I went to my first concert when I was 15, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it changed my life. I have always loved music, but after I was able to experience it live, I never wanted to stop. Everything about concerts made my heart scream with joy - the lights, the screaming crowd, the thump of the bass through the speakers. There was always such a special connection between artist and audience; it was indescribable.
Four years and many concerts later, I still have the same appreciation that I did the very first time, but I have also realized something. Every concert where I wasted time taking videos of every song that I could was pointless. In the end, it made the concert less enjoyable. I remember the exact concert that gave me this realization. I was seeing Young the Giant in Cincinnati in 2017, and I was in the very front, against the gate. That night gave me a lot of cool videos of band members standing right in front of me and even the lead singer looking directly into my camera. After all of that, though, looking through the videos, it didn't feel nearly as real.
Why had I spent so much time staring into my phone when I could've been actually watching this incredible thing happen right in front of me?
I actually saw Young the Giant again, just last night, at the same venue, and the lead singer brought up all of the things that can separate the band from the audience, and I think the biggest thing is your phone. He might've been talking about all of the theatrics of being on stage, but the main message was the same. Experience this moment.
Think about it. After you spend hours on your phone with this live music right in front of you, what are you going to have to show for it? Some cool videos, sure, but after you show them to all of your friends, and they feign awe, what do you have now? Your only memories are what you saw through that screen. What about all of the parts you missed while you were getting your camera ready? It's always nice to have a few videos to keep the memory alive, but you bought these tickets for the experience.
Every time I go to a concert, I notice so many people with their phone out the entire time. First of all, no one wants to see the entire concert on your story. No one is going to watch it, and no one cares. Secondly, it is so frustrating to see that right next to you! Put down your phone and enjoy the music! This is a moment you will want to remember for the rest of your life, right here, between where the speakers collide and every person around you is dancing their heart out, and it feels like this song was meant for you.
That moment is why I go to concerts, and if you're lucky, that moment will last through the whole concert, and even hours or days later, but you're not going to feel it on your phone. Watching a video will never come anywhere close to how you feel staring up at the lead singer. There's no match for it. So, next time you go to a concert, put your phone down, and feel every second of it. This is why you are here.
