1. You always have an “Emergency Concert Fund”
Savings account? We don’t know her. The only thing I save my money for is concerts. You never know when your favorite artist is going to announce a surprise show!
2. You don’t mind going to concerts alone
Going to concerts with your best friend is so fun! But there’s something about being alone and in the moment — feeling a true connection between you and your favorite artist, without any distractions.
3. You prefer general admission pits over assigned seating
How else will you ever have the chance to be so close to the artist you love? Being squished in the pit, and possibly involved in a mosh pit is worth the potential interaction you might get with your favorite artist.
4. You’ve most likely skipped class or work for ticket sales
Presale starts at 10:30 am? Your 10 am class is just going to have to wait, because you have to be the first to snag these tickets. There’s no way you could handle the presale anxieties in class.
5. You’ve camped out on the sidewalk
Camping out overnight for a show is simultaneously the best and worst experience. Even though you have to sleep on the cement, you’re surrounded by other people who love the same music as you. The bonds you make at 3 am on that sidewalk last forever. And your spot at the barricade is definitely solidified if you’re first in line!
6. You plan on going to multiple shows on the same tour
Seeing your favorite artist once just isn’t enough! Sure the setlist might be the same at each show, but what if there’s a note change or surprise guest that you miss? You can’t take any chances.
7. You Facetime your best friend during the show
When your best friend can’t be at the show with you, you always make sure to Facetime them so they can enjoy their favorite song too. It’s what best friends are for.
8. You’ve learned to be aggressive
How else are you going to make your way to the barricade? If you don’t show up hours in advance pushing your way to the front is your only chance! You’ve probably been kicked in the head by crowd surfers, had the drunk-guy-next-to-you’s beer poured down your shirt, and your body pushed around by the moshers. But, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?
9. “My friend is at the front!” is your least favorite saying
Shut up, Becky. We all know your friends aren’t at the front of the pit, and if they are it’s your fault for leaving them in the first place. Everyone knows once you’re at the barricade, you don’t leave the barricade.
10. You watch live streams of the shows you can’t go to
If you really love an artist, you’ve definitely watched live streams of their first show for each tour. And if you’re really a huge fan, you’ve probably stayed up all night watching them, because their show was in a different timezone.
11. You’ve waited next to their tour bus after the show
Waiting next to an artist’s tour bus is almost a guaranteed interaction with them. Unless security makes you move, they eventually will have to walk by you and hopefully they’re nice enough to stop for a photo or conversation! (If they aren’t nice enough to stop for a quick photo, unstan immediately. We don’t need to be out here supporting unappreciative artists)
12. You’ve traveled to see a show
Maybe your favorite artist wasn’t coming to your city, so you had to drive a few hours to the show. Or maybe, you saw them in your city and now you’re flying across the country to see them at another show. Either way, your decisions are extremely valid.
13. You always spend way too much money on merchandise
When budgeting for a concert, you know you’ll spend at least $40. And let’s be honest, you can never pick between shirts so you end up spending $80. But hey, everyone needs to know how much you love your favorite artist.
14. It’s impossible for you to go to a show without the setlist
Setlist.fm is your best friend when your favorite artist’s new tour starts. As soon as the first show’s setlist is released, you make a Spotify playlist in the order of the concert and listen to it every day leading up to the show. If you’re really hardcore you even memorize the order the songs are played so no one can catch you off guard.
15. You’ve never experienced a hunger greater than after a concert
Once the artist leaves the stage, the lights come back up, and you finally catch your breath after non-stop screaming for the last hour and a half, you realize it’s probably been at least 12 hours since your last meal. And most likely, your last meal consisted of goldfish and fruit snacks that you found in your purse while waiting in line. This is when you, and the rest of the concert-goers, make their way to the nearest 24-hour fast food restaurant and have the best meal of their lives.
16. Post-concert-thirst just might be worse than post-concert-hunger
Unless you’re the world’s greatest scammer, it’s impossible to sneak water bottles into concert venues. And, absolutely no one is paying $8 for a water bottle, that’s just robbery. Water tastes best after concerts, and that’s just a fact.
17. You’re happiest when you’re at a concert
Concerts have a way of making you forget about everything that’s happening in your life. You leave all of your negative thoughts when you go through security, and you’re able to be in complete bliss for the four hours you’re inside the venue. Concerts bring out the best in you. The crowd makes you feel at home, surrounded by those who share your love for the artist. That’s what makes them so special. That’s why you can’t stop going back.