There are two types of concert-goers. There are the occasional ticket-buyers, who see music every once in a while, but otherwise have an excuse not to because they “can’t afford it” or “don’t have time,” and there’s the full-on music addict, who takes every chance they get to go see live music. Whether it’s an up-and-coming band or one that’s already established and well-favored, the avid music lover always chooses to go see live music over anything – and everything – else. There are several reasons as to why people are making this into a more conscious decision, but here are ten of them:
10. If you go see live music, you have a completely organic experience that nothing else can compare to.
By definition, live music presents an opportunity for both musicians and fans to engage in an intimate experience that is intrinsically different each time. The music itself is a direct result of the mutual environment between the artists and their crowd, the energy they share, and the various influences within the atmosphere. Every venue, every promoter, every band, every fanbase is completely different, and with every possible combination of these elements comes an inherently different outcome. The difference, though, with music, is that it holds an entertainment value that consumes you in a way that no other art can.
9. Unlike drugs, music gives you a natural high.
Music has a direct effect on our hormones; it can even be considered a natural antidepressant. This is because your reaction to certain songs can cause the release of serotonin and dopamine (neurotransmitters) in the brain that lead to increased feelings of happiness and well-being. It also releases norepinephrine, which is a hormone that invokes feelings of euphoria. Feelings of happiness and pleasure are intrinsically related to listening to music, as well as they are stimulated by physical exercise, mind-altering drugs, sex, among other activities. The only difference being that unlike the consumption of these other activities, music consumes you and has the ability to drastically change your current state in a shared experience.
8. Music biologically changes the way you feel.
This is why we choose to listen to certain types of music based on the emotion we want to manifest. Our emotions become direct results of rhythm and tone in the music of the present moment. With the heart synced to the rhythms pulsating through our eardrums, it is no wonder we become sad when listening to slower, more depressing songs; or the opposite, as we become overjoyed by feelings of excitement and energy when listening to more upbeat, positively stimulating songs. This is because our hearts and our brains are connected (though at times they may seem inappropriately disconnected!).
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7. Music brings strangers from all corners of the map together.
Music is the only universal language. On a cultural level, it captivates people unlike any other vocal or body languages. On a social level, it promotes bonding in an environment otherwise unattainable. It is less likely to walk into a random bar and meet a like-minded individual than it is to meet someone at a concert you both chose to attend. However, it is possible to meet a like-minded person in a musical environment anywhere across the world, so long as you both march to the beat of the same drum.
6. Music brings friends and families together to create memories that are invaluable.
Every night of music is another night of building history, so it’s best to have your crew there along with you. You can’t make every show, but you can make the best of the ones you do make. The chances of remembering the concert experience is much greater than spending these times together while staying at home, going about automatic existences, or engaging in monotonous activity. The memories created at a concert are there to last forever, as they are completely unique to the surrounding once-in-a-lifetime influences of which you chose to engage in.
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5. Nothing else matters when you’re at a concert.
Everyone has responsibilities at home. One of the best things about live music is that none of those responsibilities matter while you’re there. No one is thinking about paying bills or scheduling doctors appointments, or what to get their boss for the holidays when they are surrounded by hundreds or thousands of like-minded individuals gallivanting in the midst of a musical dream. Unlike most other activities on a day-to-day basis, attending a concert is something you choose to do, so it’s worth making the best of it and letting the distractions of your surroundings consume you for just those few hours.
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4. By attending live music, you’re supporting local businesses.
Venues don’t run unless people buy tickets to shows; talent-buyers don’t buy talent unless people buy tickets to shows; bands don’t play unless people buy tickets to shows. It’s a cycle, trickling all the way down to the bartender, where one can’t exist without the other. No matter what the case, you should always be willing to buy a ticket. The money trickles through the hands of many people who stick their heads out of their own zone to make sure things run smoothly for all involved. Every booking is a risk, so be sure to support all risk-takers in the game. Not only that, become a risk taker and go see more live music.
3. By buying a ticket, you’re supporting future music.
Things aren’t how they used to be. Record sales don’t mean anything anymore, not that people buy physical music anyway. Even download services are about to go extinct. Since streaming services don’t provide any real monetary value, live music is the only way for bands to survive. By performing concerts, bands are able to 1) earn money to support future tours and music-making, 2) get more fans who will pay to support future tours and music-making, and 3) satisfy talent-buyers who will choose to support future tours and music-making. It’s a symbiotic relationship; when one element goes down, everything goes down with it.
2. Your money is better spent supporting live music than it is engaging in most other activities.
Because of the above-mentioned reasons, it is only natural to believe that making the decision to go see live music is of the best decisions one can make. Despite the invariable assumptions some might have about the different types of behavior that goes on in these live music settings, it’s about how you choose to spend your time. Your choice, your experience. Make it right!
1. You can always afford a new life experience.
By attending a concert, you are accepting the reigns of opportunity that will ultimately lead to a new experience. Whether it is a song that strikes a chord, a lesson that you learn along the way, or a person that walks through the door, the atmospheric conditions of this concert experience will inevitably enhance the evolution of this matter to a place where no other experience is able to take you. You have a plot, a narrative, and a setting that’s completely unique to your passion; take advantage of all of that.
Take Away Message: You will never regret any of it.
Even when things go wrong, they go right. Every negative turns to a positive. Every moment becomes the best possible moment. The values of these clichés are indescribably important. Honestly, it is the acceptance of life and it’s disguising ways that will make it all clear. That $10-$100 you spent on a ticket will come right back to your pocket, and you won’t have even noticed it gone. It is never the music you will regret, but it is the music that you missed (and the reason you missed it) that’ll keep you tugging at the strings of your own past’s decision-making. Stay motivated, be uplifted, let the music take you to places you never knew before. Most importantly, though, please thee and have no regrets!