Billie Eilish Proves Concerts Can Be a Safe Space at TD Garden Boston

Sunday, Feb. 20, marked the last day of the vaccine mandate at TD Garden before the venue falls in line with the City of Boston's policies.

Billie Eilish was the last performer under the old Covid-19 rules, which required attendees to show proof of vaccination. Garden guests will continue to be asked to wear masks. While she electrified the packed stadium, and while her rockstar, teen-angst persona was alive and well, her concern for and focus on her audience was something I have never seen from an artist before.

Eilish gave Boston a shining example of how concerts can be fun and safe in a post-pandemic world.

For 90 minutes, Eilish jumped around the stage like an energizer bunny, pouring her heart into every lyric. Her vocals were sensational, and her cinematic set was mesmerizing, but I was most impressed by her ability to be fully aware of her audience.

She commanded the attention of almost 20,000 people with her infectious personality, her swooning harmonies and her motherly check-ins.

“Don’t forget to drink your water!” she said periodically.

“Bathroom breaks are important!” she added.

On several occasions, she asked fans in the pit to step back for some fresh air.

Halfway through her set, she had everyone “shake it out” and take a deep breath, like our kindergarten teachers used to do when we were getting out of hand.

Eilish recently went viral for pointing out a fan in the crowd who needed an inhaler, saying, “We take care of our people here.” It turns out, she really meant it. During one of Eilish's songs on Sunday, she spotted someone in the crowd and shouted, “You OK?” She had security rush to the person, and she continued with an acoustic version of “Male Fantasy.”

Eilish's concert had everything: emotion, excitement and imagination. While every artist hopes to electrify the audience, very few make a point to keep the environment safe and friendly.

Concert tragedies are avoidable, and as Massachusetts heads towards the home stretch of mask requirements and proof of vaccination, it’s up to the performers and the venues to keep an emphasis on safety at the forefront.

From the front row to the nose bleeds, Ellish was able to make every person feel seen and proved that there is such a thing as a fun, post-pandemic world.