Going to a concert can be daunting. What should I wear? What’s on the set list? Do I have good seats? Do I have enough money for merch? These are questions that run through my head all the time. And even though I’ve been to a few concerts, 27 if you include music festivals, it always feels like I am missing something. Here is a short guide on how to have a great concert experience without feeling like you are missing anything.
Invite a friend.
Going to a concert anywhere in a place you don’t know can be confusing. But if you invite a friend, it can be confusing together. Having a friend with you at the concert gives you the ability to feel safe and be able to have someone “hold my stuff” while you run to the restroom. On the trip there you can blast the setlist and make sure you know all the lyrics. You can talk about how much you love the artist and maybe even their hot button topics. Bringing a friend is all about making new memories with someone else and most importantly safety.
Know the setlist.
You ever been in the car when someone who goes for the high note but says the wrong word? Embarrassing. That’s how you’ll feel if you don’t know the lyrics. Most of the time if you are not the opening show of a tour, you’ll be able to find the set list. CAUTION: most performers have different set lists for different countries. Making sure you don’t get caught in a video of you singing when you are supposed to be mute is very important.
Dress comfortably.
All events have dress codes and concerts aren’t excluded. I have been to concerts where I have dressed like what the artist would wear. For example, during the Ariana Grande concert, I wore heels and a high pony. And even though she is my favorite artist, her concert doesn’t even rank top five for me because I wasn’t comfortable and who wants their feet on the icky ground.
Is the price really worth it?
Recently, I went to a Drake concert. My tickets were about $250. Believe it or not I was on the floor about 15 rows from Drake in an arena that had at least 100 rows. Since I was young, I have listened to Drake, and I was willing to spend at least $300 for Drake. When I got to the concert, I realized I knew all of his songs and I enjoyed his music, but I was celebrity shocked. Celebrity shock is when you think you enjoy the person more than you do because of their status. Just because you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of “big” names don’t mean you have spend the most money to see that person. Seats in the back sometimes are the best.
Even though there have been times I didn’t know the lyrics, was sick, uncomfortable and unbearably hot, each time, I enjoyed it. The most important thing about any concert is making memories. Bring your Polaroid, bring your camera and bring your smile.
