Concerts and the Concertgoers who Go to the Concerts to which they Go as Goers-To
 

So, last night I caught a show by Battles, and despite the numerous sound problems and mess of wires it was a great show. Anyways, after recuperating from the loudness and smoke-filled atmosphere (even though there was a fucking designated smoking zone outside, fuckers), I decided to see if NPF was a forum of concertgoers.

I was never a big concert fan for about 18 years, but then I went to Lollapalooza and the Pitchfork music festivals and uncorked a huge concert fanatic inside me. I think I do it a little out of guilt however, because I haven't bought a CD in 5 years and going to concerts and buying merch is my way of putting money directly into their hands and avoiding label fatcats (don't try to ruin my idealism, it is far too ingrained).

I think seeing your favorite bands live is kind of necessary. Some bands just manage to sound so different live (TV on the Radio, Explosions in the Sky), or make mediocre CD songs awesome (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), or have batshit crazy live performances (Flaming Lips), or just harness the entire band's live energy into pure awesomeness (Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire). Of course, some bands...suck live. Maybe it was the venue, or the sound stage, or whatnot, but I can't listen to the Shins the same way.

Anyways, what concerts have you guys been to? Also, since that's a flimsy pretense for a thread, here's some conversation topics!

A. What's your favorite venue? Arenas, cramped bars, outdoor festivals, acoustic music halls, what jumps your bones?

B. Concert-routines. Any wacky practices you hold yourself to before going to a concert? (I'm pretty tame: No listening to the band on the car ride over, no band shirts at the concert, that kind of stuff.)

C. What's the NPF view on screaming at concerts? I'm not talking "Woohoo, we're at a concert" screaming, I'm talking frat-boy-esque wails of "PLAY FREEBIRD!" (a lot less funny outside Guitar Hero) or just plain ol screaming the name of the band TO the band.

D. That Guy. The 29-34 year old, thinning hair, potbellied dude who hangs out/around the teenagers, giving a slight Chester the Molester vibe to the area. I think the scary thing about That Guy is that...any of us could become one of them. I figure I've got about ten years before liking the music I like now garners me the title of Posuer or Just Sad. Is there nothing I can do to stave this off. I'm very judgemental of These Guys currently, what if teenagers in ten years are just as mean in their thinking? I'll still be cool then, hopefully, why won't they realize it?

I'm not exactly what you would call a huge concert goer, because most of the musicians I listen to are dead (mostly because of drugs), being jazz musicians.
I do like going into cramped jazz bars at night (I'm going there tonight, yay!) to listen to some of Montreal's great jazz musicians (most of them are my teachers or going to be my teachers someday). And since the International Jazz Festival is about to start here in a few days, you bet that I'm going to enjoy some outdoor concerts with my friends, listening to some old and new jazz.

I love living in this city...there's always a jazz show to see every night!:)

Here's the bands I've seen live:
Matchbox 20
Uncle Kracker
Rick Springfield
Switchfoot
Cold
Taproot
POD
Staind
Eric Church
Jason Aldean
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Blue October
Saliva
Buckcherry
Candlebox
Ingram Hill
The Wreckers
Dierks Bentley
Barenaked Ladies
Three 6 Mafia
Craig Morgan
Social Distortion
Papa Roach
Hinder
Sum 41
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Egypt Central
Daughtry
Joe Nichols
and a bunch of local bands.

I prefer outdoor concerts to just about anything else. Since my friend's band, The Fairwell(look for their CD later this year), plays in small venues often, I've also grown quite accustomed to concerts in bars.
I don't do much to prepare, mostly it's just making sure I bring a lighter and finding a way to sneak in some alcohol.
Yeah, I do the "Play Freebird" thing and have also yelled out shit like "You're my new gods!". When The Fairwell play, I tend to be a little more off-the-wall with the yells because I have a few inside jokes with the band.
At a recent concert, the guy behind me was just as tall as me, shirtless, and he was just as hairy as me. The dude creeped me the fuck out. It was also wierd because it made me wonder what the people in front of me think when they see a 6'6", hairy-chested nineteen year old behind them.

I'll post some stories from concerts later.

You might be interested in seeing some Beatles reinactment concerts. I've been to some and they are quite enjoyable.

Myself. I've been to two Beatles reinactment concerts, two Weird Al concerts, one Mark Lowery one, and *coughthebackstreetboyscough* (it was when I was young and stupid!) Yes, I know, nothing really rocking.

I personally prefer the more tame ones, where people sit and stay out of my personal space. Although screaming and yelling is good too. I quite enjoyed the Weird Al concerts a lot.

Although, now that I think about it, I did go to one local rock band concert. It was in the back room of a coffeeshop, and it was way too crowded. And music played by a band called "Nocternal Emissions" was... uh... interesting. Plus I was suck a nerdy, happy person, me and my friend I went with were the only people not wearing all black and with five dozen piercings.

The thing about That Guy is that if and when you turn into That Guy you won't give two shits about any particular thing teenagers happen to think, and you won't give a fuck about your "Chester the Molester vibe" because you'll be too busy, you know, trying to feel up teenaged girls.

Oh man, I can't believe I forgot to add concert attire.

Maybe it's because indie music breeds a sense of "Fuck the establishment"-ness which leads to a sort of...'intriguing' fashion sense. Whatever the reason, I'm pretty sure the thrift store industry, specifically the ballet shoe and leggings sector, is being supported solely by gawky scene girls.

I went to a Barenaked Ladies concert a week ago. Pretty much my first concert ever, and it was amazing. I don't think I make a very good concert person(I don't dance, ever) but it was still a great time. They often just break into random conversations between songs, for example, they discussed and then rapped about a man right near me who was using beer bottles as maracas.

Hey, I happen to like my ballet flats and leggings and skinny jeans, and I'm very far from what you would call scene >_> Actually, I'm pretty sure those are standard articles of clothing now- at least they are in my redneck town. They don't seem to be about scenester...ing as much as the inevitable changes in fashion trends that occur every couple of years.

Anyways, I'm not much of a concert person. I am, however, seeing The White Stripes in July. Yay.

Oh man, if dancing skill was a requirement for concert attendance I...I guess I wouldn't go to a lot of concerts. My repetoire is primarily of the "Bob your head to the beat/Tap your leg to the beat" variety, but that seems to be the common toolset at the concerts I've been to. My friend sometimes dabbles in the "Roll your shoulders along with solo" arts, and I give him crazy eyes. (Don't get me started on the people who look like interpretive art-dropouts, flailing wildly about and taking up precious concert real estate for their craziness.)

Of course, hardcore shows might require a karate belt of a color at least darker than purple just to survive.

I dunno, around my college campus the percentage of "I'm scene-ing so hard right now it hurts"-attire is about 5%, but that number jumps to about 85-90 at pretty much any concert I've gone. Maybe the concerts are just one huge magnet for the 5%.

I do know that the most ridiculous garb I've ever seen was at the Pitchfork Music Festival. I have to think that there was some unannounced contest for "Most Outrageously Anti-Establishment" going on, because it would kill my soul if people actually thought that shit would fly outside the concert.

I'm a mosher. It's fun. You can't do anything the next day without a vile of vicodin in your pocket, but it's totally worth it. Some big bands I've seen are Stone Sour, Shadows Fall, Lacuna Coil (I didn't think they'd mosh in this one, but oh boy...), Godhead, and American Head Charge (That one was painful). I'm the one in the middle of the mosh head banging and throwing the horns and/or middle finger. Well... that's everyone, so yeah.

But I've been to the more classic rock ones in outside arenas. Mainly Lynyrd Skynyrd and Styx. And yes, I did scream "Play Freebird!" there.