BENEE, a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland, initially gained international popularity from her 2019 single “Supalonely,” which was a success on video-sharing platforms TikTok and YouTube. Since then, she has continued to rise to fame. She accompanied Tate McRae as a special guest on the UK leg of her “Miss Possessive” tour in 2025. Now in 2026, BENEE is touring the states performing her new album “Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles” released late last year. On March 19, I had the honor of watching BENEE at Irving plaza and learned more about concert life in the city.
Opening for BENEE was Bayli, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn who’s known for her pop-rock sound. Bayli opened the stage with a high energy set, performing some of her latest work released in 2025. Once BENEE hit the stage, fans were ecstatic. Immediately as the show began, the lights were flashing, matching the energy of the crowd and the music. Many attendees were dancing and jumping up and down. BENEE interacted with fans consistently throughout the show. She acquired one of the fans’ cameras to take a big selfie of us all and threw hair clips into the crowd for people to catch. The show felt intimate in a way, perhaps because I was in one of the front rows. I felt connected to BENEE and not just because of the relatable music. She performed some songs from her newest album, like “Princess”, which features Pink Pantheress, and my personal favorite from the album, “Demons”. To my surprise, BENEE played a good amount of her old music. She included her biggest hit “Superlonely”, but also sung “Soaked”and her collaboration song “Afterthought” with Joji.
I love BENEE’s older music and relate more to the songs so it was a nice surprise to hear some very familiar songs in the setlist. BENEE, along with her drummer and guitarist, easily gathered everyone’s attention and created an environment that felt like a massive party. An hour was not enough for the fans, myself included, even demanding an encore from the crowd for 10 minutes after the final song.
After the concert, I asked around wondering how many people were “true” concert-goers and what the difference in the concert life might be depending on the area. Debra, a grad student from Westchester, is a consistent concert goer, stated that “I have also been to concerts outside of the city, there’s more of a community vibe here, at the smaller theaters at least,” She continued, “I definitely prefer the city, the vibes are good.”
Others discussed how they like the city’s more intimate venues and spaces, including small jazz spaces to mid-sized venues such as Irving plaza.
After interviewing some concertgoers, I compiled a quick list of concert do’s and don’ts
Do:
- Always get there early
- Take pictures of someone if they ask you
- Make sure your phone is charged
- Eat before you go
Don’t:
- Push your way through (although pushing is inevitable!)
- Go in blind (Know the venue rules)
- Talk during songs
- Stand in front if you’re not going to dance!
In a city with a wide range of venues and voices, it’s important to learn about the ins and outs of concert life.
