“Rock the Runway” in London, Ontario, on Sept.12, 2025.
The stadium is filled with tens of thousands of strangers. They are shoulder to shoulder, excitement building, and hearts pounding. People of all different ages, genders, races, sexualities, and religions. They are all here for one thing: the art of live music.
Suddenly, the lights go out. Screams erupt louder than ever imaginable. Normally, screams of such volume would be cause for chaos. Tonight, they are in joy.
The stage lights shine as bright as the sun’s reflection on snow. Drums mimic a heart’s rhythm. Guitars strum, keyboards layer chords, and basses groove. Then the main event. The screams of strangers grew louder than before. Everyone is here for one thing: the artist.
Some travelled far for the event. Elena and Emily drove over the Canadian border, starting in Michigan, USA, and ending in London, Ontario. These two best friends learned of a festival called “Rock the Runway” located at the London International Airport on Sept. 12, 2025.
Elena and Emily at “Rock the Runway” in London, Ontario, on Sept. 12, 2025.
“This is our first time [seeing Noah Kahan] and I was like, I have to come,” said Elena. The pair have gone to several concerts together, attending Taylor Swift’s and Gracie Abrams’ concerts within the last year. They travelled to Toronto, Ontario, for both of those shows.
“This is probably going to make me cry,” said Emily. “There’s some element of live music that just feels so much more special than listening on Spotify. Like seeing everybody enjoying together and the energy; it’s perfect.”
A similar feeling was had by Taylor Reeves a few nights before. Reeves drove from Waterloo, Ontario, to Toronto, Ontario, to attend Hozier’s concert at the Roger’s Stadium on Sept. 10, 2025.
“I get to see somebody that I have been listening to for a really long time in person. To have him actually in front of me compared to through my headphones is such a big difference,” said Reeves.
Alongside her was her best friend, Carla. “[She listens] on the down low sometimes,” Reeves said teasingly toward her friend, “I bought the tickets, but you know what, she’ll have a blast.”
Annebelle Reinhardt with wristbands from several concerts. Taken Sept. 12, 2025.
There are more than just memories being made at these shows. Recent studies have shown that live music can improve overall health by lowering stress.
“For the first time, a study has demonstrated that live music can produce beneficial physical effects in listeners,” said Dr. Daniel J. Konick of Maryland Primary Care Physicians, “it reduces the level of a hormone that causes stress.”
Konick added that the study followed concert attendees. They sampled saliva from the concertgoers before and after the performance. It was discovered that there was a significant drop in a stress-causing hormone called cortisol.
He then shared that high levels of stress can cause health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. Lowering cortisol can help contribute to overall stress management.
The American Psychiatric Association has made similar claims, stating that live music affects more than just physical health, but mental health as well.
“Music therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention using music to accomplish health and education goals,” claimed the association. They list mental wellness, reducing stress, and alleviating pain as examples.
Fatima Reynolds, author of the American Psychiatric Association article, claimed that while listening to music provides a list of benefits, creating music is just as effective.
“Emerging evidence indicates that music has the potential to enhance prosocial behaviour, promote social connectedness, and develop emotional competence,” wrote Reynolds.
Noah Kahan performing at “Rock the Runway” in London, Ontario, on Sept.12, 2025.
Music creation and appreciation have been shown to improve the overall well-being of artists and admirers. The beat of the drums has more power than simply setting the rhythm, the bridge of a song has more power than setting up the chorus, and the audience is there for more than just the experience.
The last chord has been strung. The stage lights that were once blinding have turned off, and the overhead stadium lights come back on. The tens of thousands of people who, for 90 minutes, were best friends are strangers again. Everyone is checking their phones for the traffic report, for the train schedule, or for a conversation they had missed.
Security is pointing at the exit, but the feeling of the music doesn’t leave; it lives within the attendees now.
Emily, who had crossed borders to see Noah Kahan, did in fact cry that night, but not tears of sadness.
Reeves and her best friend, whom she had dragged with her to see Hozier, have built memories to last a lifetime.
Everyone was there for more than one thing: the artist and the art of live music.
