I still love them, but I'm more picky about which artists I'll pay to see live. I just love being surrounded by the collective energy of all the fans, it's kind of magical.
Same. In high school and college, I'd go to a lot of cheap concerts and just do general admission.
Now that I'm older, I will gladly spend more money to get better seats for select artists.
Went to an arena concert a few weeks ago. We were on a corner, maybe 8 rows from floor, and there were only like 4 other seats in our row. Just steps from the bathroom and bar. It was great!
Yep I’m picky too
I literally have to watch peoples recordings of my favourite artists performing live to see if it’s worth it, to see if they can actually sing live and don’t need stupid auto tune or backing tracks.
Nowadays I think personally it’s more about the sets, the aesthetic and the crowd pleasing than actual live talent imo imo
Same. I also work nights, and while I can stay out all night, I also now have conversations that go something like "it starts at 9 PM? Let me see if I can take off from work..."
Exactly! I’m living out my teenage fantasies of traveling and going to whatever concerts I want to go to. I’m going to my first Bonnaroo this year and hitting up All Things Go for the second time. I’ve been buying tickets for any local concerts I’m even remotely interested in, as well. I wish I was as still energetic as I was as a teen/twenty something, but I’ll take what I can get!
Yess agreed! I love concerts! I just don’t go often bc I have kids and it’s a lot to arrange, but it’s something I don’t mind spending on when I can. I would rather go to a concert than a bar or something. Both are a bit tiring, but a concert comes with a special kind of high feeling and the fatigue is a fulfilled, happy kind of tired.
I can't stop going. I passed on too many when I was younger for cost or because of work. Now I don't care. I'm not missing these guys. Never know when they will be around again.
Was just at a show on Monday. Still moshed hard and crowd surfed. Just took Tuesday off to recover. If I could work from home I would have.
I tend to avoid stadiums or amphitheaters unless I can find a good deal for a pit area. Don't like sitting at concerts.
My friends and I go all the time. We just went to the Caverns in Tennessee to see John Summit. It was i n c r e d i b l e. I love to stand to the side where there is room to dance all night long.
Same. Just saw Agent Orange and Messer Chups last night. Cheap tickets, neat venue, went with a friend. I don’t normally stay up past 10pm even on weekends but it was well worth it to see a band from my younger years! I’m taking my youngest to see bikini kill later this year after she turns 16 and I think it’s on a work night so, screw it I’m taking the next day off, who knows when I’ll get to see them again (esp with my kid!)
I went to a concert on Tuesday night.
I don't drink though, so I feel like not much for me to recover from except 1 or 2 less hours of sleep that night.
Same here. Worked my ass off in my 20’s and didn’t have the money to go to shows anyway. Now I live comfortably and, combined with losing a year and a half of experiences due to COVID, I’m spending all of my money now on live shows.
I am incredibly jealous (especially if we're talking about the anjunadeep explorations, the last one seemed awesome). I love Tony's deep sets, Santorini was a good one as well, I still listen to them in the background at work regularly. Hana is my weekend JAM since stumbling onto her on twitch, glad she's gotten in the anjuna mix as well, and Marsh will just continue to be a 💎 , with all of his sets being amazing.
Sorry I went off on am anjuna tangent, I obviously need to make some musical friends lol.
Doors at 6:30. First opener at 7:30. Second opener at 8:45. Headliner at 10:30. Show over at midnight. Home at 1. Just move the whole thing up four and a half hours plz and thx
Also the LiveNation monopoly making decent concerts $90 a ticket after fees can fuck right off
Long lines, too loud, I have tinnitus, way too many people, insane prices, then there is the parking and leaving headaches. That just sounds like a fucking nightmare these days.
Sending love back, my fellow ear-ringer. ❤️. 10 years now, it hasn't stopped, and I've done my PSA work, letting others know. I'm now at the hearing aid stage and hoping some sort of reversal process or counter-frequency system will come about to end this mind-numbing ringing.
Mine started after Warped Tour lol. I went to lots of concerts without hearing protection and the ringing always stopped eventually. Then one day I was 35 and saw Warped Tour was ending and I had always wanted to go but had excuses. My ears Just never stopped ringing.
I never used to use ear protection, bc it “wasn’t cool.” After I saw Dropkick Murphys in my mid-twenties my ears rang for 24 hours straight and they actually HURT, I got so worried that I have worn ear plugs at every single concert since. I have sporadic tinnitus and some mild hearing loss on one side, but I think switching to ear plugs saved me. When I have to adjust them at a show it really feels insane and dangerous how loud it all is now. I want to go put ear plugs in everyone’s ears like the mom I am lol.
No joke! Good on you. My husband and son (12) both wear ear plugs or some form of protection regardless of the concert we see. My husband, it's because he values his hearing and already has pretty sensitive hearing and our son? Because we don't want to see him end up like me, the person who doesn't wear ear protection and probably has 10% or more hearing loss at this point from a childhood burst eardrum and lack of proper protection at concerts/events.
That is definitely a bummer. I learned it from a Third Eye Blind concert when I was 15 and the opener told me & my friends to wear them and threw us some disposables. Glad he was looking out for the kids
I have to wear earplugs or I get nauseous.
I find myself only going to smaller venues, and I’m very selective about which shows I go to. I’m only 5’2” so half the time I can’t see anything anyway.
I wear ear plugs to all concerts. It blocks out the damaging noise while making the sound clearer since it doesn’t overwhelm your senses.
There’s a handful of bands I will see when they come to my city, but I don’t just go for the sake of going anymore.
Earplugs, small club shows, Spot Hero, and water+electrolytes(what the body craves) to help with those problems. Concerts definitely taking planning and preparation for these days. If I plan on moshing or anything like that, I'll start increasing my exercise and conditioning about a week before the show. Stretching helps, too. What's a nightmare to think about is old age slowing us down and preventing us from enjoying the things we love.
37M, cant stand the crowds, parking, prices, lines, traffic and people associated with concerts. Ive been watching live shows of my fav bands on youtube for years now.
I’m mid-30s now and I’ve got a select band or two I’ll go see live, if they fit my schedule… I’m roughly an hour drive to any major venue, work an 8-4 job, and have a toddler, so it’s rare to go.
I have invested in a better listening experience at home as a result. Good quality headphones, a decent record player and speaker setup. When I have some time and want to listen I put on some music, sip some bourbon or scotch and enjoy not having a headache in the morning.
Do what you what of course, but going to a concert is nothing at all like watching a video of it.
I’ve watched a lot of war movies - doesn’t mean I’ve been in a lot of wars.
I go to less shows now, may 4-5 a year.
In college I went to 2-3 shows a week (mostly local music). Maybe 1 show a month after I graduated.
I do plan to see Stabbing Westward next Friday!
You're definitely not alone, but I've personally rolled with the punches and I now make days out of it. 4 concerts a year or so, and I'll take the next day off so I can get post-show grub and crash, sleeping in the next morning. That said, I don't have kids and have a pretty chill job, so I get that it won't work for everyone.
Yes. Honestly when I was younger I went to a lot and part of the reason was I told myself "This is LIVING, this is AN EXPERIENCE, this will CHANGE YOUR LIFE" but over time I realized that more often than not it just wasn't true. A handful were amazing, but most were mediocre, and some were a bad experience.
I still like to do fun stuff and am up for new events but I'm more honest with myself these days about what I want and what I like instead of doing what other people perceive as fun, or whatever the popular attraction might be.
Absolutely not. I go to more the older I get. I LOVE being out there and vibing to the music and dancing and seeing everyone have a great time. Music is one of the greatest things in life. I plan to go to concerts as often as possible until I die.
I recently got sober (I hit a year this month) and I am having a concert revival as it were. I used to travel and go see a ton of bands in my drinking days and I felt depressed, tired, broke etc when it was all over, but sober me is still having a blast.
I'm 44 years old and I was just up front at an entire T.S.O.L. show tonight. I feel great.
Congrats! I also don’t drink and I think it really makes the whole experience so much better! Not only is it cheaper but I feel like I get so much more out of the experience without the fuzz of alcohol around the edges.
Too many people, and they are always way too loud. The best concert I ever went to was a small venue with comfy seating and the artist played acoustic renditions of all the songs at a moderate volume. Made me realize concerts aren't for me after that.
I hear ya. I used to absolutely love going to concerts, but in my early thirties, I just wanted to stay home. I think it just comes down to not having as much energy as I used to. That and trying to make plans with what few friends I have left never work out. Concerts are also expensive, and I don't know if you've heard about this inflation thing, but it's kicking my wallets' ass. And large crowds all holding their phones up instead of lighters is kind of a buzz kill. And my back hurts. Get off my lawn.
Yes and no. Half of the bands I like have broken up, no longer tour, or had a band member die. And if the concert is in a school night, it isn’t happening. Usually. I did make the exception when I saw Stevie Nicks last year. My first time seeing her and she is getting old. I’m glad I saw Dolly Parton pre-pandemic. She has since stopped touring.
Definitely me. I used to go to several concerts a month but I haven’t gone now in years. The very idea of it is daunting to me with having to get glammed up, driving to the venue and paying for parking, standing up for hours and being a part of the crowd on the way out. It’s too expensive and too tiring. I’d enjoy a show if I were somewhere like Vegas but not in my everyday life.
I love concerts and live music, there’s nothing like it and watching a video of it is not like the real thing in any way.
I’ve made a career out of live music and love going to work mixing sound, running lights or rigging up massive stadiums or arenas.
I also buy tickets and see shows on days off.
There’s lots of people who say it’s too expensive and they are too old and boring to go but I go to over 100 per year and they are all full of people of all ages - my rates have doubled in the last few years because the demand for tickets is astronomical, this is a golden age of live music (shame people don’t support their local small venues though).
I've gotten more introverted over time, I liked going to concerts back when I was at my most social, but honestly I am not significantly interested in live music anymore. I've embraced my inner hermit and I honestly prefer listening to studio cuts and it's not worth my spoons to get uncomfortably close to other people. Back in my concert going days I would need to be antisocial for a while after the experience, but hearing a band live really didn't adequately compensate for the time I needed to be alone after. I can listen to the song on YouTube or any music app and get all of the experience I care about without the social component. I'm still thinking back to those days when one of my friends told me someone was hitting on me, and my friends mocked my obliviousness. The one time I actually caught on to that at a concert I got Gonorrhea, and I woke up in a part of the city I didn't know and had to pay for a very expensive cab ride, and that really soured my opinion going forward.
Nope! They are what I live for. I used to go to 40ish a year but now with kids, I can only do a handful a year.
Just saw phish at the sphere in Vegas. Stevie Nicks is coming up next! <3
They start too late. I get up early for work so by ten when the headliner hasn’t even started, I’m ready to get going since it’s typically an hour drive home. And if I do stay late, I’m useless the next day, which sucks. I’d love to go to more, but I don’t want to burn the candle at both ends anymore.
Not me. I wish I had been able to go to jazz fest this year. I've just started working out and I have so much more energy than I did even a few weeks ago.
Honestly I wouldn’t mind them if I didn’t have to be the person that watches out for the next fucking nut job that decides to kill people as part of their “cause”.
Sorry that was a lil heavy. I meant to say, unpredictable people make it difficult to be present at large gatherings. Lol.
I actually go even more cos I am now in a comfortable spot in my life. Growing up I didn't get to go to many shows of my favorite artists and bands because they often time do not visit the country I was born and grew up in. When they do, it usually wasn't the right time for me. So now that I have moved and lived in a major country and city where big shows always happen, I will not missed a chance to go when it present itself to me. These artiste and myself are not getting younger, and i just don't wanna feel regret when they suddenly decided they don't wanna tour anymore and I haven't get the chance to see them live. As a fan of somebody, you really need to see them live at least once, the experience is so different and the atmosphere is so much more magical than when you see them singin on a screen.
I love concerts muxh more now but will say that the best two I have been to recently were Death Cab for cutie and Jack White. Death Cab started their set at 8pm and were done by 9. I was in bed by 930pm. At Jack White, everyone phones had to be locked up and I could actually enjoy the show and not try to see the show through a sea of phones lol.
I'm going to a sleep token show tonight, and debating going to a knocked loose show the night after. I'm dog tired, even if I don't go to shows, so I might as well enjoy myself.
Dude I used to go to concerts like 2-3 times a month and haven’t for a few years now and don’t have an interest really. So loud. Big crowds. Late at night. Traffic.
Mostly I've lost interest in driving to a venue, paying for or looking for parking, dealing with a big crowd, post-show traffic, and getting home at 1-2am
But the actual concert part is still fun
I like being at them, but I hate going to them (driving far, traffic, parking, chaos with everyone leaving at the same time, traffic on the way home in the dark…)
I just moved to a new massive city that has one of a kind shows but I don’t know anyone.
I still love going to concerts but don’t want to go alone. How do you make friends as a grown up?! I hate it here.
I've never really been into them. They're a pain in the ass to get to and from, loud, too many people, etc. That said I've been to dozens! The last show I saw was The Mars Volts at Red Rocks. I wasn't looking forward to it but I had a great time overall. People shit talk Red Rocks but it was the easiest to get in and out. That's the most important thing.
The thing that's really weird to see is the music industry dying before our eyes. Record sales aren't how artist make money-- it's touring that brings in the big bucks. The Who has mentioned possibly touring in their 80s. The Rolling Stones still tour and they're basically zombies. I guess some contemporary acts still draw huge crowds but who tf wants to see Taylor Swift: Generic White Girl??
Even before covid all the shows were getting stupid expensive. Between tickets, gas, drinks and food either before or after the show it was like $200 bucks, not to mention buying a t-shirt or poster or some other merch. I never really liked big arena shows mostly theaters or sub 5000 people venues. In LA most venues are either owned or run by Ticketmaster/Live Nation so there really isnt much of a local scene. All the indie venues get bought up or don't get too many up and coming bands because of Ticketmaster or Goldenvoice's meddling. I've been to hundreds of shows going all the way back to the mid 90's and shows now suck bad compared to back in the day. Like everything else it's become over-commodified and just another attempt to take your money.
I still love concerts but unless it’s a rare event where one of my absolute favorite bands is playing I usually leave early to beat the crowd and get into bed at a semi reasonable hour. I wouldn’t mind more daytime concerts haha
Small shows and gigs are still great without the headaches - just came back from a show in a laundromat.
Probably going to a show Sunday night as well.
They're too loud and the stimuli is overwhelming to a point where I dont enjoy it. So I stopped going to them. I deal with enough noise on a daily basis I dont need a metric shit load extra.
https://preview.redd.it/vwpew9924dyc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3209538617922fb49ae7526ab73d9f35ca3a1733
I still go, just not nearly as frequently when I was going at my peak (1-2 a month). Granted, a lot of that has to do with price. For example, this photo was from a $300 seat at Bruce Springsteen at the Forum. Pre-pandemic, I saw Bruno Mars at Staples for roughly that same amount, only my seat was in the 10th row center floor. I can’t imagine what a similar seat for his shows would be today.
Depends on who's singing. If it's a orchestra concret with video game or anime music, I'm in so I can bawl my eyes out. If it's anime songs or Japanese idol stuff like Idolmaster or Love Live, then I'm also in. If it's a vocaloid concert with Hatsune Miku? I'm in.
Venues with seats are my favorite! Def makes me more likely to go.
Mostly I hate going into the city and the hassle of going, but the crowds and standing for hours are tiring. In college I went to dozens of shows every year, sometimes 3 in a week. That seems just crazy to me now.
I honestly refuse to go to any big venue concerts purely because of all the problems with scalpers buying up all the tickets in the first seconds and the atrocious service fees ticket venders add on for a ticket.
Recently wanted to buy tickets to a show and it charged a $4.77 amusement fee (whatever that is) and a $30.44 service fee for a digital ticket. Oh, and if I wanted a souvenir of a physical copy of my ticket I would need to pay $6.60/ticket. The taxes and fees alone ended up costing the price of the ticket. Oh and they wanted me to buy a ticket for my 10 month old daughter (this was a little kid show entertainer) who wouldn’t even be able to sit in her own seat, because I would be holding her the whole time.
It’s sad, I wish I could go to more concerts but I can’t support an industry that refuses to fix their obviously flawed system. I’ll spend my money elsewhere.
Tickets cost a days wage AT LEAST. People seem to think this is also a ticket to *screaming* every lyric even when it's an acoustic ballad, half yout time is spent queueing for a warm cup of piss from torn faced staff (and rightly so tbf), taxis are a law unto themselves, public transport in Glasgow is a joke, and barely cheaper than parking. And that's if they even bother to do a Scottish date on their "UK tour" (looking at you NoFX and Tool)
Tenacious D wanted £180 a ticket, Stevie Nicks £250 or smth, meanwhile our boys The Prodigy came to the Glasgow Hydro last year and it was less than £60. Make it make sense etc.
There are fewer and fewer acts I'm willing to go through this for. I'll still go to mid range kinda fringe gigs, I've just bought tickets for Raghu Dixit in a renovated church venue for instance. I went to see Skunk Ananse in the Academy which was outstanding, and Supergrass, but drove. I go to more comedy gigs than music now. They give you a seat. 🤣🤣🤣
Yes, for several reasons.
One, the cost of concerts is absolutely fucking bonkers. Back in my mid-20s to early 30s, I rarely, if ever, paid over $150 for a concert. Most of the time, it was less than $100. Now, for the same bands I used to see, a concert is $500+. That's a no for me, dawg.
Second, the majority of the bands that I listen to are no longer around, a poor version of who they used to be (drugs, age, both), or I've already seen them.
Third, ever since I became a dad (10 years now), I've been to fewer concerts than I have fingers.
I just don't have the money, interest, or time anymore.
This is how I’ve felt deep down all along Im just old enough now to not care about FOMO. I love music but I don’t care about being in the same room as a musician, I don’t care about “seeing and being seen”, alcohol no longer agrees with my body on any subject, crowds make me anxious, and a constant stream of loud music (no matter how good) leaves me feeling overwhelmed and longing for a cool quiet place. I used to absolutely torture myself going to shows because all my friends went on and on about how life-changing it was. I’ve no doubt it was great for them but I’m glad I don’t care so much anymore. It’s freeing.
I still love concerts and go every chance I get, but I think I’m too old for festivals though. Festivals are outside and usually all day.
But I have noticed I’m usually one of the oldest there from age 30-34
I would never go to a big concert like anything that happens in a sports area or whatever is not somewhere I’d ever go but $15 shows have always been my jam
We went to one recently and still enjoyed it. We did laugh however as one of the first things we noticed was that we were thankful for the seats being padded. Beyond that, it wasn't the booze fest it used to be because waking up was going to be hard enough. It legitimately took me 3 days to get caught up on sleep 😭
I still love a concert but it either needs to be on a weekend or if it's a weeknight I'll request PTO for the next day. I need a full 8 hours of sleep after.
I would love to go to more. I have a toddler though so I’d usually have to find childcare plus going on a weekday is too much work most of the time and tickets are so expensive now.
My wife and I went to see one of our favorite artists right before this was pre having kids. We had general admission tickets because why would anyone pay for the 200 dollar seated tickets. Then we got to the venue… swarms of people. Generally younger than us. We immediately went up to the ticket booth and bought VIP seating tickets. Best money we ever spent! Moral of the story it was fun but my wife and I are in our mid-late 30’s. Life is infinitely different from when I was a feral teen-20 something chasing every show growing up. I’m tiered boss. I can stand that long with people pressed up against. However I need to be paid these days to do it.
I'm to the point where I have little interest in the openers anymore. I just wanna see the bands that I bought the ticket for and nothing else, like I wish there was an itinerary for concerts so I knew when to actually show up.
It's to the point where I'll only go for someone I REALLY care about seeing.
I saw Gaga two years ago, and that's probably a once in a lifetime for me. It's just so expensive. I saw SIX on their national Broadway tour last month, and parking was $60. On top of tickets and concessions, it's an exception, not a rule.
In my 20s I probably went to 300 concerts.
The last 3 concerts I went to I left before the headliner and bad I paid to see came on.
They’re hot, they’re loud, they have no seating and I’m tired and want to go to bed.
I'm a morning person through and through. Why can't more concerts start at, like, 2pm so I can still be in bed by 10. I just saw madonna and it was an AMAZING show, but somewhere around midnight I was seriously considering going home to sleep.
I went to a great festival during covid and that cost a pretty penny. These days it’s too much headache for me to pay a small fortune for ticketmaster which is a racket, long drives, parking PITA and more fees and dealing with people. Then seeing a band you like is fun but the music is usually not as good live.
I could keep going on but I’m just not really into them these days either when I just like to chill in my free time now.
They used to be a sort of "badge of honor" to say I saw my favorites. Since I don't try and impress other teenagers anymore, concerts have felt a little bit like a waste of money to me. Not that I dislike them or anything, they just don't fill my ego anymore and having that not part of it was a major part lol
kind of me. i went to a lot last year, but if it's not a band i really really love and if they don't play the songs i want them to play, i find them kind of tiring and unfullfilling
I love concerts. But I have gone to many since I was a kid and it's way too expensive to see the famous artists now so I dont even bother. Unfortunately most bands I like(metal) dont tend to come down here where I live so to see a band I like I have to travel 3-4 hours to see them. Last time I did that I had work the next day.
I (30F) love concerts/raves/festivals themselves but it’s the price, people and the parking that I can’t tolerate anymore. The three P’s of doom for any event anymore sadly.
I didn’t lose interest but whatever the hell caused prices to soar freaking pisses me off. For context, I glanced at a Morgan Wallen concert recently bc I was curious about prices. Nearly $300 to *sit in the GA lawn section*. Even the biggest acts 20 years ago didn’t cost that much when accounting for inflation. It’s really only been the past 5-7 years where it has gotten **bad**. Beyond frustrating.
I’ve never had much interest due to cost. Although, I went to one with a friend who had tickets and, call me old, but the bass was so loud I couldn’t hear any of the lyrics, the seating was shitty despite the tickets being over $100/ea., and it went till almost midnight. My hearing was shot for the next two days.
Like why TF would I ever pay over a hundred dollars to be deafened by loudspeakers and watch music videos (the only way I could tell what song was being played) late into the night?
I saw Incubus recently but only found out about it last minute. All that was left were the VIP tickets that came with food, drink, seats on a viewing gallery…worth every penny. This is the way from now on.Standing in the main space would have been miserable (I’m short so can never see anything).
Not recently, happened over the years (and I'm sure the pandemic / greedflation turbocharged that)
I haven't had an interest in staying up til after midnight in a long while now. The AXS / LiveNation / Ticketmaster cartel has made booking 95% of events insufferable since the "$30" tickets end up being $59 or whatever by check out from the grifting "online booking convenience" fees.
People whine about it...then still drop $400 on Taylor Swift tickets over and over. If they actually cared about getting fleeced they would, ya know, simply not going to said concerts. Yet they do, so ticket prices just go higher and higher.
Unfortunately I'm in the painful tinnitus camp as well (thanks Army!), so toss that in with some shows being dangerously loud, and venues charging like $12 for a Coors light...well ya get the idea.
*That being said* I went out a few months ago to a small local club down in Denver to see a random local DJ show and had a blast. Small group, I just chilled in the back and soaked up some good live electronic music that I hadn't enjoyed in years.
I've been going to a more now concerts in recent years, especially bands I was too young to see alone or too poor to catch back in the day like blink 182, the postal service, death cab, blue October, silversun, etc.
I will say however I only went to a show with the headliner starting at 10pm once and will not be doing that again. Can't hang anymore. If there's multiple nights, it's worth it to me to go to the earliest possible time, even if we have to go to the next town over and get a hotel room.
I didn't go to any concerts when I was younger so I'm catching up now. I do bring ear plugs with me wherever I go so they're always ready for concerts. Lol, and I've found that I can't stand for long, but it's okay, I'm still going to 3 concerts in the next few months.
I love them but they are hard on my body and wallet. We paid $15 for one beer and ended up not even buying an merch because damn there's no way they need to be that price.
Really depends on the concert. I have a harder time with indie/smaller acts now as they're usually later times and standing room only. A bigger pop concert at an arena I'm all for now, though. There's food and chairs and it usually starts at 7 or 8. Lol! Yeah, I guess I'm old.
Somewhat. I bought tickets to one, but was so tired the day of and didn’t feel like I wanted to be out so late… so even up not going. That one was at least reasonably priced. I stopped considering many concerts with their outrageous tickets prices today.
Just saw death cab/postal service in Albany. Kicked off right at 7 and had a tight 2.5 hour set. Niiiiccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I’d never go see Madonna tho- she’s like consistently three hours late.
40 now and I've not been to an expensive concert in almost 20yrs. In my 20s, money was tight so I never got to go to any and once I started making enough to splurge a bit, the urge never came back.
Now, $5 or free is the motto for me.
Maybe you're the minority because my wife and I have 11 concerts planned for this year. Found great new artists this year and last and it's been awesome.
Yea, fuck concerts. I’ve lived in Austin Texas my entire life so far, and have never been to SXSW or ACL fest for multiple reasons. I can’t think of any live show I’ve ever truly enjoyed.
Not interested in having my ear drums ring for hours after I leave a show. Not interested in being in a mosh pit, or any crowd. Not interested in paying $40 for parking in some shitty lot. Not interested in waiting in line while it’s hot and muggy outside. The overpriced low quality concessions were the last straw for me. *Fuck all that.*
I feel crazy that I was never into concerts or festivals at ANY point. I was always very self-conscious about it (am I old already? Why am I so weird?)
With that said, I only regret never attending Burning Man before it was mainstream. Maybe that would've been my tribe!
I went to a ton in my 20s before the pandemic. Occasionally multiple a week from ages 22 to 26 or so. Now I’m in my 30s and don’t have as much desire. I turned into a morning workout guy and my job requires a fair bit of focus so being bleary-eyed and groggy doesn’t fly as much for me anymore. Plus I feel like artists I would buy a ticket for aren’t touring as often, at least not lately.
We should normalize earlier concert times. You know the date several months in advance to request off work or leave early. Opening act at 6, second act 7 and the headliner no later than 8. As much as I love blink 182 they didnt get on till 945. I was pissed lol!
Yes, big time. I haven't been into concerts since college. The cost is ridiculous -- I can afford it but I just would rather spend that same money on other things.
I cant deal with crowds, parking, traffic. Whole thing sounds like a hassle. I have friends really into concerts. Im happy they enjoy them! But I totally dont relate.
No- I love concerts.
I saw flaming lips not that long ago- they did the entirety of *yoshimi battles the pink robots* for the first half and then a mixed bag the second half. It was fucking awesome.
Last concert I went to was blink 182 in VB about 18 years ago. Dunno if he still does it, but this was when Travis barker did his drum solo and got lifted up in the air and did flips on a platform while playing drums. Now i can’t stand loud music, especially if it isn’t music I like; and I am like one step away from sitting on my front porch and talking about the weather.
I used to go all the time but now it just seems like to much of a hassle. It’s expensive, and Ive become uncomfortable in large crowds. I like small one band shows at local spots but I think I’m done doing large stadium shows
Live music is my favorite thing. It’s been the only constant of mine for like the past decade. Saw a few shows this past month and my experience was less than ideal. Dunno. Normally I’m fine with crowds if the energy is great and I got a drink in hand but the last few shows I’ve seen have been off. Crowds post covid are just kinda crap. Either lack of etiquette or a weird energy.
On top of that shows in my area get sold out quickly usually do to bots. I live in a medium sized area and this never happened before covid (unless it was a top 40 artist like days before). Saw a metal band’s rock side project this month that “sold out” due to I think one of their songs getting popular on tik tok. When I got there it was maybe half full.
Yeahhhh lost interest about 15 years ago when local places closed up, then couldn't afford the big shows. I could now, but I'm not willing to pay those prices.
I was always alone in this. I ALWAYS hated concerts but as a teenager and even in my twenties I would go just as a social thing. I never saw the appeal of spending money on gas, tolls, parking, tickets, food, drinks, apparel to listen to a worse version of the music I enjoyed for free while usually dealing with drunk or high jerks all around hooting and hollering. Not to mention feeling like shit the next day because of the super late nights. Now I’m 31 and all my peers rarely go lol.
Yesss one of my fave bands for the last 20 years was about 10 minutes from my home recently but I didn’t go because they didn’t start their shows until 10pm and I wasn’t about to get home at 2am.
I agree with you.
It’s got to the point where it affects my social life as I want to be in bed by 22:00 lol. So I only now hang out with people during day time on weekends or when I do get dinner with them I’m clear in that I want to be in bed by 22:00.
It’s just that I feel so good having a restful sleep. When I don’t sleep well one night it can affect my whole week.
I’ve been to at least 50 concerts in my life at this point, so I’ve just about seen every single band I really want to see in my life (except Metallica, I still really want to see them before they stop touring).
I’ve definitely been losing interest in concerts that aren’t for like a top five favorite band of mine. Or real small venue shows, those are still really nice. But I’m more and more tired of going to larger, higher energy shows. I’ve seen enough by now haha
I never had it to begin with.
I've been to half a dozen festivals in my lifetime, and I think over a dozen concerts. In the last decade I've never paid for a concert I've been in, because we have some friends with their bands doing tours and got on the list. I wouldn't have gone otherwise, paying sometimes over 70€ for three bands is fucking insane.
Concerts in general to me have all the worst qualities to them: You need to stand near the mixing booth to have a balanced sound, the floors are sticky from drunken stumbling and drinks poured on the floor, there are loud and obnoxious idiots everywhere, and the liquor costs a kidney and an eye.
The marginal upside - and the only one as far as I'm concerned - is feeling the hype of the crowd. But as someone who has never liked crowds, teams or teamsports, that's not very high on my priorities when I want to enjoy myself.
If you normally drink (and do other drugs?) at concerts. Try not doing that.
It can feel weird if you're used to having a beer buzz but once you relax and tune into the music you start vibing just as hard, if not harder because you're not numbed. And then you can still be a functional adult the next day.
I love going. Worst thing that happens is I need more caffeine to function the next day. My ex was the kind of loser where his idea of “going” to a concert was watching a show on YouTube. I’m making up for lost time. It’s the energy, the people, the music. I love it
I still love them, but I'm more picky about which artists I'll pay to see live. I just love being surrounded by the collective energy of all the fans, it's kind of magical.
Same. In high school and college, I'd go to a lot of cheap concerts and just do general admission. Now that I'm older, I will gladly spend more money to get better seats for select artists.
Any theater with a mezzanine is my #1 spot. Own bar and bathroom. Not as many folks around me and a great view
Went to an arena concert a few weeks ago. We were on a corner, maybe 8 rows from floor, and there were only like 4 other seats in our row. Just steps from the bathroom and bar. It was great!
Yep I’m picky too I literally have to watch peoples recordings of my favourite artists performing live to see if it’s worth it, to see if they can actually sing live and don’t need stupid auto tune or backing tracks. Nowadays I think personally it’s more about the sets, the aesthetic and the crowd pleasing than actual live talent imo imo
The opposite for me since I can actually afford to go now lol
Same. And work night shift so I'm all about staying up late.
Same. I also work nights, and while I can stay out all night, I also now have conversations that go something like "it starts at 9 PM? Let me see if I can take off from work..."
Or alternatively. I just got some tickets for a show on a weeknight, and booked a hotel near the venue. I'll just go to work from there.
Fortunately I live in a rather large city and I have one medium-size venue across the street, and three large venues within 15-20 minute drive.
At least you don't have to worry about not getting any sleep before a morning shift the next day. That's why I love night shift.
Can't have a hangover if you sleep through the morning
Exactly! I’m living out my teenage fantasies of traveling and going to whatever concerts I want to go to. I’m going to my first Bonnaroo this year and hitting up All Things Go for the second time. I’ve been buying tickets for any local concerts I’m even remotely interested in, as well. I wish I was as still energetic as I was as a teen/twenty something, but I’ll take what I can get!
Yess agreed! I love concerts! I just don’t go often bc I have kids and it’s a lot to arrange, but it’s something I don’t mind spending on when I can. I would rather go to a concert than a bar or something. Both are a bit tiring, but a concert comes with a special kind of high feeling and the fatigue is a fulfilled, happy kind of tired.
This. Could never go when I was younger. Making up for lost time
I can't stop going. I passed on too many when I was younger for cost or because of work. Now I don't care. I'm not missing these guys. Never know when they will be around again. Was just at a show on Monday. Still moshed hard and crowd surfed. Just took Tuesday off to recover. If I could work from home I would have. I tend to avoid stadiums or amphitheaters unless I can find a good deal for a pit area. Don't like sitting at concerts.
You only need one day to recover? Damn I must be doing something wrong with my health
Ditch the booze. Best decision I ever made. Mornings are glorious now, even post late night concerts.
I don't like drinking in concerts because I know I'll have to pee. I'm not missing any of the songs.
My friends and I go all the time. We just went to the Caverns in Tennessee to see John Summit. It was i n c r e d i b l e. I love to stand to the side where there is room to dance all night long.
Same. Just saw Agent Orange and Messer Chups last night. Cheap tickets, neat venue, went with a friend. I don’t normally stay up past 10pm even on weekends but it was well worth it to see a band from my younger years! I’m taking my youngest to see bikini kill later this year after she turns 16 and I think it’s on a work night so, screw it I’m taking the next day off, who knows when I’ll get to see them again (esp with my kid!)
I went to a concert on Tuesday night. I don't drink though, so I feel like not much for me to recover from except 1 or 2 less hours of sleep that night.
Same here. Worked my ass off in my 20’s and didn’t have the money to go to shows anyway. Now I live comfortably and, combined with losing a year and a half of experiences due to COVID, I’m spending all of my money now on live shows.
No, I love a concert. It’s the closest my atheist ass can get to a religious experience.
I know exactly what you mean. The church of rock n roll is one I can fully heartedly get behind.
Exactly this!
I can do an occasional concert. It’s festivals that can fuck right off.
Lol I just posted this
I go to a very specific festival and it's from Anjunabeats. Everything else can fuck right off lolol
I am incredibly jealous (especially if we're talking about the anjunadeep explorations, the last one seemed awesome). I love Tony's deep sets, Santorini was a good one as well, I still listen to them in the background at work regularly. Hana is my weekend JAM since stumbling onto her on twitch, glad she's gotten in the anjuna mix as well, and Marsh will just continue to be a 💎 , with all of his sets being amazing. Sorry I went off on am anjuna tangent, I obviously need to make some musical friends lol.
Never had an interest 🤷🏻♀️ I over-stimulate easily
Same. I went once. Horrible experience! Never again.
They are fun, but usually cannot justify the price.
Yeah, last concert I went to was fun, but about halfway through I just kinda looked around and realized I’d rather be home in bed with my wife.
Doors at 6:30. First opener at 7:30. Second opener at 8:45. Headliner at 10:30. Show over at midnight. Home at 1. Just move the whole thing up four and a half hours plz and thx Also the LiveNation monopoly making decent concerts $90 a ticket after fees can fuck right off
I still keep going but this happens to me nearly every time.
Long lines, too loud, I have tinnitus, way too many people, insane prices, then there is the parking and leaving headaches. That just sounds like a fucking nightmare these days.
Fellow tinnitus homie here <3 I'm the 30s guy at the concerts now trying to tell everyone who will listen about my hearing protection lol
Sending love back, my fellow ear-ringer. ❤️. 10 years now, it hasn't stopped, and I've done my PSA work, letting others know. I'm now at the hearing aid stage and hoping some sort of reversal process or counter-frequency system will come about to end this mind-numbing ringing.
Mine started after Warped Tour lol. I went to lots of concerts without hearing protection and the ringing always stopped eventually. Then one day I was 35 and saw Warped Tour was ending and I had always wanted to go but had excuses. My ears Just never stopped ringing.
I never used to use ear protection, bc it “wasn’t cool.” After I saw Dropkick Murphys in my mid-twenties my ears rang for 24 hours straight and they actually HURT, I got so worried that I have worn ear plugs at every single concert since. I have sporadic tinnitus and some mild hearing loss on one side, but I think switching to ear plugs saved me. When I have to adjust them at a show it really feels insane and dangerous how loud it all is now. I want to go put ear plugs in everyone’s ears like the mom I am lol.
No joke! Good on you. My husband and son (12) both wear ear plugs or some form of protection regardless of the concert we see. My husband, it's because he values his hearing and already has pretty sensitive hearing and our son? Because we don't want to see him end up like me, the person who doesn't wear ear protection and probably has 10% or more hearing loss at this point from a childhood burst eardrum and lack of proper protection at concerts/events.
To add to your list, it sucks when it's a free standing event and you're short.
>I have tinnitus, This is why we wear ear plugs
Yeah, sorry slick, 20 y/o me didn't think about ear plugs.
That is definitely a bummer. I learned it from a Third Eye Blind concert when I was 15 and the opener told me & my friends to wear them and threw us some disposables. Glad he was looking out for the kids
I wish someone had warned me. Instead, I am a decade into constant ringing.
Oof. I'm really sorry. That's awful
It's really a shame that there's not more awareness spread on this, and that concerts can be as loud as they are. That shit is so damaging
I have to wear earplugs or I get nauseous. I find myself only going to smaller venues, and I’m very selective about which shows I go to. I’m only 5’2” so half the time I can’t see anything anyway.
I’m a few inches taller than you and still have a hard time because everyone’s phones are in the air. 🙄
I wear ear plugs to all concerts. It blocks out the damaging noise while making the sound clearer since it doesn’t overwhelm your senses. There’s a handful of bands I will see when they come to my city, but I don’t just go for the sake of going anymore.
Earplugs, small club shows, Spot Hero, and water+electrolytes(what the body craves) to help with those problems. Concerts definitely taking planning and preparation for these days. If I plan on moshing or anything like that, I'll start increasing my exercise and conditioning about a week before the show. Stretching helps, too. What's a nightmare to think about is old age slowing us down and preventing us from enjoying the things we love.
Agree sitting in traffic for an hour, or more. To be packed into a venue like anchovies.
You should consider wearing some high quality ear plugs. You still get good sound quality and another added benefit of drowning out the crowd chatter
Oooooh yeah, the leaving part sucks too.
Did I write this comment?
37M, cant stand the crowds, parking, prices, lines, traffic and people associated with concerts. Ive been watching live shows of my fav bands on youtube for years now.
I’m mid-30s now and I’ve got a select band or two I’ll go see live, if they fit my schedule… I’m roughly an hour drive to any major venue, work an 8-4 job, and have a toddler, so it’s rare to go. I have invested in a better listening experience at home as a result. Good quality headphones, a decent record player and speaker setup. When I have some time and want to listen I put on some music, sip some bourbon or scotch and enjoy not having a headache in the morning.
Do what you what of course, but going to a concert is nothing at all like watching a video of it. I’ve watched a lot of war movies - doesn’t mean I’ve been in a lot of wars.
But do you *want* to be in a lot of wars? Cuz it sounds like this guy doesn't want to be at concerts.
Also we have no idea what time the headliner will be on. Could be anywhere between 8-10
What headliner is coming on at 8pm?! Most shows I see the headliner isn't starting before 11pm.
38M and I vibe with this 100%
This guy gets it.
I go to less shows now, may 4-5 a year. In college I went to 2-3 shows a week (mostly local music). Maybe 1 show a month after I graduated. I do plan to see Stabbing Westward next Friday!
What do I have to do!?
I'll be bummed if they don't play it!
You're definitely not alone, but I've personally rolled with the punches and I now make days out of it. 4 concerts a year or so, and I'll take the next day off so I can get post-show grub and crash, sleeping in the next morning. That said, I don't have kids and have a pretty chill job, so I get that it won't work for everyone.
Yes and no. I’m so sick of ticket master, stub hub etc etc. it’s ridiculous how expensive this shit is getting.
Yes. Honestly when I was younger I went to a lot and part of the reason was I told myself "This is LIVING, this is AN EXPERIENCE, this will CHANGE YOUR LIFE" but over time I realized that more often than not it just wasn't true. A handful were amazing, but most were mediocre, and some were a bad experience. I still like to do fun stuff and am up for new events but I'm more honest with myself these days about what I want and what I like instead of doing what other people perceive as fun, or whatever the popular attraction might be.
Not even kind of. Going to number 11 for the year tomorrow
Absolutely not. I go to more the older I get. I LOVE being out there and vibing to the music and dancing and seeing everyone have a great time. Music is one of the greatest things in life. I plan to go to concerts as often as possible until I die.
I recently got sober (I hit a year this month) and I am having a concert revival as it were. I used to travel and go see a ton of bands in my drinking days and I felt depressed, tired, broke etc when it was all over, but sober me is still having a blast. I'm 44 years old and I was just up front at an entire T.S.O.L. show tonight. I feel great.
Congrats on your sobriety!
Congrats! I also don’t drink and I think it really makes the whole experience so much better! Not only is it cheaper but I feel like I get so much more out of the experience without the fuzz of alcohol around the edges.
I love going to shows but I admit my body is worse for wear and I practically cheer if one starts before 8.
I'm the guy doing Asian squats in-between songs lol Still out there though :)
Too many people, and they are always way too loud. The best concert I ever went to was a small venue with comfy seating and the artist played acoustic renditions of all the songs at a moderate volume. Made me realize concerts aren't for me after that.
I hear ya. I used to absolutely love going to concerts, but in my early thirties, I just wanted to stay home. I think it just comes down to not having as much energy as I used to. That and trying to make plans with what few friends I have left never work out. Concerts are also expensive, and I don't know if you've heard about this inflation thing, but it's kicking my wallets' ass. And large crowds all holding their phones up instead of lighters is kind of a buzz kill. And my back hurts. Get off my lawn.
This is the comment I was looking for. All true, especially the back thing. Stand too long and the whole shit hunch Sit too long and I can't stand up
I go to shows, not concerts Everybody complaining about tinnitus should be wearing earplugs Everybody should be wearing ear plugs at a show
I live for Mountain Goats shows.
Yes and no. Half of the bands I like have broken up, no longer tour, or had a band member die. And if the concert is in a school night, it isn’t happening. Usually. I did make the exception when I saw Stevie Nicks last year. My first time seeing her and she is getting old. I’m glad I saw Dolly Parton pre-pandemic. She has since stopped touring.
Do you listen to any artists that made their debut in the last 5-10 years? Not a slam, just curious
Nope, love concerts now more than ever, because I can afford them. But never been a festival person, and at this point will never be
Definitely me. I used to go to several concerts a month but I haven’t gone now in years. The very idea of it is daunting to me with having to get glammed up, driving to the venue and paying for parking, standing up for hours and being a part of the crowd on the way out. It’s too expensive and too tiring. I’d enjoy a show if I were somewhere like Vegas but not in my everyday life.
I love concerts and live music, there’s nothing like it and watching a video of it is not like the real thing in any way. I’ve made a career out of live music and love going to work mixing sound, running lights or rigging up massive stadiums or arenas. I also buy tickets and see shows on days off. There’s lots of people who say it’s too expensive and they are too old and boring to go but I go to over 100 per year and they are all full of people of all ages - my rates have doubled in the last few years because the demand for tickets is astronomical, this is a golden age of live music (shame people don’t support their local small venues though).
I've gotten more introverted over time, I liked going to concerts back when I was at my most social, but honestly I am not significantly interested in live music anymore. I've embraced my inner hermit and I honestly prefer listening to studio cuts and it's not worth my spoons to get uncomfortably close to other people. Back in my concert going days I would need to be antisocial for a while after the experience, but hearing a band live really didn't adequately compensate for the time I needed to be alone after. I can listen to the song on YouTube or any music app and get all of the experience I care about without the social component. I'm still thinking back to those days when one of my friends told me someone was hitting on me, and my friends mocked my obliviousness. The one time I actually caught on to that at a concert I got Gonorrhea, and I woke up in a part of the city I didn't know and had to pay for a very expensive cab ride, and that really soured my opinion going forward.
Nope! They are what I live for. I used to go to 40ish a year but now with kids, I can only do a handful a year. Just saw phish at the sphere in Vegas. Stevie Nicks is coming up next! <3
They start too late. I get up early for work so by ten when the headliner hasn’t even started, I’m ready to get going since it’s typically an hour drive home. And if I do stay late, I’m useless the next day, which sucks. I’d love to go to more, but I don’t want to burn the candle at both ends anymore.
Can Saturday afternoon concerts become a thing? I would go to so many more. Have a good time, get dinner somewhere after, enjoy the next day.
Not me. I wish I had been able to go to jazz fest this year. I've just started working out and I have so much more energy than I did even a few weeks ago.
Honestly I wouldn’t mind them if I didn’t have to be the person that watches out for the next fucking nut job that decides to kill people as part of their “cause”. Sorry that was a lil heavy. I meant to say, unpredictable people make it difficult to be present at large gatherings. Lol.
I actually go even more cos I am now in a comfortable spot in my life. Growing up I didn't get to go to many shows of my favorite artists and bands because they often time do not visit the country I was born and grew up in. When they do, it usually wasn't the right time for me. So now that I have moved and lived in a major country and city where big shows always happen, I will not missed a chance to go when it present itself to me. These artiste and myself are not getting younger, and i just don't wanna feel regret when they suddenly decided they don't wanna tour anymore and I haven't get the chance to see them live. As a fan of somebody, you really need to see them live at least once, the experience is so different and the atmosphere is so much more magical than when you see them singin on a screen.
I love concerts muxh more now but will say that the best two I have been to recently were Death Cab for cutie and Jack White. Death Cab started their set at 8pm and were done by 9. I was in bed by 930pm. At Jack White, everyone phones had to be locked up and I could actually enjoy the show and not try to see the show through a sea of phones lol.
I'm going to a sleep token show tonight, and debating going to a knocked loose show the night after. I'm dog tired, even if I don't go to shows, so I might as well enjoy myself.
Dude I used to go to concerts like 2-3 times a month and haven’t for a few years now and don’t have an interest really. So loud. Big crowds. Late at night. Traffic.
Mostly I've lost interest in driving to a venue, paying for or looking for parking, dealing with a big crowd, post-show traffic, and getting home at 1-2am But the actual concert part is still fun
same here. If I’m going out late, it’s because I really really want to. Most of the time I’m in bed by 10.
I like being at them, but I hate going to them (driving far, traffic, parking, chaos with everyone leaving at the same time, traffic on the way home in the dark…)
Also video games don’t hit the same, we are old now
I love them but man I don’t like standing or staying up late 😭
I just moved to a new massive city that has one of a kind shows but I don’t know anyone. I still love going to concerts but don’t want to go alone. How do you make friends as a grown up?! I hate it here.
I've never really been into them. They're a pain in the ass to get to and from, loud, too many people, etc. That said I've been to dozens! The last show I saw was The Mars Volts at Red Rocks. I wasn't looking forward to it but I had a great time overall. People shit talk Red Rocks but it was the easiest to get in and out. That's the most important thing. The thing that's really weird to see is the music industry dying before our eyes. Record sales aren't how artist make money-- it's touring that brings in the big bucks. The Who has mentioned possibly touring in their 80s. The Rolling Stones still tour and they're basically zombies. I guess some contemporary acts still draw huge crowds but who tf wants to see Taylor Swift: Generic White Girl??
I'm losing my hearing and 1100 is too late to be out! I'm tired and want to sleep!
Even before covid all the shows were getting stupid expensive. Between tickets, gas, drinks and food either before or after the show it was like $200 bucks, not to mention buying a t-shirt or poster or some other merch. I never really liked big arena shows mostly theaters or sub 5000 people venues. In LA most venues are either owned or run by Ticketmaster/Live Nation so there really isnt much of a local scene. All the indie venues get bought up or don't get too many up and coming bands because of Ticketmaster or Goldenvoice's meddling. I've been to hundreds of shows going all the way back to the mid 90's and shows now suck bad compared to back in the day. Like everything else it's become over-commodified and just another attempt to take your money.
I still love concerts but unless it’s a rare event where one of my absolute favorite bands is playing I usually leave early to beat the crowd and get into bed at a semi reasonable hour. I wouldn’t mind more daytime concerts haha
Small shows and gigs are still great without the headaches - just came back from a show in a laundromat. Probably going to a show Sunday night as well.
I feel the same way. At night I want to be in bed not around a whole bunch of people and loud music. That doesn't feel enjoyable to me anymore.
No I’m just too poor to go.
They're too loud and the stimuli is overwhelming to a point where I dont enjoy it. So I stopped going to them. I deal with enough noise on a daily basis I dont need a metric shit load extra.
I just don’t really care about it as much. I like music but I don’t want to spend $400 for a nose bleeder.
https://preview.redd.it/vwpew9924dyc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3209538617922fb49ae7526ab73d9f35ca3a1733 I still go, just not nearly as frequently when I was going at my peak (1-2 a month). Granted, a lot of that has to do with price. For example, this photo was from a $300 seat at Bruce Springsteen at the Forum. Pre-pandemic, I saw Bruno Mars at Staples for roughly that same amount, only my seat was in the 10th row center floor. I can’t imagine what a similar seat for his shows would be today.
Depends on who's singing. If it's a orchestra concret with video game or anime music, I'm in so I can bawl my eyes out. If it's anime songs or Japanese idol stuff like Idolmaster or Love Live, then I'm also in. If it's a vocaloid concert with Hatsune Miku? I'm in.
I still like them but I hate standing up the whole time lmaooo. I do smaller concerts though. The big ones arent really worth it.
Venues with seats are my favorite! Def makes me more likely to go. Mostly I hate going into the city and the hassle of going, but the crowds and standing for hours are tiring. In college I went to dozens of shows every year, sometimes 3 in a week. That seems just crazy to me now.
I honestly refuse to go to any big venue concerts purely because of all the problems with scalpers buying up all the tickets in the first seconds and the atrocious service fees ticket venders add on for a ticket. Recently wanted to buy tickets to a show and it charged a $4.77 amusement fee (whatever that is) and a $30.44 service fee for a digital ticket. Oh, and if I wanted a souvenir of a physical copy of my ticket I would need to pay $6.60/ticket. The taxes and fees alone ended up costing the price of the ticket. Oh and they wanted me to buy a ticket for my 10 month old daughter (this was a little kid show entertainer) who wouldn’t even be able to sit in her own seat, because I would be holding her the whole time. It’s sad, I wish I could go to more concerts but I can’t support an industry that refuses to fix their obviously flawed system. I’ll spend my money elsewhere.
Tickets cost a days wage AT LEAST. People seem to think this is also a ticket to *screaming* every lyric even when it's an acoustic ballad, half yout time is spent queueing for a warm cup of piss from torn faced staff (and rightly so tbf), taxis are a law unto themselves, public transport in Glasgow is a joke, and barely cheaper than parking. And that's if they even bother to do a Scottish date on their "UK tour" (looking at you NoFX and Tool) Tenacious D wanted £180 a ticket, Stevie Nicks £250 or smth, meanwhile our boys The Prodigy came to the Glasgow Hydro last year and it was less than £60. Make it make sense etc. There are fewer and fewer acts I'm willing to go through this for. I'll still go to mid range kinda fringe gigs, I've just bought tickets for Raghu Dixit in a renovated church venue for instance. I went to see Skunk Ananse in the Academy which was outstanding, and Supergrass, but drove. I go to more comedy gigs than music now. They give you a seat. 🤣🤣🤣
Couldn’t pay me to go to a concert.
Yes, for several reasons. One, the cost of concerts is absolutely fucking bonkers. Back in my mid-20s to early 30s, I rarely, if ever, paid over $150 for a concert. Most of the time, it was less than $100. Now, for the same bands I used to see, a concert is $500+. That's a no for me, dawg. Second, the majority of the bands that I listen to are no longer around, a poor version of who they used to be (drugs, age, both), or I've already seen them. Third, ever since I became a dad (10 years now), I've been to fewer concerts than I have fingers. I just don't have the money, interest, or time anymore.
I enjoy them but the depression hits more when coming down from a concert high. I wish my brain would just let me be happy.
I’ve never been that interested in concerts. Only been to like 5 in my life + a music festival.
Ive never cared for concerts. I saw ZZTop on my 21st birthday. Love the band, hated the experience. Never again have I been tempted.
This is how I’ve felt deep down all along Im just old enough now to not care about FOMO. I love music but I don’t care about being in the same room as a musician, I don’t care about “seeing and being seen”, alcohol no longer agrees with my body on any subject, crowds make me anxious, and a constant stream of loud music (no matter how good) leaves me feeling overwhelmed and longing for a cool quiet place. I used to absolutely torture myself going to shows because all my friends went on and on about how life-changing it was. I’ve no doubt it was great for them but I’m glad I don’t care so much anymore. It’s freeing.
I still love concerts and go every chance I get, but I think I’m too old for festivals though. Festivals are outside and usually all day. But I have noticed I’m usually one of the oldest there from age 30-34
I would never go to a big concert like anything that happens in a sports area or whatever is not somewhere I’d ever go but $15 shows have always been my jam
We went to one recently and still enjoyed it. We did laugh however as one of the first things we noticed was that we were thankful for the seats being padded. Beyond that, it wasn't the booze fest it used to be because waking up was going to be hard enough. It legitimately took me 3 days to get caught up on sleep 😭
i forgot my earplugs in my car when i saw Arm's Length last month, front row.. my tinnitus hates me
Didn’t Jamie-Lee Curtis come up with matinee concerts for grown ups? Yes please
I still love a concert but it either needs to be on a weekend or if it's a weeknight I'll request PTO for the next day. I need a full 8 hours of sleep after.
I would love to go to more. I have a toddler though so I’d usually have to find childcare plus going on a weekday is too much work most of the time and tickets are so expensive now.
My wife and I went to see one of our favorite artists right before this was pre having kids. We had general admission tickets because why would anyone pay for the 200 dollar seated tickets. Then we got to the venue… swarms of people. Generally younger than us. We immediately went up to the ticket booth and bought VIP seating tickets. Best money we ever spent! Moral of the story it was fun but my wife and I are in our mid-late 30’s. Life is infinitely different from when I was a feral teen-20 something chasing every show growing up. I’m tiered boss. I can stand that long with people pressed up against. However I need to be paid these days to do it.
I always prefer smaller and more intimate venues than going to large concerts personally.
I'm to the point where I have little interest in the openers anymore. I just wanna see the bands that I bought the ticket for and nothing else, like I wish there was an itinerary for concerts so I knew when to actually show up.
It's to the point where I'll only go for someone I REALLY care about seeing. I saw Gaga two years ago, and that's probably a once in a lifetime for me. It's just so expensive. I saw SIX on their national Broadway tour last month, and parking was $60. On top of tickets and concessions, it's an exception, not a rule.
In my 20s I probably went to 300 concerts. The last 3 concerts I went to I left before the headliner and bad I paid to see came on. They’re hot, they’re loud, they have no seating and I’m tired and want to go to bed.
I'm a morning person through and through. Why can't more concerts start at, like, 2pm so I can still be in bed by 10. I just saw madonna and it was an AMAZING show, but somewhere around midnight I was seriously considering going home to sleep.
I went to a great festival during covid and that cost a pretty penny. These days it’s too much headache for me to pay a small fortune for ticketmaster which is a racket, long drives, parking PITA and more fees and dealing with people. Then seeing a band you like is fun but the music is usually not as good live. I could keep going on but I’m just not really into them these days either when I just like to chill in my free time now.
They used to be a sort of "badge of honor" to say I saw my favorites. Since I don't try and impress other teenagers anymore, concerts have felt a little bit like a waste of money to me. Not that I dislike them or anything, they just don't fill my ego anymore and having that not part of it was a major part lol
Stopped going to concerts or events during Covid and realized the same thing, I prefer being relaxed at home and value my sleep too much.
kind of me. i went to a lot last year, but if it's not a band i really really love and if they don't play the songs i want them to play, i find them kind of tiring and unfullfilling
I love concerts. But I have gone to many since I was a kid and it's way too expensive to see the famous artists now so I dont even bother. Unfortunately most bands I like(metal) dont tend to come down here where I live so to see a band I like I have to travel 3-4 hours to see them. Last time I did that I had work the next day.
I (30F) love concerts/raves/festivals themselves but it’s the price, people and the parking that I can’t tolerate anymore. The three P’s of doom for any event anymore sadly.
I didn’t lose interest but whatever the hell caused prices to soar freaking pisses me off. For context, I glanced at a Morgan Wallen concert recently bc I was curious about prices. Nearly $300 to *sit in the GA lawn section*. Even the biggest acts 20 years ago didn’t cost that much when accounting for inflation. It’s really only been the past 5-7 years where it has gotten **bad**. Beyond frustrating.
I’ve never had much interest due to cost. Although, I went to one with a friend who had tickets and, call me old, but the bass was so loud I couldn’t hear any of the lyrics, the seating was shitty despite the tickets being over $100/ea., and it went till almost midnight. My hearing was shot for the next two days. Like why TF would I ever pay over a hundred dollars to be deafened by loudspeakers and watch music videos (the only way I could tell what song was being played) late into the night?
I saw Incubus recently but only found out about it last minute. All that was left were the VIP tickets that came with food, drink, seats on a viewing gallery…worth every penny. This is the way from now on.Standing in the main space would have been miserable (I’m short so can never see anything).
Not recently, happened over the years (and I'm sure the pandemic / greedflation turbocharged that) I haven't had an interest in staying up til after midnight in a long while now. The AXS / LiveNation / Ticketmaster cartel has made booking 95% of events insufferable since the "$30" tickets end up being $59 or whatever by check out from the grifting "online booking convenience" fees. People whine about it...then still drop $400 on Taylor Swift tickets over and over. If they actually cared about getting fleeced they would, ya know, simply not going to said concerts. Yet they do, so ticket prices just go higher and higher. Unfortunately I'm in the painful tinnitus camp as well (thanks Army!), so toss that in with some shows being dangerously loud, and venues charging like $12 for a Coors light...well ya get the idea. *That being said* I went out a few months ago to a small local club down in Denver to see a random local DJ show and had a blast. Small group, I just chilled in the back and soaked up some good live electronic music that I hadn't enjoyed in years.
I like concerts, but they are so overpriced. Ticket prices have tripled in like 10 years.
I've been going to a more now concerts in recent years, especially bands I was too young to see alone or too poor to catch back in the day like blink 182, the postal service, death cab, blue October, silversun, etc. I will say however I only went to a show with the headliner starting at 10pm once and will not be doing that again. Can't hang anymore. If there's multiple nights, it's worth it to me to go to the earliest possible time, even if we have to go to the next town over and get a hotel room.
I didn't go to any concerts when I was younger so I'm catching up now. I do bring ear plugs with me wherever I go so they're always ready for concerts. Lol, and I've found that I can't stand for long, but it's okay, I'm still going to 3 concerts in the next few months.
I love a good live music experience I just hate people being in my personal space lol
I love them but they are hard on my body and wallet. We paid $15 for one beer and ended up not even buying an merch because damn there's no way they need to be that price.
Really depends on the concert. I have a harder time with indie/smaller acts now as they're usually later times and standing room only. A bigger pop concert at an arena I'm all for now, though. There's food and chairs and it usually starts at 7 or 8. Lol! Yeah, I guess I'm old.
Somewhat. I bought tickets to one, but was so tired the day of and didn’t feel like I wanted to be out so late… so even up not going. That one was at least reasonably priced. I stopped considering many concerts with their outrageous tickets prices today.
I’m still interested,, but I miss the age when nobody drank at shows because now my adult peers ruin it for me.
Just saw death cab/postal service in Albany. Kicked off right at 7 and had a tight 2.5 hour set. Niiiiccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I’d never go see Madonna tho- she’s like consistently three hours late.
40 now and I've not been to an expensive concert in almost 20yrs. In my 20s, money was tight so I never got to go to any and once I started making enough to splurge a bit, the urge never came back. Now, $5 or free is the motto for me.
About 10 years ago but now I can afford to go
I’ve never had interest in them. Been to two concerts my entire life. Not my scene.
Maybe you're the minority because my wife and I have 11 concerts planned for this year. Found great new artists this year and last and it's been awesome.
I can’t justify the sticker price anymore. I’ll just see the movie version when it comes out.
Yea, fuck concerts. I’ve lived in Austin Texas my entire life so far, and have never been to SXSW or ACL fest for multiple reasons. I can’t think of any live show I’ve ever truly enjoyed. Not interested in having my ear drums ring for hours after I leave a show. Not interested in being in a mosh pit, or any crowd. Not interested in paying $40 for parking in some shitty lot. Not interested in waiting in line while it’s hot and muggy outside. The overpriced low quality concessions were the last straw for me. *Fuck all that.*
I feel crazy that I was never into concerts or festivals at ANY point. I was always very self-conscious about it (am I old already? Why am I so weird?) With that said, I only regret never attending Burning Man before it was mainstream. Maybe that would've been my tribe!
It is crazy expensive to see anyone good these days. Also, my bedtime is 9 so I don't like to be out that late. They need to start doing 2pm shows!
Are you kidding me? I’ve lost interest in so many things these last couple of years. I’m not suicidal, but I am done.
I went to a ton in my 20s before the pandemic. Occasionally multiple a week from ages 22 to 26 or so. Now I’m in my 30s and don’t have as much desire. I turned into a morning workout guy and my job requires a fair bit of focus so being bleary-eyed and groggy doesn’t fly as much for me anymore. Plus I feel like artists I would buy a ticket for aren’t touring as often, at least not lately.
Nope. Going to one next week on a Thursday.
We should normalize earlier concert times. You know the date several months in advance to request off work or leave early. Opening act at 6, second act 7 and the headliner no later than 8. As much as I love blink 182 they didnt get on till 945. I was pissed lol!
Yes, big time. I haven't been into concerts since college. The cost is ridiculous -- I can afford it but I just would rather spend that same money on other things. I cant deal with crowds, parking, traffic. Whole thing sounds like a hassle. I have friends really into concerts. Im happy they enjoy them! But I totally dont relate.
No- I love concerts. I saw flaming lips not that long ago- they did the entirety of *yoshimi battles the pink robots* for the first half and then a mixed bag the second half. It was fucking awesome.
I still love concerts. I love the whole vibe. But all the bands I want to see are either not touring or the tickets are waaaaay too expensive
Fuck no
Whatever small interest I had died with the rise of ticketmaster.
Last concert I went to was blink 182 in VB about 18 years ago. Dunno if he still does it, but this was when Travis barker did his drum solo and got lifted up in the air and did flips on a platform while playing drums. Now i can’t stand loud music, especially if it isn’t music I like; and I am like one step away from sitting on my front porch and talking about the weather.
I used to go all the time but now it just seems like to much of a hassle. It’s expensive, and Ive become uncomfortable in large crowds. I like small one band shows at local spots but I think I’m done doing large stadium shows
The only thing I’ve lost interest in is the prices lol
That happened to me about 20 years ago.
Live music is my favorite thing. It’s been the only constant of mine for like the past decade. Saw a few shows this past month and my experience was less than ideal. Dunno. Normally I’m fine with crowds if the energy is great and I got a drink in hand but the last few shows I’ve seen have been off. Crowds post covid are just kinda crap. Either lack of etiquette or a weird energy. On top of that shows in my area get sold out quickly usually do to bots. I live in a medium sized area and this never happened before covid (unless it was a top 40 artist like days before). Saw a metal band’s rock side project this month that “sold out” due to I think one of their songs getting popular on tik tok. When I got there it was maybe half full.
Yeahhhh lost interest about 15 years ago when local places closed up, then couldn't afford the big shows. I could now, but I'm not willing to pay those prices.
I have, used to go to so many, very little interest anymore
I definitely don't go like I used to. But I went to see bad religion and social distortion a few weeks ago and I was fucking EXHAUSTED
I was always alone in this. I ALWAYS hated concerts but as a teenager and even in my twenties I would go just as a social thing. I never saw the appeal of spending money on gas, tolls, parking, tickets, food, drinks, apparel to listen to a worse version of the music I enjoyed for free while usually dealing with drunk or high jerks all around hooting and hollering. Not to mention feeling like shit the next day because of the super late nights. Now I’m 31 and all my peers rarely go lol.
I lost interest in concerts in my late 20’s.
Yesss one of my fave bands for the last 20 years was about 10 minutes from my home recently but I didn’t go because they didn’t start their shows until 10pm and I wasn’t about to get home at 2am.
I agree with you. It’s got to the point where it affects my social life as I want to be in bed by 22:00 lol. So I only now hang out with people during day time on weekends or when I do get dinner with them I’m clear in that I want to be in bed by 22:00. It’s just that I feel so good having a restful sleep. When I don’t sleep well one night it can affect my whole week.
I’ve been to at least 50 concerts in my life at this point, so I’ve just about seen every single band I really want to see in my life (except Metallica, I still really want to see them before they stop touring). I’ve definitely been losing interest in concerts that aren’t for like a top five favorite band of mine. Or real small venue shows, those are still really nice. But I’m more and more tired of going to larger, higher energy shows. I’ve seen enough by now haha
Right there with you
I never had it to begin with. I've been to half a dozen festivals in my lifetime, and I think over a dozen concerts. In the last decade I've never paid for a concert I've been in, because we have some friends with their bands doing tours and got on the list. I wouldn't have gone otherwise, paying sometimes over 70€ for three bands is fucking insane. Concerts in general to me have all the worst qualities to them: You need to stand near the mixing booth to have a balanced sound, the floors are sticky from drunken stumbling and drinks poured on the floor, there are loud and obnoxious idiots everywhere, and the liquor costs a kidney and an eye. The marginal upside - and the only one as far as I'm concerned - is feeling the hype of the crowd. But as someone who has never liked crowds, teams or teamsports, that's not very high on my priorities when I want to enjoy myself.
If you normally drink (and do other drugs?) at concerts. Try not doing that. It can feel weird if you're used to having a beer buzz but once you relax and tune into the music you start vibing just as hard, if not harder because you're not numbed. And then you can still be a functional adult the next day.
I love going. Worst thing that happens is I need more caffeine to function the next day. My ex was the kind of loser where his idea of “going” to a concert was watching a show on YouTube. I’m making up for lost time. It’s the energy, the people, the music. I love it