Concert culture in the U.S. has taken on a different feel in the post-COVID, post-Taylor Swiftâs âThe Eraâs Tourâ world. Getting tickets to major artists, even artists who have just blown up like Sabrina Carpenter, has become an Olympic-level sporting event. If you manage to catch the presale, youâre still battling the nightmare that is Ticketmaster when they deal with lagging, crashes, and system overload. Even worse, if you lose the battle, youâre looking at hundreds of dollars for a resale ticket with a note of âobstructed view.â And then thereâs the FOMO as you see others getting ready to attend the show.
Iâve certainly experienced this several times in the last year or so alone. First, it was âThe Eraâs Tourâ, then the âShort nâ Sweetâ tour, and then Dua Lipaâs âRadical Optimismâ tour. Artists I decided I may want to see long after their tour announcement, like Role Model, brought me face-to-face with the crazy resale pricing. It was getting old, and fast. Of course, for those of us who can’t get enough of live music, the solution is supporting the smaller artists. Cheaper tickets, smaller crowds, and an overall more personalized experience. Living in the Boston area, pretty much every artist, regardless of size, is bound to stop here. Which means there are tons of great shows to attend! That was when I ran into a new problem: None of my friends knew these artists.Â
Diverging from the bigger names also meant losing the guaranteed familiarity among my friend group. And with many of these smaller shows playing weeknights, it can be a big leap for a non-fan to commit to. So there I was in early March, desperately trying to find someone to attend an Only The Poets concert, my newest boy band obsession. It was their first time playing in the States, as theyâre an English boy band (One DirectionersâŠyouâll love their music too!), meaning the opportunity to see them may not come again for a while. That was when I decided to go alone.
I was terrified! What if everyone could tell I was alone? Or what if I didnât have a good time alone? But I couldnât let the opportunity pass me by and off I went.Â
It. Was. Amazing!
My experience was incredible. I met another girl who was also alone, we chatted and made friends, and enjoyed the show together. Only the Poets was fabulous, as expected. And thenâŠI got to meet the band! At small shows, the artists often come out afterward to meet fans, take pictures, sign autographs, etc. They were so sweet, asked me my name, and took a photo with me. I was over the moon! And to think I almost missed out because I didnât want to attend by myself.
Since then, Iâve taken the plunge into the Boston concert scene. If a small artist I like is touring, Iâll go see them. Iâve seen Daniel Seavey (former Why Donât We member) and Nightly perform since the OTP show. Iâve been exposed to incredible openers like Sombr, who just announced his own tour (luckily I snagged tickets!), or Will Linley, who will release his first album later this year. Iâm already looking forward to more shows this summer and this fall.
But letâs talk about cost for a second. I said âmore affordable,â but that can mean many things, especially in this economy. The shows Iâve been to recently have cost $20-25, and then the Ticketmaster fees of $9 (absolute robbery), so around a $30 ticket overall. Some artists are small enough to not use Ticketmaster, in which case youâre only paying that $20 price. That was my experience seeing OTP. That is not affordable for everyone, and thatâs totally okay! But to put it in perspective, the Wndr Museum is $32, a movie ticket is around $20 (before popcorn!), and if you get a meal at Chick-fil-A and a boba drink afterwards, youâll probably be spending around $25 total. For larger artists, even at the non-resale price, youâre likely to be spending $60-80. And compared to the $500 nosebleed resale tickets you can find for Coldplay at Gillette Stadium, $30 isnât too bad to be right up by the stage. Plus, as a city with great public transit, youâre dodging a parking fee and the post concert traffic by attending local venues.Â
So this is me telling youâŠif you want to go, GO! No one cares if youâre alone, youâll likely meet new people and may even get to meet the artist youâre seeing. The moments between openers or before the main artist/band comes on would be more fun with friends, but donât compromise the overall experience. After all, once the music starts blasting, everyone is singing. Support your favorite smaller artists and bands. Save money on concert tickets. Perhaps buy an overpriced tour shirt (I fear I have several). Donât miss out on incredible experiences because your friends arenât fans or no one is available. To stay updated on local acts, consider signing up for a mailing list. I personally use Bandsintown, but Iâm sure there are many others out there.
And hey, if you become an Only the Poets fan, see them open for the Wombats this fall! I know Iâll be there for sure, just to see them.Â