Gotye rocked Bill Graham Civic Auditorium April 18, and I had the pleasure of being in the front row and watching the whole show unfold. San Francisco holds a huge Gotye fan base (or maybe just a “Somebody That I Used to Know fan base, (as this reviewer said), so there was a sudden change to a much larger venue.
Let me take the time to also point out that Gotye must not be used to performing on larger stages because the band seemed super scrunched up and shifted to the left, almost completely ignoring the right side of the auditorium. But I digress.
According to a tweet from bandmate Tim Shiel, there were around 7,000 fans there, but I didn’t know a single one. That’s right, for the first time, I attended a concert alone! And I realized many pros to going alone, so I’m going to share them with you!
1. No restrictions on time.
When you’re going alone, you can leave as early, or as late as you want without having to wait for your friend to finish primping her hair or glossing up her lips one last time in hopes that she will have her destined glance with her favorite guitarist. You can also stay in the pit for however long you want.
2. You’re free to do whatever you want.
Don’t want to be crushed by the surrounding fans? During my senior year of high school, my best friend took me to the Taste of Chaos concert. Being a girl whose favorite artists include the Beatles and the Shins, I didn’t know what I was in for. I decided to run away from the crowd of emos who violently turned their heads and swung their arms as if they were completely possessed. I decided to stay up in the seats 30 minutes after the event started, (although usually my besty stayed by my side, despite telling her she could go on without me). The point is, when you’re alone, you can have less restrictions.
2. No distractions from the show
When you’re with a friend, you must constantly turn to each other and scream how awesome the concert is and may feel obligated to keep up conversation throughout the show. This was clear at the Gotye concert, with friends screaming at each other and even conversing. But how can you possibly hear what the other person is saying among the avid fans screaming around you? When you watch the performance, you don’t want to miss anything (especially the part where the performer tells you where he lives!). No friends? -less distractions. Apart from observing the spurts of conversation, I was able to be completely engulfed in the performance, and so was my iPhone (I captured at least twenty semi-blurred photos, eep!).
3. A great way to meet new friends.
Thinking about going alone because none of your friends liked the artist? Prolem solved; at a concert, you have a mass collection of possible friends who have at least one mutual thing in common. Just because you’re going to a concert alone doesn’t mean you have to be a loner. Don’t feel awkward, when you stand in line alone, search for fellow loners and strike up a conversation! There’s no one stopping you from flirting with the many hunks (or babes) who are nearby!