“Jump. Jump. Jump!” the crowd roars – the lead singer responds by squatting and fully
extending his legs and arms to leap towards the crowd. The audience responds in delight as
bodies come towards the singer, in hopes of contributing to the crowd surf.
Scenarios like these may happen when you attend concerts. It doesn’t matter what type of
concert you go to – from the complex and ambient sounds of classical concerts to the gritty,
angst-filled sounds of punk concerts – you are bound to come across an experience you didn’t expect.
The good news is that concert attendance is increasing; according to a study by Statista, in 2003, concert attendance was 48.58 million, and by 2011, attendance rose to 54.3 million.
However, with this being the digital era, there are now other popular means of viewing the sound live.
You can now view almost any concert, anywhere. On the night of a concert, you can lie on your bed and view the concert through a laptop screen. If you missed the live cast, you can pull out your smartphone and look at videos on YouTube. You won’t be thirsty, you won’t be dripping from sweat, and you won’t be tired from standing for hours. You would probably have a better view of the concert than some of the actual participants.
Then, the question is, why go to concerts? How to concerts continue to hype and amplify the energy of its participants since the dawn of the creation of music? The live music and the roars of the audience make a powerful combination, which can only be felt by actually being at a concert. Watching it from a screen means you can change the volume to fit your comfort-hearing it in real life means you are the volume. It would be difficult to share your excitement. However, imagine your favorite song starts playing. Now, imagine your favorite song playing when you’re at a live event. Witnessing others’ reactions and excitement only intensifies your own excitement
Attending the concert also means you are supporting the artist and the venue, since a portion of the revenue goes to them. Viewing the concert through platforms like YouTube, Daily Motion, etc. supports the site you are on, not the artist.
Getting started as a concert-head is not hard; you can search up an artist of your choosing on Google and find tour dates that are near your area. Concerts usually never feature only one artist; with opening acts and co-headliners in mind, get ready to expose yourself to new music.
Music cannot be something you could go to for personal advice, or a shoulder for you to cry on. It can however, the inspiration for you to get through a rough day, or be the last thing you listen to before you sleep in preparation for a big day. These personal experiences are expressed through each jump to the rhythm or each deafening scream for the next song. And when you have an auditorium, or a venue, or an open floor, packed with people and their personal experiences – the feeling is pure ecstasy.
Whether you go to a local bar to catch an upcoming band, or go to a full out music festival with popular headliners, these exhilarating moments can happen whether you go on your own, or with a group. You can go with a close friend and create a special memory. You can ask a person who you’ve been meaning to get to know, but just didn’t know how to break the ice with. Go by yourself if you want, and have fun getting lost in the crowd.