In my experience concerts have been the most therapeutic events in my life. Nothing quite leaves me as numb, dumb and confused as concerts do and for someone that feels entirely way too much on a regular day basis, that is the best I can hope for. If I could give one piece of concert advice, it would be to just submerge in it entirely. You go into a concert with all this stress weighing you down and your head is still buzzing with your every day anxiety, but when you leave a concert you feel spent and like a blank canvass. You feel ready to take on whatever sh*tty things the world is most definitely going to throw at you, well, maybe after a day or two. That’s usually my recovery rate after a concert, a day or two.
Last time I gave you some pretty accurate (according to my concert-going, internet friends) advice on what NOT to do. No one wants to be the asshole at the concert and that is what the advice was for, to keep you from being the concert-asshole. Recently though, I was at one of the best shows I have ever been at. My favorite musician was in town and I jumped as soon as the tickets went on sale, because I’m prepared and also incredibly paranoid. Naturally, I thought I wouldn’t get a ticket, but when I did that’s when I went into full concert preparation mode.
Concert: Do’s
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
In my experience, it isn’t really a concert until the crowd starts to get really jumpy, humpy, and rowdy. The last thing you want to be doing is getting stepped on while wearing uncomfortable shoes. Also, if you plan on arriving at a venue early or hours before the concert (which you really should) then you should definitely dress comfortably. You do not want to be sweaty, because you wore too much clothing or too much black (been there, done that). Consider the fact that it gets super hot inside venues, no matter how hard the A.C. is blasting. Bodies tend to carry lots of heat and the more tightly you are packed in, the hotter it will be.
- Show up at the venue early.
This is pretty important. Takes so much stress off of you to just show up early and not have to deal with traffic and friends taking too long to get ready. Also, if you’re early enough sometimes you can catch the artist as they are arriving to the venue and they usually sign stuff and take pictures with you if you’re cool about it.
- Bring snacks and keep hydrated.
You will get hungry if you are waiting in line at a venue before the show. You do not want to have to leave the line in order to get something to eat, trust me. Bring water too, you must stay as hydrated as possible before the show because you DO NOT want to be the fan that passes out during the main set. I have seen it countless times, too much body heat, too many people, no room to breathe, didn’t have any water and they passed out. Not fun.
- Bring extra cash with you.
I tend to always buy or want to buy merch while at concerts. And if you do happen to get hungry while waiting outside the venue and didn’t pack a lunch at least you have money to go buy food and water. Also, people tend to be really f*cking hungry after jumping around and sweating for four + hours.
- Be cool to other people/ the performers.
This is the most important by far. The “treat others how you want to be treated” rule, applies here so deeply. Please do not be mean to other fans, or rude/ crude to the musicians. If you want to be treated nicely by other fans, you must be considerate and treat them nicely. Also, the musicians do not owe you anything other than a good show. If they take their time to speak to you after or before the show, please be as kind and respectful of their personal space and boundaries as possible. They are people with families, feelings and anxieties; do not mistake their kindness as an invitation to be creepy, touchy or pushy.
(me being super lame &) The Cellabration, FrnkIero andthe Cellabration.
(me being really giddy about meeting my favorite musician &) Frank Iero, FrnkIero andthe Cellabration.
The last concert I was at, was on March 14th at the Troubadour in L.A. I saw FrnkIero andthe Cellabration, Modern Chemistry and The Homeless Gospel Choir together and it was phenomenal. The energy was electric and magical, it all felt like some super rad and hazy dream that I completely lost myself in. It wasn’t though, I know because I have some really cool pictures. I also had the most intense neck ache the next morning and a pounding headache to match. Modern Chemistry was very hard to keep track off, what with all the movement and throwing themselves around, but definitely were a cool fast paced start to the night. It usually takes a song or two for me to get really into the mood, but I was immediately sucked into the music. I did get to meet Derek a.k.a. The Homeless Gospel Choir and he was really nice and his music is really intense in the best possible way. He may also have one or two protest songs, check him out. I was also completely blown away after meeting Frank Iero, someone who I have admired for a really long time, not only for his music, but also for his poetry. It is by far one of the best shows I have seen, matched in energy by no other and matched in overall concert fun by only Reggie and the Full Effect supported by Pentimento.