As a metalhead, I'll admit it's difficult sometimes to wrap my head around why someone wouldn't like this type of music, it's fast, loud, and doesn't care — what's not to love? Even if Metal (or Metalcore) isn't something you're passionate about, I still believe that there's still a lot of value in at least going to a show once and seeing how the other side lives. You'll find that even if the music isn't appealing, you can still enjoy yourself and find that local shows can offer a lot, especially in terms of...
Passion
Something that is understated about local shows is the passion and vitality that exists in these places, where talented musicians choose to play for at most a hundred people, making this setting an intimate one and a passionate one. Watching the band Currents from Newtown, CT, I saw firsthand the showmanship and the intimacy between artist and fan, during most of the set there was a group of around seven people singing and screaming right in front of the band’s singer, Brian. At one point during the show, Bryan invited many of the guys singing along up to the mic to sing (mostly scream). Although you might not understand the lyrics or why people even like this music, passion is something that anyone can understand and appreciate.
Meeting new people
A sizable chunk of people who you’ll meet at local shows are people who regularly go to them and are aware of the local acts, most likely they’re friends with some of the band members. Going to see local shows lets you find a community close to home, one where you’ll find like-minded people who all enjoy rocking out and enjoying the music, metalheads are a diverse and accepting bunch, so even if you're not a fan of their music, you'll find plenty of people to talk to about anything else.
Freedom
One of the core pillars of the metal ethos is to be an individual and eschew the collective. While metalheads tend to be a collective, it’s a different type of collective, while most of the people tend to dress similar to a show, dark jeans, sneakers and a band t-shirt, there is no judgement if you show up in a chicken suit. You will find a space where you’re free to be as weird or normal as you like. Many metalheads themselves have been teased because they might have dressed differently, or were "devil worshippers" or "liked that screaming music" so we are always careful not to judge others.
Motivation
Whenever I leave a show, I always feel invigorated and motivated. The people playing up on the stage are just normal people, but they decided to take the plunge in putting themselves out there. Whether the music is good or bad, it’s admirable for a person to have the courage to put their work and art to be seen and heard. It motivates me to keep working on my own music and gives me hope that one day, I also can have the courage to put myself out there.
