Concerts are meant to be fun. While just getting to see your favorite band perform live on stage is a pretty awesome experience, there are some ways to get even more enjoyment out of your concert-going experience. Here, we’ll list a few things that you can do—both now and at the show—to help yourself enjoy it a little bit more.
Get Good Seats
This one almost goes without saying. The best seats can really enhance the amount of fun that you have at a show. Getting dirt cheap tickets can help you save money, but that’s not always the most important part about getting to a concert. Sometimes, paying a lot more for tickets is worthwhile, especially if you can end up sitting exactly where you want to be.
In order to get the best seats for your next show, you need to familiarize yourself with the venue first. In some venues, standing room only is not a good thing. It means that you are way in the back and off to the side and won’t be able to see much. At other venues, standing room only is the best part of the whole show. Check out the ticket seat maps that a lot of the bigger sites have and make sure you are familiar with the stadium and are happy with where your tickets are located before you commit to purchasing them.
Cut Your Costs
You don’t want to spare any expenses to get the best seats possible, but that doesn’t mean that you want to spend as much money as you possibly can. For a lot of people, this actually makes the show a stressful experience. Because of this, skipping lines can usually help you to have more fun. Not only are you saving money by avoiding the overpriced food and merchandise, you are spending more time actually seeing the show.
Some people want a souvenir from the show. If you are one of those people, that’s okay. Just know that getting merchandise at a show can be far more expensive than it should be, and it can eat into time that could be spent enjoying the band. If you’re okay with that, then go for it. The food, drink, and gear can be a part of the experience, but this isn’t always for everyone. Being aware of what you’re comfortable with beforehand will make the show that much more fun overall.
Another easy way to cut costs at a show is to familiarize yourself with parking and transportation. We’ve already talked about this a little bit, but if you can avoid waiting for two hours in the parking lot after the show because you parked down the street and walked to the entrance, go for it. Some people like the pre-show party that many parking lots will have, but again, this is one of those things where it’s important to know what you enjoy and then go for it.
Be Prepared
Most of the time, your standard indoor show won’t leave you with much to need to be prepared for. You’re inside, so you’re safe from wind and rain, and most of the time, you won’t be allowed to bring something to drink into the show with you. For outdoor shows, especially festivals, it’s a whole different story. You will want to be prepared for the elements if you’ll be outside. Even if it seems like it will be a nice day, having rain gear with you can prevent a lot of misery if a surprise rain storm does hit. Nothing can ruin a show like being cold and wet, and being prepared for such an occurrence can take a miserable show and make it into an awesome experience.
There are always other things that you’ll want to take into account, too. For example, paying for parking is one of those things that isn’t often given a lot of attention, but will most likely need to be taken care of. If you haven’t bought a pass ahead of time, you’ll need to buy one at the show. Very rarely do parking attendants accept credit cards. Having some cash on you is a must. This can also speed up any purchases that you want to make, if you do end up needing to buy something.
A concert is meant to be an awesome time. The more prepared you are and the more thought that you’ve put into how to get the most out of the show, the closer you will be to having the ultimate concert experience.