'Sound is usually optimized for that area': Regular concert-goers give super helpful advice for first-timers

Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor

Oct 7, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

You never forget your first concert. Oh man, ask anybody who is a fan of going to music shows and they'll remember everything about their first experience. Where they were, what they were wearing, who they were with, where the stood in the venue, etc. Personally, my first concert was Avril Lavigne with openers Simple Plan (yes, hello, hi, I'm an emo millennial…)—and I can still recall ever single detail from that event even though that was more than 20 years ago. I have some of the confetti taped in my journal from back then. (LOL)

One fellow show rat had a conversation recently with a concert-going newbie and realized they kind of had a struggle. Some shows you need to know what you're going into, like mosh-pits, circles-of-death, etc., whereas other shows are fine to just waltz on into and take it by the horns. So this person turned to Reddit to share their sage advice about going to shows and ask others to share theres.

The number one advice? Get some good ear plugs and do that from day one. The rest of the advice are things you really don't even think about until you've been to at least a dozen shows! See for yourself below. Like going to shows—what would you add?