Do you enjoy going to concerts?
In general I love going to concerts despite the fact that they can be quite overwhelming and loud. Especially at standing room only venues I often find myself overstimulated and wanting to go home, even if I love the musician(s) performing. However, this does not stop me from spending all my cash on concert tickets. How do you all feel about concert going? Why do people like concerts?
I have absolutely nothing against concerts, I just don't understand them. I know a lot of people (I'd say the majority of people) like to attend them, but to me it seems like people's music would sound better recorded in the studio. What is it I'm missing? (Sorry to be such a debbie downer) I know you guys are gonna be like “you haven’t seen the right shows” etc but that’s actually not the case. I’ve seen some of my favorite artists and bands live, they put on a great show, it’s not the performance aspect I dislike, it’s mostly the other audience members that diminish the experience for me. I don’t like having some girl scream in my ear the entire time, or standing next to a guy whose armpits I can smell every time he puts his hands up. I do not like having drinks spilled on me. Standing for what’s sometimes hours on end is also not a fun experience. There are definitely some sonically interesting variations to a live performance, and seeing your favorite artist in person is a special experience, but the overall experience of being at a concert is not fun to me.
Am I the only one who doesn't enjoy going to concerts?
Because sometimes I feel like I am. I used to enjoy them in my teens but now that I'm in my mid twenties they always just feel incredibly draining to me. Even if it's one of my favorite bands playing. I'd much rather do something low-key than stand for hours in a crowd of strangers.
I (f 26) love going to concerts, it's probably one of the experiences that bring me the most joy in life and I've been to a ton during the last decade.
Because of covid, my last live show was on January 2020. And I'm going to my first concert since then (a festival that lasts three days) very soon.
However, I'm going with a friend and my sister, and I'm a bit bummed out because I know I won't be able to fully enjoy the experience. I love making memories with the people i love, but to me, going to a gig is about fully immersing myself in the music and the moment, and i can't really do that with people i know.
With the exception of like two times, going with friends or family has always distracted me from the experience. They're into talking about the songs as they're being performed or saying something about the musicians, or looking for my reaction to a certain song playing, while i just wanna get lost in the moment completely: cry, scream, laugh without caring about anything else. Once, a friend took a picture of me crying to a song that I had a very personal connection with and it felt so disrespectful. Other time, I had a seat that was closer to the stage and my friend had hers a couple of rows behind. She would try to sneak into my row everytime she could, and a security guard would scold her everytime, so i was completely distracted from four songs I loved, by one of my favorite bands, because of this. There's more examples but these are the most annoying ones I can remember right now haha
For this festival, I intend on seeing artists that my friend and sister are not interested in seeing, and I wanna be close to the stage so I'll probably stay in the same spot for many hours to see the artists up close. So I really hope I don't feel pressured to move around with them. I also want to see some headliners they don't care about that are the last to perform each day, and I'll probably be able to stay only for a couple of their songs because we agreed to get back home together, since we live very far from where the event is taking place. Honestly, I've always been able to find my way home one way or another, so I'm sad that I'm gonna miss these bands because my friend and sister want to make sure we leave together and won't accept otherwise. I know this might not seem like such a big deal but I've been living some shitty times and the idea of seeing music live is keeping me going. At least I know that even if the experience won't be exactly as i want it, seeing music live will be really good for my mental health and I'm very happy regardless.
I just wanted to rant about this i guess, and know if anyone else feels the same way when it comes to concerts? Or maybe you love going with other people? It's interesting to hear other perspectives as well.
However, I feel like it is difficult to tell this to people when they invite me to concerts because so many people DO love them; even other introverts. Maybe I'm forgetting something I used to love about them? I'm not sure. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way!
I also don’t really like consuming music in social settings in general, I prefer to listen to it by myself in my bedroom, so that probably plays a part here too. But yeah. I figure this is an unpopular opinion seeing as people are always posting videos of concerts and spent an entire year talking about how much they miss going. I’m happy for those people but it’s just not for me. Whats it like going to a concert?
I live in a very small area where the only concerts we get are mostly local musicians. I've always wanted to go to a big concert in the city but it takes hours to get there and musicians seem to avoid my state all together lol.
I do not understand why people go to concerts, why do people go to concerts? They seem way too much effort for way too less reward, or even memories for that matter. I get that there is a good atmosphere but you can get the music anywhere and I am pretty sure in better vocals as live performances are generally bad plus the size at which you see the performer from the crowd is sooo small(generally a mere figment far far away) unless you come way early and take the front places, and you generally end up watching the artist on the jumbo Tron, there are so many people that you have to stand the entire time, it gets so sweaty, plus they aren't cheap to say the least. And since so many people do go and bear with all this, I really want to hear why? And in the recent years, more and more artists have been caught using auto tune and lip syncing in live performances, people must feel cheated out of there time and money. I get that he was there, and so were you but is that enough really? Enough for all the things one has to go through I guess. I could literally listen to what the artist will be singing at home, in comfort rather than going ta the venue hours before the show even starts just to get a better view and see the other artists opening for the likes of coldplay and justin beiber, I just believe that they don’t provide as good of an experience as they should, I mean I'm sure they have millions of fans and I'm no one special but isn’t asking for comfort a tiny request? I really don’t see the want of going to a concert unless you are a die hard fan of the performer, and even then, you were there and so was he/she but that is it. That is as close as it gets to it, he /she will be so far away from you that you can barely see him/her and that will be it. I would love to know that views of frequent concert attending individuals to listen to there views on why they visit concerts. Is it a thing that everybody is doing it because everyone is doing it? And with the rise of EDM you literally go through all that to watch a laptop live, before the advent of modern music touring was the only way you could listen to good music but now , with so many alternatives, will touring die out or will it grow and prosper like it has for so many years? Sorry if you feel my opinion is un researched for plain dumb or that I am not seeing something very obvious, plus I apologize for the messy presentation of views , I could get it in really small but had to increase it because of the word limit. Please respond as I have searched but have not found a good answer yet.
How does concert going work? What do you do before it starts and what happens afterwards? Can they sell merch and sign stuff or is that a rare occurence? Would you go to a concert if you only knew one or two songs by the artist?
other I really don't like concerts
and I have yet to meet someone who feels the same way. I'm just not into standing in a gross crowded stadium for 2 hours. And so many singers just aren't better live. Also at the concerts that I've been to, the crowd is encouraged to sing along so much but like I lowkey just wanna sit quietly and watch a performer, I don't have a desire to interrupt them by cheering and singing along. I know that there are concerts in existence that are smaller, or a calmer vibe, or more meaningful but the more popular music that I like by more upbeat and lighthearted performers I have zero desire to see in a concert. The environment is so overwhelming. I don't mean to sound pretentious, but I'd much rather see something like a broadway show where you're expected to actually sit down in the seat provided to you, sit back, and just enjoy the show and the singers are actually good live and they don't ask me to sing along lol
There’s a couple concerts happening near me but I only know 1-2 songs of each band/artist. I’ve tried listening to more songs from each of them but I don’t like them as much as the single(s) that I do know. Would it be worth paying money (around $80-$100 each) to go see them with the chance they’ll mostly play songs I don’t know (or like) while there’s a slight chance they’ll play the 1-2 songs that I enjoy? I really want to enjoy live music (someday, when the world opens up again), but I don’t - would much rather watch a concert on TV. I am wondering if this is a common introvert trait, or if there is some other reason why I don’t enjoy the live concert experience? If you do enjoy concerts and are also a strong introvert, do you have advice to feel less exhausted by it all?
I have a difficult time trying to get friends to come with me to concerts, we have different tastes. I get it too, I wouldn't shell out $50-60 dollars on an artist I dont really know or like. Im starting to regret not going to shows just because I fear looking like a lonley creeper. I've missed out on allot of artists I want to see EDIT: Does the venue matter? How would the experience be different at a arena assigned seat show then at a no seat smaller venue show EDIT: Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
Im going to my first concert alone in a week. I’ve technically attended a concert alone, but it was at a festival and the buddy I went with was watching a different stage than I was. But we met up at the end and arrived and left together. I really enjoyed being alone. But I’ll soon be arriving and leaving the concert by myself. Going to a music concert is a terrible experience and it is much better to listen the original songs at home
No lines, crowds, insane (warm) beer prices, no one freakishly tall blocking your view of the stage. Live versions of album songs also suck, either there is no vocal or too much, too loud or you can't hear a thing, a thousands of tone deaf people also screaming the lyrics next to you makes it even worse. For outside venues it could be either sweltering hot or pouring rain. I just prefer to chill at home with a cold beer and my headphones listening to an album/playlist in a comfortable chair.
How often do you attend concerts by yourself?
Almost none of my friends listen to metal music at all. So when Judas Priest and Steel Panther came around, I went to the show alone and ended up having a great time.
With Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse coming around I will probably head there alone too.
I love music as much as the next guy. I love it, it's a passion of mine. It did, has, and will continue to inspire me, in almost any form. But I don't get why people go to live concert. I personally find concert quality music inferior to music that has been made and processed by a program and in a studio. It also allows more creative freedom that isn't possible with live music. Perhaps it has something to do with how I'm not a huge fan of sports and hate stadium culture and etiquette / the lack there-of. I get if it's local and it's inexpensive, but I don't get why people spend hundreds of bucks for tickets to a concert hundreds of miles away.
So how many of you all go to shows alone, and what are your experiences with going to shows by yourself. Edit: this kinda blew up! Thanks everyone for the awards. Sorry I can't answer all 600+ comments. Glad many people disagreed with me. For those of you with the salty comments, go lick the freakishly tall sweaty guy in front of you the next time you go to a concert. Peace out from my comfy chair! I am a 21-year-old, pretty introverted woman and I have never been to a concert. Lately everyone I meet or talk to mentions going to a concert in the near future and I got curious. What is the appeal of concerts for someone like me? I have never had an interest to go to one because standing up for 2 hours surrounded by hundreds of screaming strangers and listening to songs in worse quality than the recorded version sounds like personal hell to me. Most of the time I only like a few songs of a performer and like… What do I do for the rest of the time if I don’t know/don’t like any other songs? Do people just stand there and pretend to enjoy it? Idk, can someone who is an introvert explain this to me? Since shows came back, I've been going to several a month. I feel fortunate that most are either in my hometown or in the next city 120km away, and I wanted to know how your experience compares. How often do you go to concerts (not your own)?
I play bass and I’d say I’m pretty passionate about music however I’m 27 and I’ve probably been to less than 5 actual concerts in my life, I’m pretty introverted and am a bit of a stay at home person, but I have 2 booked this year and maybe I’ll start going to more since I am getting more into playing myself too.
I think I have aspirations to play live though in the future (only played a couple of months) and wonder if I should be going to more concerts in preparation or to appreciate the craft more..
How often do you go to concerts/gigs? Would you like to go to concerts alone or with a group of friends or family? I have a big dilemma. My boyfriend is obsessed with concerts and just any music in general. Me, on the other hand, I can’t even stand to lose my to music in the car. I hate concerts so much and I get dragged to them all them time. Please tell me someone else hates concerts as much as I do. Don’t get me wrong, I like music, but it just has a time and place for me. Is it better to attend a concert of an artist you know and love? or attend a concert of an artist that you have yet to discover, but will blow your mind and make you fall in love with their music?
I've had incredible experiences with both scenarios. For instance in 2011 I went to LA Rising in Los Angeles with a goal of seeing RATM for the first time, which was one of my favorite bands at the moment. RATM was fantastic and in no way a let down, but I was actually blown away by another band on the bill, Muse. I was a freshman in high school at the time and had yet to discover Muse's music but after seeing them live I was hooked, they instantly became one of my favorites.
So this has always made me wonder if I should try to recreate this experience by purchasing tickets to see artists I'm unfamiliar with? but considering my limited funds it's hard to rationalize spending more money on bands I don't know and less money on seeing the bands I do know and love. I was able to see LCD Soundsystem a couple of times in 2016 and 2017, a band who I know almost every lyric of every song. I lost my voice singing along and dancing to my favorite tunes, an almost religious experience that was easily comparable in greatness to the time I saw Muse. I can't imagine having sacrificed seeing LCD to save money for concerts of other artists I wasn't familiar with. Of course, this debate is only hypothetical at the moment with the pandemic making live shows non existent in general, but it's fun to think about. I suppose the answer to this debate is almost certainly that both are good and you should try to find a balance, but I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts! What do you think? I went to my first show when I was around 14 (Opeth, on the Watershed tour), and played my first show around 16, I am now 26. I grew up going to concerts almost every weekend throughout high school and a bit after, I’ve seen most of my favorite artists live and I’ve probably been to something like 100+ concerts (many, many more if you count all the local sets I’ve had to sit through lol) Over the last couple years however, I’ve found concerts to be more of a boring chore than anything, creating music is still my greatest passion, but concerts for whatever reason have lost much of their appeal.
In the last year or so, I’ve only been to 3 or 4 concerts, saw some of my favorite bands at smaller venues and ended up seeing Post Malone at red rocks (one of my favorite artists at the time, his stuff was some of the most exciting music I’ve heard in years) but I was almost bored to the point I felt like sitting down and pulling out my phone.
I think there may be a few possible reasons for this:
I think I might have depression lol
I’m burned out on the whole experience: after seeing so many live shows the novelty has worn off
I need to find a new artist I love that really has a great live show
I need to not go to hip hop shows: I’ve been to a few and they are next level boring, the performers give their absolute minimum, although Post Malone didn’t just lip sync along with his backing tracks like many rappers these days, he also didn’t have anyone... or anything on stage except him, just singing along (with light auto tune) to his backing tracks (except when he played a couple acoustic songs, this was the highlight of the show but... I mean they were just guitar and voice, great songs but not exactly mind blowing) I don’t think (most) hip hop is really suited to live venues. ... that being said, I’m a huge fan of Tyler, The Creator and Death Grips (if you consider DG hip hop for some reason) and their shows seem pretty awesome. Hope to see them soon possibly. This is actually pretty normal and most musicians experience it at some point (I’m hoping it’s this one)
Let me know what you guys think, if I’m crazy or if anyone else has gone through this same experience. (Also, I do want to say that I have become increasingly frustrated in the last few years with music listening as well, I know teenagers are more musically receptive biologically but I used to be obsessed with albums for weeks and every time I put them on it would shoot me to the moon, these days I keep a list in my phone of “songs that made me feel” because it happens infrequently enough to be an event... would love to hear if anyone has any insight into that. :/)
I have absolutely nothing against concerts, I just don't understand them. I know a lot of people (I'd say the majority of people) like to attend them, but to me it seems like people's music would sound better recorded in the studio. What is it I'm missing? (Sorry to be such a debbie downer) I know you guys are gonna be like “you haven’t seen the right shows” etc but that’s actually not the case. I’ve seen some of my favorite artists and bands live, they put on a great show, it’s not the performance aspect I dislike, it’s mostly the other audience members that diminish the experience for me. I don’t like having some girl scream in my ear the entire time, or standing next to a guy whose armpits I can smell every time he puts his hands up. I do not like having drinks spilled on me. Standing for what’s sometimes hours on end is also not a fun experience. There are definitely some sonically interesting variations to a live performance, and seeing your favorite artist in person is a special experience, but the overall experience of being at a concert is not fun to me.
Am I the only one who doesn't enjoy going to concerts?
Because sometimes I feel like I am. I used to enjoy them in my teens but now that I'm in my mid twenties they always just feel incredibly draining to me. Even if it's one of my favorite bands playing. I'd much rather do something low-key than stand for hours in a crowd of strangers.
I (f 26) love going to concerts, it's probably one of the experiences that bring me the most joy in life and I've been to a ton during the last decade.
Because of covid, my last live show was on January 2020. And I'm going to my first concert since then (a festival that lasts three days) very soon.
However, I'm going with a friend and my sister, and I'm a bit bummed out because I know I won't be able to fully enjoy the experience. I love making memories with the people i love, but to me, going to a gig is about fully immersing myself in the music and the moment, and i can't really do that with people i know.
With the exception of like two times, going with friends or family has always distracted me from the experience. They're into talking about the songs as they're being performed or saying something about the musicians, or looking for my reaction to a certain song playing, while i just wanna get lost in the moment completely: cry, scream, laugh without caring about anything else. Once, a friend took a picture of me crying to a song that I had a very personal connection with and it felt so disrespectful. Other time, I had a seat that was closer to the stage and my friend had hers a couple of rows behind. She would try to sneak into my row everytime she could, and a security guard would scold her everytime, so i was completely distracted from four songs I loved, by one of my favorite bands, because of this. There's more examples but these are the most annoying ones I can remember right now haha
For this festival, I intend on seeing artists that my friend and sister are not interested in seeing, and I wanna be close to the stage so I'll probably stay in the same spot for many hours to see the artists up close. So I really hope I don't feel pressured to move around with them. I also want to see some headliners they don't care about that are the last to perform each day, and I'll probably be able to stay only for a couple of their songs because we agreed to get back home together, since we live very far from where the event is taking place. Honestly, I've always been able to find my way home one way or another, so I'm sad that I'm gonna miss these bands because my friend and sister want to make sure we leave together and won't accept otherwise. I know this might not seem like such a big deal but I've been living some shitty times and the idea of seeing music live is keeping me going. At least I know that even if the experience won't be exactly as i want it, seeing music live will be really good for my mental health and I'm very happy regardless.
I just wanted to rant about this i guess, and know if anyone else feels the same way when it comes to concerts? Or maybe you love going with other people? It's interesting to hear other perspectives as well.
However, I feel like it is difficult to tell this to people when they invite me to concerts because so many people DO love them; even other introverts. Maybe I'm forgetting something I used to love about them? I'm not sure. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way!
I also don’t really like consuming music in social settings in general, I prefer to listen to it by myself in my bedroom, so that probably plays a part here too. But yeah. I figure this is an unpopular opinion seeing as people are always posting videos of concerts and spent an entire year talking about how much they miss going. I’m happy for those people but it’s just not for me. Whats it like going to a concert?
I live in a very small area where the only concerts we get are mostly local musicians. I've always wanted to go to a big concert in the city but it takes hours to get there and musicians seem to avoid my state all together lol.
I do not understand why people go to concerts, why do people go to concerts? They seem way too much effort for way too less reward, or even memories for that matter. I get that there is a good atmosphere but you can get the music anywhere and I am pretty sure in better vocals as live performances are generally bad plus the size at which you see the performer from the crowd is sooo small(generally a mere figment far far away) unless you come way early and take the front places, and you generally end up watching the artist on the jumbo Tron, there are so many people that you have to stand the entire time, it gets so sweaty, plus they aren't cheap to say the least. And since so many people do go and bear with all this, I really want to hear why? And in the recent years, more and more artists have been caught using auto tune and lip syncing in live performances, people must feel cheated out of there time and money. I get that he was there, and so were you but is that enough really? Enough for all the things one has to go through I guess. I could literally listen to what the artist will be singing at home, in comfort rather than going ta the venue hours before the show even starts just to get a better view and see the other artists opening for the likes of coldplay and justin beiber, I just believe that they don’t provide as good of an experience as they should, I mean I'm sure they have millions of fans and I'm no one special but isn’t asking for comfort a tiny request? I really don’t see the want of going to a concert unless you are a die hard fan of the performer, and even then, you were there and so was he/she but that is it. That is as close as it gets to it, he /she will be so far away from you that you can barely see him/her and that will be it. I would love to know that views of frequent concert attending individuals to listen to there views on why they visit concerts. Is it a thing that everybody is doing it because everyone is doing it? And with the rise of EDM you literally go through all that to watch a laptop live, before the advent of modern music touring was the only way you could listen to good music but now , with so many alternatives, will touring die out or will it grow and prosper like it has for so many years? Sorry if you feel my opinion is un researched for plain dumb or that I am not seeing something very obvious, plus I apologize for the messy presentation of views , I could get it in really small but had to increase it because of the word limit. Please respond as I have searched but have not found a good answer yet.
How does concert going work? What do you do before it starts and what happens afterwards? Can they sell merch and sign stuff or is that a rare occurence? Would you go to a concert if you only knew one or two songs by the artist?
other I really don't like concerts
and I have yet to meet someone who feels the same way. I'm just not into standing in a gross crowded stadium for 2 hours. And so many singers just aren't better live. Also at the concerts that I've been to, the crowd is encouraged to sing along so much but like I lowkey just wanna sit quietly and watch a performer, I don't have a desire to interrupt them by cheering and singing along. I know that there are concerts in existence that are smaller, or a calmer vibe, or more meaningful but the more popular music that I like by more upbeat and lighthearted performers I have zero desire to see in a concert. The environment is so overwhelming. I don't mean to sound pretentious, but I'd much rather see something like a broadway show where you're expected to actually sit down in the seat provided to you, sit back, and just enjoy the show and the singers are actually good live and they don't ask me to sing along lol
There’s a couple concerts happening near me but I only know 1-2 songs of each band/artist. I’ve tried listening to more songs from each of them but I don’t like them as much as the single(s) that I do know. Would it be worth paying money (around $80-$100 each) to go see them with the chance they’ll mostly play songs I don’t know (or like) while there’s a slight chance they’ll play the 1-2 songs that I enjoy? I really want to enjoy live music (someday, when the world opens up again), but I don’t - would much rather watch a concert on TV. I am wondering if this is a common introvert trait, or if there is some other reason why I don’t enjoy the live concert experience? If you do enjoy concerts and are also a strong introvert, do you have advice to feel less exhausted by it all?
I have a difficult time trying to get friends to come with me to concerts, we have different tastes. I get it too, I wouldn't shell out $50-60 dollars on an artist I dont really know or like. Im starting to regret not going to shows just because I fear looking like a lonley creeper. I've missed out on allot of artists I want to see EDIT: Does the venue matter? How would the experience be different at a arena assigned seat show then at a no seat smaller venue show EDIT: Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
Im going to my first concert alone in a week. I’ve technically attended a concert alone, but it was at a festival and the buddy I went with was watching a different stage than I was. But we met up at the end and arrived and left together. I really enjoyed being alone. But I’ll soon be arriving and leaving the concert by myself. Going to a music concert is a terrible experience and it is much better to listen the original songs at home
No lines, crowds, insane (warm) beer prices, no one freakishly tall blocking your view of the stage. Live versions of album songs also suck, either there is no vocal or too much, too loud or you can't hear a thing, a thousands of tone deaf people also screaming the lyrics next to you makes it even worse. For outside venues it could be either sweltering hot or pouring rain. I just prefer to chill at home with a cold beer and my headphones listening to an album/playlist in a comfortable chair.
How often do you attend concerts by yourself?
Almost none of my friends listen to metal music at all. So when Judas Priest and Steel Panther came around, I went to the show alone and ended up having a great time.
With Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse coming around I will probably head there alone too.
I love music as much as the next guy. I love it, it's a passion of mine. It did, has, and will continue to inspire me, in almost any form. But I don't get why people go to live concert. I personally find concert quality music inferior to music that has been made and processed by a program and in a studio. It also allows more creative freedom that isn't possible with live music. Perhaps it has something to do with how I'm not a huge fan of sports and hate stadium culture and etiquette / the lack there-of. I get if it's local and it's inexpensive, but I don't get why people spend hundreds of bucks for tickets to a concert hundreds of miles away.
So how many of you all go to shows alone, and what are your experiences with going to shows by yourself. Edit: this kinda blew up! Thanks everyone for the awards. Sorry I can't answer all 600+ comments. Glad many people disagreed with me. For those of you with the salty comments, go lick the freakishly tall sweaty guy in front of you the next time you go to a concert. Peace out from my comfy chair! I am a 21-year-old, pretty introverted woman and I have never been to a concert. Lately everyone I meet or talk to mentions going to a concert in the near future and I got curious. What is the appeal of concerts for someone like me? I have never had an interest to go to one because standing up for 2 hours surrounded by hundreds of screaming strangers and listening to songs in worse quality than the recorded version sounds like personal hell to me. Most of the time I only like a few songs of a performer and like… What do I do for the rest of the time if I don’t know/don’t like any other songs? Do people just stand there and pretend to enjoy it? Idk, can someone who is an introvert explain this to me? Since shows came back, I've been going to several a month. I feel fortunate that most are either in my hometown or in the next city 120km away, and I wanted to know how your experience compares. How often do you go to concerts (not your own)?
I play bass and I’d say I’m pretty passionate about music however I’m 27 and I’ve probably been to less than 5 actual concerts in my life, I’m pretty introverted and am a bit of a stay at home person, but I have 2 booked this year and maybe I’ll start going to more since I am getting more into playing myself too.
I think I have aspirations to play live though in the future (only played a couple of months) and wonder if I should be going to more concerts in preparation or to appreciate the craft more..
How often do you go to concerts/gigs? Would you like to go to concerts alone or with a group of friends or family? I have a big dilemma. My boyfriend is obsessed with concerts and just any music in general. Me, on the other hand, I can’t even stand to lose my to music in the car. I hate concerts so much and I get dragged to them all them time. Please tell me someone else hates concerts as much as I do. Don’t get me wrong, I like music, but it just has a time and place for me. Is it better to attend a concert of an artist you know and love? or attend a concert of an artist that you have yet to discover, but will blow your mind and make you fall in love with their music?
I've had incredible experiences with both scenarios. For instance in 2011 I went to LA Rising in Los Angeles with a goal of seeing RATM for the first time, which was one of my favorite bands at the moment. RATM was fantastic and in no way a let down, but I was actually blown away by another band on the bill, Muse. I was a freshman in high school at the time and had yet to discover Muse's music but after seeing them live I was hooked, they instantly became one of my favorites.
So this has always made me wonder if I should try to recreate this experience by purchasing tickets to see artists I'm unfamiliar with? but considering my limited funds it's hard to rationalize spending more money on bands I don't know and less money on seeing the bands I do know and love. I was able to see LCD Soundsystem a couple of times in 2016 and 2017, a band who I know almost every lyric of every song. I lost my voice singing along and dancing to my favorite tunes, an almost religious experience that was easily comparable in greatness to the time I saw Muse. I can't imagine having sacrificed seeing LCD to save money for concerts of other artists I wasn't familiar with. Of course, this debate is only hypothetical at the moment with the pandemic making live shows non existent in general, but it's fun to think about. I suppose the answer to this debate is almost certainly that both are good and you should try to find a balance, but I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts! What do you think? I went to my first show when I was around 14 (Opeth, on the Watershed tour), and played my first show around 16, I am now 26. I grew up going to concerts almost every weekend throughout high school and a bit after, I’ve seen most of my favorite artists live and I’ve probably been to something like 100+ concerts (many, many more if you count all the local sets I’ve had to sit through lol) Over the last couple years however, I’ve found concerts to be more of a boring chore than anything, creating music is still my greatest passion, but concerts for whatever reason have lost much of their appeal.
In the last year or so, I’ve only been to 3 or 4 concerts, saw some of my favorite bands at smaller venues and ended up seeing Post Malone at red rocks (one of my favorite artists at the time, his stuff was some of the most exciting music I’ve heard in years) but I was almost bored to the point I felt like sitting down and pulling out my phone.
I think there may be a few possible reasons for this:
I think I might have depression lol
I’m burned out on the whole experience: after seeing so many live shows the novelty has worn off
I need to find a new artist I love that really has a great live show
I need to not go to hip hop shows: I’ve been to a few and they are next level boring, the performers give their absolute minimum, although Post Malone didn’t just lip sync along with his backing tracks like many rappers these days, he also didn’t have anyone... or anything on stage except him, just singing along (with light auto tune) to his backing tracks (except when he played a couple acoustic songs, this was the highlight of the show but... I mean they were just guitar and voice, great songs but not exactly mind blowing) I don’t think (most) hip hop is really suited to live venues. ... that being said, I’m a huge fan of Tyler, The Creator and Death Grips (if you consider DG hip hop for some reason) and their shows seem pretty awesome. Hope to see them soon possibly. This is actually pretty normal and most musicians experience it at some point (I’m hoping it’s this one)
Let me know what you guys think, if I’m crazy or if anyone else has gone through this same experience. (Also, I do want to say that I have become increasingly frustrated in the last few years with music listening as well, I know teenagers are more musically receptive biologically but I used to be obsessed with albums for weeks and every time I put them on it would shoot me to the moon, these days I keep a list in my phone of “songs that made me feel” because it happens infrequently enough to be an event... would love to hear if anyone has any insight into that. :/)
