Why I Go To Concerts Ridiculously Early
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Why I Go To Concerts Ridiculously Early

It's fun, I promise.

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Why I Go To Concerts Ridiculously Early
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Most people who know me know that I go to concerts pretty often. In a little over four years, I've gone to nearly 40 concerts. Concerts are definitely high on my list of favorite things in the entire world. I usually go to alternative rock/pop punk shows and whatever else fits into my terrible music taste. One thing that my friends and I do when we go to shows that confuses a lot of people is that we like to get to the venue hours and hours in advance. The simple answer to why we do this is to be in the front of the line so we can be front row at the show. Although being front row is the main reason, I've found there are tons of other reasons to get to a show early that have created some of my favorite memories.

Meeting the Band When They Load In

For a lot of the smaller shows I go to, my friends and I can easily meet the members of the band that we're seeing when they get to the venue and start loading their equipment in. One of my favorite memories of this was in 2013 when my friend and I saw the band You Me At Six. We went to the show right after school and when we got out of my dad's car when he dropped us off, the singer Josh was right there on the sidewalk talking to fans. I didn't even realize it was him at first because everything was so casual. I love meeting bands in such a casual way because they're just normal people and you can talk to them like a friend, not like a "celebrity." We got pictures with him and then Josh proceeded to ask a fan where the nearest Panera was (typical).

When the Band Appreciates You Coming Early

This is probably one of my favorite concert memories and it wasn't even during the concert. My friend and I saw Echosmith in early March of 2015. 2015 had been a terrible winter for Boston with record-breaking snow totals. By March there was still significant snow on the ground, but I was sick of it and just wanted to pretend it was spring. We got to the venue around 1 p.m. because Echosmith would do a free meet and greet for the first 20 people in line and we wanted to be sure we were two of those 20 people. Turns out we were probably 6th and 7th in line and the line didn't get to 20 for another 3 hours. So there we were waiting in line for five to six hours before the doors opened and it was COLD. We were wearing jackets and gloves but warm clothes can only do so much when you're out in the cold for an extended period of time. Echosmith's merch guy (Dylan) saw the few of us sitting on the cold ground and he had no idea how we were surviving since the band is from California. Dylan and Echosmith's manager/dad (the members of Echosmith are all siblings) decided to go to the Good Will next to the venue and buy blankets for us. The one my friend and I got was a Camp Rock blanket with the Jonas Brothers on it; it was amazing. We couldn't get over how thoughtful they were to go out and buy some blankets for us freezing fans. Then a few hours later, Sydney, the singer of Echosmith, came out of the tour bus and brought us some hot chocolate that she made! I will never forget that the singer of one of my favorite bands made me hot chocolate. She even made lactose free hot chocolate in case anyone in line was lactose intolerant. It was so cute! The concert that night was absolutely amazing but I think I will remember my line experience more than anything.

Spending Time With Friends

Let's face it, concerts are fun times with friends but they're loud so it's not really a place to talk. I've met up with a lot of my internet friends from Twitter at shows. Going to shows early is the best way to actually get to know the people you've only really known through a screen. Getting there early provides lots of time for hugs and selfies. I have a few really good internet friends I've gone to a bunch of shows with now and that's really the only time we get to see each other, so it's always nice having a few extra hours to hang out.

Meeting New Friends

Waiting in line for hours on end is a special way to bond with the strangers sitting next to you. You're both going through the same pain of impatiently waiting for doors to open and depending on the time of year, bracing the extreme cold or heat. You're also going to the same show so you already have something in common: music! Shows are a great way to meet new people who have similar interests to you. There are even some people that even though I don't talk to them, I still recognize them from other shows I've gone to and it kind of creates this whole community of people in the Boston-area who go to the same shows as me. Some of these people I meet in line I probably won't see again but it's nice to have someone to talk to when you're waiting in line for what seems like forever.

So those are some of the reasons I go to concerts a little too early. I don't go to every show hours early because I care about being in the front for some bands more than others, or because of school I just don't have time to get there early, but when I have the opportunity to go early, you can probably find me sitting in front of a concert venue at noon.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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