Madden Callis

Hey! I’m Madden. I’m a student at the University of Georgia. I am an animal biosciences major on the pre-vet track. I hope to become a veterinarian and specialize in zoological medicine. My favorite activity outside of school has to be seeing live music.

My first concert was Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018. This started my love of concerts. The more shows I go to, the more my love for live music grows. I have been to many concerts seeing artists like Gracie Abrams, Florence + The Machine, Ashe, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, Billie Eilish, and more.

The artist that I have seen the most times is Harry Styles. During Love on TourI had the chance to go to seven different shows. For these shows, I traveled to Nashville, New York City, and Dublin as well as attending one in Atlanta. My favorite of these shows was one of the nights in New York City because I was on barricade. In order to get so close to the stage, I had to get in line at 4:00 in the morning. Styles is definitely my favorite artist that I've seen.

My favorite concert I have been to recently has to be Niall Horan’s The Show: Live on Tour. I traveled to Austin, Texas for this show, and I was seated in the second row from the stage. One super cool moment during this concert was when we had an interaction where he talked to and pointed at me. He also brought out his opener to do a duet of his song “Heaven”. I was heading back to Atlanta the day after the concert, and I ran into Horan at the airport. I was wearing the tour sweatshirt, so he came up to meet me. I have to disagree with the saying, “don’t meet your heroes.” I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to talk with him, and I am proud to be a fan of his.

I love live music because it's a great way to connect with people and have new experiences. It is so much fun to experience my favorite music with other people who love it. I have made a number of friends by chatting with people at concerts. While I have not attended any concerts in Athens, I hope to soon.