from, almost everyone has seen Dave Matthews Band perform live. Some might even call it the ultimate rite-of-passage concert experience. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never seen them, but my seventeen year-old sister can attest to the fact that seeing Dave Matthews Band perform is something you should do at least once. DMB is known for their summer performances. Many Villanova students are such huge fans of the band that they have seen them every summer since their freshman year of high school. Concert goers enjoy the Woodstock feel of outdoor concerts and the mellow gathering of fans.

For those with a slightly more hardcore taste in music, the Vans’ Warped Tour offers a more satisfying rite-of-passage concert experience. The Warped Tour showcases the best of the punk and Emo scene. A two-day stretch of head banging and crowd surfing certainly sounds like a rush-if you survive.

If you haven’t done so yet, I highly suggest you make the rite-of-passage.