If you’re anything like me, the idea of seeing your favorite artists live in concert is thrilling. The atmosphere of being around other fans, getting dressed up, and the anticipation of waiting for the artist to come onto stage is unmatched. However, concerts can be difficult to navigate. There are long lines, rude fans, and hard to follow social cues. If you’ve never been to a concert before, or are just looking to learn more about how to approach concerts, look no further. To preface, I have some pretty decent credentials. Throughout my high school experience I’ve seen many concerts and know my way around them pretty well. I’ve seen artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift, Stevie Nicks, and Clairo etc live throughout the past couple of years.
Here are my ultimate tips for concerts, as an avid concert goer.
1. Show up early, but not TOO early
It can be tempting when you’re really excited to see a concert to get to the venue hours early. However, this idea isn’t great. You may get a great seat but you’ll be tired before the show even begins and you won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest extent that you could. Oftentimes, showing up early won’t even guarantee good seats in general admission. If a concert opens its doors at 7 and starts at 8 or 9 (the most common situation I’ve noticed) I’d recommend joining the line or getting to the venue at 6-6:30. Once you get inside, you’ll have plenty of time to buy merchandise, use the bathroom, and find your seat.
2. Spend the money on water at the venue
Buying things like water and food in concert venues is expensive. However, because you can’t bring a water bottle from home into the majority of venues in the DC area, it’s worth it just to spend some extra money on water. You’ve probably seen videos of artists addressing the crowd during concerts because yet another concertgoer has fainted- don’t let that be you! Just buy the water- you’ll thank me later.
3. Make sure to listen to the openers
When I went to see Clairo live in 2019, her opener was Beabadoobee, an artist now just as popular as her. I got to the venue a bit late and didn’t get to hear most of her set, which I regret a lot now that Beabadoobee is one of my favorite artists. When you go to concerts, you should use the opportunity to expose yourself to new things, including finding some of your favorite artists that might be headlining shows in the future.
4. Dress for different kinds of weather
Like I mentioned before, you don’t want to be that person during a concert who faints during a concert from the heat. You also don’t want to be freezing in the nosebleeds of a stadium- a real experience I’ve had. Obviously, you’ll want to take into account the season. When I saw Stevie Nicks in early October I didn’t take into consideration how cold I’d be outside because I was already dressed pretty warm. But when the sun went down, I suddenly wished that I’d brought a parka jacket. If it’s summer- take this advice from Coco Chanel, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off,”. It doesn’t matter if the venue is inside or outside- it’ll feel scorching hot during summer. Also, wear sunscreen.
5. Take videos of songs you might not hear live again
When I go to concerts, I mostly try to avoid taking a lot of videos. I’m bad at holding the phone steady, and I like to really hear the music rather than focusing on my camera angle. However, I regret this a lot. I’ve seen Phoebe Bridgers live three times, and my favorite song of hers ever has always been “Punisher”, the title track of her 2020 album. The second time I saw her live she announced she would never play that song live again for reasons unknown, but I immediately regretted not recording the first time I’d seen it live.
Concerts can be scary, but once you get there and the music starts, it’s so easy to enjoy yourself and have a really nice evening. If you haven’t been to one, I highly recommend you find some that are coming up soon in the DC area and get tickets. It’s a good excuse to get dressed up and hang out with friends.
