Audio File: The Best Artists I Discovered As Concert Openers

Written by Anna Porter, Graphic by Anna Porter

As an avid concertgoer, one of my favorite parts of the show ends up being the opening set. It’s like showing up early to watch the trailers at the movie theater– it’s secretly *almost* my favorite part of the experience. Typically, the week before the concert, I find a bit of time to listen to the opener’s most popular songs so I can get a feel for what the set will sound like, but not enough to where I can’t be surprised. More often than not, by the time the opener finishes their first song, I will have already followed them on Spotify. Follow along in this article to learn about some of my favorite openers I’ve seen live!

Annie DiRusso

First things first is one of my favorites– Annie DiRusso. I was introduced to Annie when she Opened for Declan McKenna at his “Zeros” tour in 2022. I instantly loved the sound of Annie’s music and the energy of her band. The punchy guitar riffs sounded amazing live, and luckily, the production didn’t disappoint when I went to listen to her music on Spotify. Annie DiRusso’s lyrics are about navigating life as someone in your early twenties, and she gave a lot of interesting explanations to her songs while performing. She’s headlining her own tour later this fall, so check to see if she’s in a town near you!

Check Out: Call It All Off, Don’t Swerve

Tkay Maidza

Last-minute opener for Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” tour, Tkay Maidza has definitely been one of the standout openers I’ve seen. I went into the show knowing nothing about her, but as soon as my friends and I sat in our arena seats, we were already whispering to each other how good she was. The Australian pop-rap artist has a catalog of songs that are extremely catchy and creative. It’s hard to believe she has less than 1 million Spotify listeners because she has the music, stage presence, and style to be as big of a star as Doja Cat.

Check Out: Shook, 24k, Growing Up.

Oracle Sisters

For the second of my three Declan McKenna openers, we have Oracle Sisters! As the name doesn’t suggest, Oracle Sisters are not sisters but a trio of childhood friends who reside in Paris. I saw them on Declan’s “The Big Return” tour in Carrboro, NC, in 2023. The band has a mix of songs in English and French, and their sound is very chill and upbeat. Their music uses instruments that make you feel like your brain is getting cleansed– wavy synths and jangly tambourines. I highly recommend you to listen to this band (especially in the summertime) because of the bright and feel-good aura they deliver.

Check Out: Asc. Scorpio, RBH, Hail Mary

Uwade

Uwade– a Nigerian-born and New York-based folk singer is a favorite of the band Fleet Foxes. Robin Pecknold invited Uwade on both legs of Fleet Foxes’ “The Shore Tour,” so I got to see her perform in both 2022 and 2023. Uwade’s serene aura and meaningful lyrics make a great set for an outdoor concert. Her music is understated, using low production and minimal instruments such as the acoustic guitar. She also incorporates native African languages into her lyrics, which adds another unique element to her songs. On top of that, Uwade’s smooth voice is enough to quiet the chattering crowd during the opening set. 

Check Out: The Man Who Sees Tomorrow: Lodarore, Do You See The Light Around Me?

Cecilia Castleman

I first heard Cecilia Castleman when she opened for Inhaler in Atlanta on their “Cuts & Bruises” tour in 2023. She was a last-minute opener because of a conflict that came up with the original opener, but it was impressive how good of a show she put on with such little notice. When Cecilia came onto the stage, she seemed shy and had just a guitar, but her charming demeanor instantly won the crowd over. My favorite moment was when she performed the song “You Go Thru Girls Like You Go Thru Cigarettes,” and the crowd began to sing along to the chorus– Cecilia was surprised by this reaction and said that she’d never had a crowd sing back to her. The singer-songwriter has an eclectic discography– a mix of bluesy twang, soft rock, and indie that reminds me of the music from the early 2010s.

Check Out: You Go Thru Girls Like You Go Thru Cigarettes, Lonely Nights, It’s Alright

Soft Launch

And Declan McKenna’s opener shoutout 3/3 (does Declan have too many good openers, or do I just go to too many of his concerts?) is Soft Launch! As the name suggests, Soft Launch is still starting out, and one of the band members is Henry Pearce, Declan’s keyboardist. When I saw them open for Declan at his “What Happened To The Beach?” 2024 tour in London, I instantly fell in love with this band. Their vibrant alternative sound, catchy lyrics, and energetic band members made the experience really fun. Unfortunately, when I looked them up on Spotify, they only had one song out, but they are currently in the process of recording, so stay tuned to hear more from them!

Check Out: Cartwheels, Piano Hands

Warpaint

This band is the most recent opener I’ve seen when I went to see Echo & The Bunnymen last week in Los Angeles. Falling somewhere along the lines of folk and punk, Warpaint is a group of 4 women from California who have been releasing music since 2010. I want to take more time to dive into their discography, but from what I heard, I love their sound. In the songs they performed live, I heard a lot of really interesting guitar licks, and I loved the lead singers’ Paramore-esque punk vocals. 

Check Out: Common Blue, Champion, Underneath

And there you have six of my favorite concert openers! All of these bands and artists have extreme potential, and I’ll be following them all to see how their music journeys shape up. And fingers crossed, one day I’ll go to watch them headline their own shows.