I have learned my lesson about not thinking about who a concert is catered to.
Disney Channel concert tour group Bop to the Top hosted the Best of Both Worlds Party on Nov. 16, 2024, at Steelhouse Omaha.
This event was a music night filled with Disney Channel classics from the 2000s and 2010s, including songs from Disney shows and movies like “Hannah Montanta,” “Lemonade Mouth,” “Teen Beach Movie,” “Camp Rock” and “Cheetah Girls.” People were dancing and singing along; overall, it was a night of remembering childhood songs.
While I grew up watching “Hannah Montana” and other Disney classics, during this concert I realized that there was is a disconnect between when someone watched their childhood shows. I grew up watching Disney Channel with my older siblings who range up to 10 years older than me. This meant that the shows I watched were catered to people five to 10 years older. This does make sense because the “party” was mostly older Gen Z adults and young millennials. The whole time I felt out of place and that I was not a true fan because I was so much younger than the average attendee.
The party revolved around a DJ who played the music video from each song on a large screen above him. There was a lot of fan participation at the event, with fans having the ability to be a part of the act and sing along on stage.
Other than the deep-down feeling of being out of place, the music was upbeat, and I was singing along. They played “The Best of Both Worlds,” the theme song from Hannah Montana, “Rock Star,” “Year 3000,” “Ordinary Girl,” “Introducing Me” and other Disney Channel songs.
My favorite part of this “party” was my cowboy hats voyage. My hat was brought into the concert hall by a friend of mine, and by having it on the ground the hat got snatched up by a 20-something, who later got on the stage and threw the hat into the audience. Then a different girl got on stage with my hat and danced around with it until a boy who seemed to be nine years old grabbed the hat and did his own “Hoedown Throwdown” dance.
The age requirements for the “party” were for all ages but, in hindsight, I do see that Hannah Montana was more of a feature of childhood for my six-year older sister than it was for me. I was able to sing the full “Austin and Ally” theme song but struggled even singing a verse of anything “Cheetah Girls” related.
While this “party” was fun and engaging, I do not think I would attend a similar event because of the age difference between me and the general audience. I need to learn how to embrace the environment I am in even if it may be uncomfortable.
