Concert Myths

        Music caught itself on a snag in my soul when I was young, and it's been there for me over the years with such consistency that I can't imagine not having it in my life. The only thing better than finding good music is attending a good concert. I swear, if I don't go to at least one concert a year I'll combust.

       There are some misconceptions about concerts that I've had many people mention to me lately and, if these fallacies are not fixed, you could miss out on some great performances.

1) Concerts are too expensive.

       This is just not true; do not let it stop you from seeing a band live because it's not even a good excuse. Sure, there are expensive concerts (I gave up on Coldplay this summer because the least expensive ticket was over $150), but the majority of them are actually quite affordable. When I saw Panic! At the Disco and Fun., it was only $38. The first time I saw Passion Pit, the tickets were only $21, and Graffiti6 had a $12 concert in Atlanta this summer. There are added expenses like $10 parking and one and half hours worth of gas, but it's never  not been worth it. Another type of concert experience is a music festival and, though the overall price may seem expensive ($60-$120), you are going to see about four bands/artists a day for 3-5 days; this averages out to a pretty amazing deal, especially as the festivals offer at least two big names a day. Don't tell yourself that you can't go to a concert because it will be too expensive, there are plenty of free and cheap concerts in college towns and big cities.

2) Music festivals are dirty, drug ridden, and sex-filled?

       Seriously? If you can get in position to have sex when there are hundreds of people crushed together then good for you; that's impressive. And as far as drugs go, I have never seen anything more harmful than pot, and that is only prevalent at certain performances; not all of them are subject to that. There is a lot of drinking, but it's a concert/fair/outside gathering, there is always drinking. Now, as far as being dirty goes, that's not a fair argument to make to the event organizers. They work to keep their grounds as clean as possible so that they can continue to hold the event for years to come (and if you attend an established festival, it's bound to be better organized, cleaner, and generally safer). There is always a large number of volunteers (who wouldn't agree to a few days of manual labor for some free concerts) who are constantly on the move, picking up trash along the way. Overall, music festivals are a really fun place to see a lot of bands and meet people. The only way you won't enjoy yourself is if you go in with that mind set and decide to hang out in the obviously bad places (don't expect the porta-potty alley to be clean, well-lit, and full of fresh flowers). Also, there are police and firemen milling around everywhere and, the larger the concert, the more protection they have. Some festivals will even bring in military police if they suspect a band will be popular, providing extra security for everyone.

3) There are never any concerts near me.

       Unless you live in a college town or a major city, there usually are not concerts next door to you, but that doesn't mean you can't drive to them. Most of the concerts I attend are a minimum of one hour away, but one hour isn't long to drive for a great performance. I would actually prefer that longer drive over a short one; it gives you and your friends time to get excited and then, on the way back, time to talk about the concert and sing along to the album you bought at the merchandise table (always buy something from the merch table to help your favorite band).

- E