😭🐝 Gen Z is going broke for Beyoncé

It’s Monday, Boston.

🦆 Boston might’ve out Bostoned itself with this one. We spent Saturday watching teams of 10 pull a duck boat across the Common with a rope in the rain. And it was just as ridiculous as you can imagine. Let’s just say … there were lots of muscle shirts …

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Cambridge told Harvard to grow a pair

• $49 flight deals

• Happy (late) Ayo Edebiri Day!

Up first…

LIFESTYLE

Concert tickets are through the roof

Gen Z is busting their budget for Beyoncé. Despite being picky spenders, young people are happily shelling out the big bucks (like, thousands of dollars) to see their favorite artists on tour. 

Here’s what to know:

🎟️ It’s not just you: Concert tickets have gotten pricey. The average price for a top-100 tour in 1996 was $25.81, or about $52 adjusted for inflation, according to The New York Times. In 2024, it's $135.92. And it gets worse: Thanks to jacked-up resales and *shudders* dynamic pricing, one ticket for a big-shot artist can go for thousands. This fan literally paid $5,500 for resale Eras Tour tickets. 

🤩 That said, fans are willing to pay exorbitant prices to see their faves. In fact, if we were operating purely in terms of supply and demand, “the going rate for a Taylor Swift ticket would be in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars,” said Dr. Joe Bennett, a Berklee professor and forensic musicologist.

🎤 Why the jacked prices? Thank YouTube. Folks used to spend money on music primarily by buying CDs and going to shows, Bennett said. But now, music is freely accessible to anyone with a phone, leading to a few major changes: 1. Artists heavily rely on live experiences to pay the bills. 2. Those live experiences have become more *exclusive* feeling, both of which drive prices up. According to a Merge survey, of the 86% of Gen Z-ers who admitted to overspending on live events, 27% blamed FOMO. 

👯 And don’t forget about stan culture. Nina Webb, a Berklee professor and former senior vice president and head of marketing for Atlantic Records, said “pop artists are giving [fans] such incredible, strong identity,” (think: Brat summer and Eras tour friendship bracelets). Going to concerts isn’t just a thing to do anymore, “it's about being surrounded by all these people that are like them,” she said.

Editor's note: One fan's story has been removed from this article post-publication.

TOGETHER WITH THE CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON

Get ready to feel all the things.

💃🎶🎭 Some performances you watch. Others, you feel. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is back, bringing gravity-defying moves and soul-stirring stories to the Boch Center Wang Theatre, April 24 to 27. A timeless masterpiece featuring bold new works, this performance is more than dance — it’s a window into the Black American experience. Don’t just hear about it. Feel it. Grab your tickets now.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

✋ Cambridge basically told Harvard to grow a pair. On Saturday, over 1,000 people hit Cambridge Common for a “Stand Up, Harvard!” rally, organized by the Cambridge City Council, calling on the school to push back against the Trump administration. The feds have threatened to withhold $9 billion from Harvard unless it meets a sweeping, vague list of demands, from “cooperation with law enforcement” to “merit-based” reforms to admissions and hiring. Cambridge’s take? In the words of Mayor E. Denise Simmons: “We have some demands, too. Back off.”

☕ Here’s your chance to chat with Mayor Michelle Wu IRL. Boston’s neighborhood coffee hours are BACK. The events are a chance for constituents to talk directly with Wu and city staff while racking up some serious freebies: Dunkin’ iced coffee, doughnuts, fruit, even flowers. The coffee hours (which are always from 10 to 11 a.m.) will hit most neighborhoods, but will kick off at Mattapan’s Walker Playground on April 29 and end at Dorchester’s Mother's Rest at Four Corners on June 18. Here’s the whole schedule. 

✈️ A $49 flight? In this economy? Yes! Southwest launched a spring and summer sale with one-way, continental domestic flights starting at $49. The sale is good for Mondays through Thursdays from April 29 to June 12; and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June 13 to Aug. 27. During that time, you can get some sweet flight deals out of Logan, including $59 to Chicago, $76 for Fort Lauderdale, and $79 to Atlanta. Just grab your tickets before April 17 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Check it out!

🇫🇷 Say “Bonjour!” in the Seaport. Because trendy French clothing brand Sézane is popping up (think: Madewell vibes, Reformation quality and prices). The brand is known for its generally chic, Parisian looks and high-quality knitwear (see: this wall of gorgeous sweaters). Can’t stomach a $100 cardigan? Try your luck at this $1,000 shopping spree giveaway for you and a bestie by entering your name and email. It's not clear how long the pop-up will be around, so run, don’t walk!

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

💃 Learn why Taylor Swift is a tortured poet. A Berklee professor is hosting a free convo exploring poetry’s influence on T-Swizzle’s work on April 15. Bonus: It’s remote, so you can listen from the comfort of your couch. 

👕 Try screen printing fo’ FREE! You can do exactly that at the Fenway Community Center’s screen-printing workshop on April 15, or at Artisans Asylum’s screen print shop night on April 16. Both are free and provide supplies!

💏 Tired: Dating one person. Wired: Going on a first date with up to 14 people at this speed-dating event on April 15 at Revival Café (specifically, if you’re between 26 and 36 years old). 

🏃 Run a “Boston Marathon.” What we really mean is this half half half half half marathon around Jamaica Pond on April 17. Close enough, right? This .826 race is a Marathon weekend staple and supports a good cause.

🍏 Mash together BRAT and a bar mitzvah … And you’ll get “BRAT MITZVAH,” a Passover-themed show hosted by a queer Jewish performance troupe showcasing how the Pharaoh and his buddies were mean girls.

🫖 Trade tequila for tea. Out: Beer tasting. In: This tea-tasting class taught by tea experts on April 17, where each tea is paired with a unique, single-origin honey. DONE.

🤓 Can you spell oxyphenbutazone? Well, you better figure it out because this Scrabble competition at Aeronaut is going down April 18, and that word will net you 1,778 points (!).

🙅 Skip the pricey movie tickets. Instead, drop your relationship questions here for a chance to win two free tickets to a screening of “Another Simple Favor” on April 24 (starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively).

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Plant-based from bag to bite

Founded by local college student Rachel Domb, on a mission to make snacking less wasteful, Rooted Living offers plant-based granola IN plant-based packaging — yup, it fully breaks down in three months. They're here to fuel your wellness journey while caring for the planet. B-Side members get 15% off their order!

Join the B-Side Membership to unlock this perk!

ONE LAST THING

Happy Ayo Edebiri Day!

Real ones know Ayo Edebiri is one of Boston’s very best. But now, it's official. Per Mayor Wu, April 10, 2025 was “Ayo Edebiri Day” in Boston.

“The Bear” star was in the city over the weekend to participate in a Q&A at Boston Latin School (her alma mater). She answered questions from students about how the school shaped her and charted a path to her success, before Mayor Wu surprised her at the end by announcing the proclamation. 

Edebiri posted about the day on IG with a long caption about BLS and Mayor Wu: “I am very proud to be from a place as rich in history and mania as Boston … Do you think they’ll let me join the Celtics now?”

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

😂 Thanks for reading! This comment on Edebiri’s IG from a BLS student is sending us: “skipped the national spanish exam to see you and don’t regret it one bit💞💞💞 LOVE U AYO!!!!! #bleedpurple.”

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Celebrity Series of Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing groundbreaking performances to Boston’s stage. 

🍩 The results are in: 49% of B-Siders say that Dunkin’ is more “Boston” than the T, “Sweet Caroline,” or Tom Brady. But what really made us giggle is that only .009% of you voted for Tom Brady. Lol. 

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].