My first concert was transformative. I stood there, screaming with tens of thousands of other fans who all knew every word to every song, and we spent three hours dancing our hearts out. I didn’t know more than three people in that room, but everyone there, including the artist, was connected by one common theme: the love for music. I was hooked (and my bank account may never recover).
Since then, I’ve had the chance to attend a variety of shows, and each one has been a unique, yet magical experience. From small venues to stadium tours and even music festivals, I’ve learned so much about what to expect from concerts. So, here is my Ultimate Concert Guide on what to expect during your next show.
- Small Concerts – Ricky Montgomery
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With 9.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Ricky Montgomery is far from a small artist. I first heard about him in 2018, when my ex-boyfriend introduced me to “My Heart is Buried in Venice.” Many years later, I got to see him at the Emo’s live music venue in Austin. It was a relatively small show, with about a thousand attendees, but it was an exciting crowd. Because the crowd was smaller, the show felt intimate, and Ricky (as well as the opener Noah Floersch) spent time interacting with the crowd. Everyone around me knew every lyric, and we were jam-packed into that hall. Once we got into the crowd, there was no getting out or sitting down for the next few hours, so I was thankful I had worn comfortable shoes. A few people were passing out water during the breaks, but it wasn’t something I could count on because I wasn’t sure if the water would reach me. For a show of this size, I recommend arriving a few hours early so you can get close to the front and have a better view, and be prepared to be cramped in for a few hours.
- Arena Concerts – Hozier
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This was a concert that I planned on attending alone. I bought my ticket as soon as they opened and figured it would be a fun event at the end of the semester. A few months later, my roommates found out that I was going to be solo and decided that they wouldn’t let that happen. They went from casual fans to obsessed with Unreal Unearth and miraculously got tickets in my section at the concert. We got to the show an hour early, watched the amazing opener Allison Russell, and spent two hours being serenaded by one of the most magical voices. For this type of show, we had seats and honestly spent most of the show sitting (Hozier isn’t exactly dancing music). We had a beautiful view, and because our seats were assigned, we didn’t have to show up much earlier. The people around me were definitely more casual fans, so they weren’t as familiar with every song, but the energy in the stadium was still mystical as the beautiful music washed over the audience. Hozier also interacted with the pit (where he saw someone wearing a shirt of his Dad’s band) and was in tune with the audience, so the show felt very special. Overall, this was the most whimsical show I had ever been to, and it was even better because I got to go with my friends rather than alone.
- Stadium Concert – Taylor Swift
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As my first concert, this show holds a very special place in my heart. The era’s tour has been making headlines for a year and a half now, but I went to one of the first shows in Arlington, Texas. What has always struck me about this show was the camaraderie around our shared love of Taylor Swift. Almost everyone there was a super fan who had gone the extra mile to dress up, make bracelets, and gotten ready to spend a magical 3 hours with Ms. Swift. We arrived extremely early so that we could comfortably get through security, take pictures, and watch the openers (Beabadoobee and Gracie Abrams). I ended up not being able to take my bag inside (read the regulations carefully folks!), so I had to hold my wallet and phone. We ended up buying food and merch there (so be prepared to drop a dime in case you start feeling hungry), but because we had seats, we were able to store our items underneath them. Swift wasn’t able to be very personal during the concert (because it was 3 hours of tight choreography), but we did have a great time interacting with other Swifties and singing the songs we knew by heart. We also got some uniqueness through her surprise songs (which were luckily some of my favorites). Overall, this show felt more like a production than an interactive concert, but it was an amazing production nonetheless. The props, scenes, and visuals were so moving that we felt connected despite being far away from Swift. Also, the stadium we were in had huge screens in the middle hanging from the roof, so we were able to clearly see exactly what was happening on the stage. The Era’s tour was probably a unique show that no artist may be able to replicate, and it was one of the most spectacular nights of my life.
- Music Festivals – ACL
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This year’s lineup for Austin City Limits seemed to be drawn from my Spotify Wrapped. Over two days, I saw Chappell Roan, Reneè Rapp, Dua Lipa, Tyler the Creator, Remi Wolf, Cannons, and more. I could probably write a whole essay about how each show was and what I would recommend for someone attending a festival for the first time, but I’ll spare y’all. My main pieces of advice are first to go with a small group because a big group will end up splitting up, and you may spend more time finding each other than enjoying the show. Second, drink lots of water and stay hydrated, because every show I attended had someone pass out because of the heat. Prepare to spend a lot on food because it’s expensive, but there are also lots of choices as opposed to stadiums, which mainly have football-game foods. Be prepared to be very close to a lot of people (I almost got trapped in the pit at Tyler, the Creator’s show) and balance being close to the stage with what’s right for your health. Show up to stages early so you can map your vantage spot to get the best view, and most importantly, have fun. You may have to make unfortunate sacrifices about an artist you want to see, but in the end, you’ll probably get to see a lot of very cool people and hopefully do so safely. The energy in those crowds is like nothing I’ve ever felt before, so let the music carry you and live in the moment.
Concerts can be overwhelming experiences, but I’ve always come out of them with the biggest grin and feeling exhilarated. I adore live music, and so shows of any size and shape are the best places for me. As for what’s next, I don’t have any concerts planned, but I’m so excited to find out. If you do get to go to a concert soon, I hope it’s even more enjoyable than you imagined!