I consider myself quite the live music veteran. I have seen local rock bands in tiny bars, intimate folk performances in 50-person art halls, and waited hours at a barricade under the treacherous July sun for my favourite singers at music festivals. I cannot stress how fun it is. One of my favourite parts of summer is tallying up my show list, and deliberating about which of my friends to drag with me. The energy of the crowds alone is enough to keep me on an adrenaline high for days afterward, let alone the magic of hearing songs that were just meant to be heard live. I still have not recovered from hearing Northern Attitude by Noah Kahan live at Rock the Runway 2025, and that was months ago!
Of course, among the magical parts, there are still the necessary evils: the rain-soaked shows, the overwhelming humidity, the incredibly sore feet, and the headache behind your eyes from the bass that will not rid itself even days after the concert. There is also the preemptive stress of making plans to go to the show, figuring out transportation and where you will stay. Safe to say, I am glad my Type A personality knows how to figure that stuff out, and I am sure my friends are too.
With the lineup announcement for Ottawa Bluesfest just around the corner, as well as many artists announcing their summer tours, I figured it would be the best time to impart my live music event wisdom onto you, gentle reader! Whether you are about to attend your first show, or your hundredth, let these be tips that you carry with you in your concert toolbox — a toolbox that adheres to the venue’s bag policy, of course.
pre-show
So, you have finally won the Ticketmaster war! Congrats, my friend, but strap in; you have a lot of work to do.
The first step in making sure that this night (or nights, if you are a lucky duck) is all that you could ever dream of, is having a good plan in place for the logistics. I know, it sounds boring to some, but honestly this is where most of my excitement starts to build.
It is important that one of the first things you do when planning your concert experience is figuring out transportation. Will you be the one driving, or will your concert buddy? Is public transit available at the time your show is meant to end? In my experience, figuring this out beforehand is always way easier. Rideshare programs like Uber and Lyft often have really high fare surges around live events, especially in the summer.
Once you have a way there, determine if the concert is close enough to make it back home in one night, or if you need to grab a hotel room or crash with a friend. Try not to be too stingy with this, the last thing you want to do is create an unsafe situation for yourself after the show. You also have to take into account how awake you need to be the next day; I’ll never forget getting home at 4:00am from seeing Niall Horan in Toronto, and waking up again to my 6:30am work alarm. I would not wish that amount of exhaustion on my worst enemy.
Aside from the obvious logistics, there are also a few minor considerations to be made — you will most likely need to eat before and after the show, unless you want to pay outrageous venue prices. There is also the weather element, if your concert is outdoors, so be sure to check the forecast ahead of time.
Final step, get excited!
the big night
The day of your concert is finally here! Your outfit has been meticulously put together, you and your friends are on your way to the venue… but all of the sudden, why are you so nervous?
This little fit of pre-show jitters always hits me in the hours before. Maybe it is different for others, but for me it is usually because I have a vision of how the night will go, and end up stressing about tiny parts of it.
Are my friends going to have a good time? What if there is tech issues? Where are we going to get the perfect group photo? What if-
Halt! This is the perfect recipe for making sure that you have a stressed out evening, not a fun one. Do not put too much pressure on the night being perfect, because it will cause you to only focus on those minor details, instead of the big picture; your favourite singer is going to be breathing the same air as you! Let loose, get ready to party!
In the same vein, there will be lots of different types of concertgoers around you — the sitters, the partiers, the contemplative starers, the screamers. It is up to you to decide how you want to enjoy yourself, but do not make that choice based on how you think others will see you. Everyone in that venue is there for the same reason as you; to jam out and have a great time. Do not be afraid to dance your heart out, sing along to your favourite song, or even cry!
However, please be mindful of the people in your general vicinity. Do not be flailing like crazy and making yourself a safety hazard to others. Be the good seat neighbour; who knows, you might even make a few new friends!
It is also important to listen to your body, especially amid all the partying. It does not make you a killjoy or boring to sit through a few songs if you start to feel dizzy or tired. There have been many summer music festivals that I have spent a good chunk of kneeling on the ground with a cold water bottle on my head. There is absolutely no shame in taking a break.
One more thing that I personally do not like doing at concerts is being on my phone the whole time. Of course, pictures and videos are good for memories, but do not watch the whole show through a camera lens.
coming down from the high
That walk back after a concert is always brutal. Your feet hurt, your voice is shot, and you cannot shake the overwhelming sadness that the night you had been anticipating for weeks is actually over. It is a feeling that I simultaneously dread every time, and would not trade for anything. I have done that walk in cowboy boots in July, and through freezing, icy parking lots in March, and it never gets easier. To me, though, it is concrete evidence that I had a great time.
My final piece of advice for you is to let yourself feel all the feels, but also take extra care to remember all of the best moments. Make that photo dump, re-watch those shaky videos of your favourite song (even if you can hear your screaming voice in the background), and relish in the effervescent magic of live music. It is intoxicating and beautiful, and it is something that will be a part of you forever.
Thanks for reading, and remember to support your local musicians!
P.S., do not get yourself down too much — there’s always the next show to get excited for all over again!
