Vidhi Bubna shares why she no longer likes to attend concerts.
I attended my first live concert when I was 14 to see Hardwell. I still remember waiting in the traffic to get to the stadium, standing there in line to enter, the rush inside, the smell of alcohol, people standing squirmishly close to each other and the sweat of it all. Someone spilled alcohol on me. My friends and I held hands and made our way through the crowd. What felt fun back then feels chaotic now that I’m 27.
I see the statistics – people are increasingly opting to go for live events and spending more than ever to see their favorite artists perform live. But it’s a little too chaotic for me. I have attended over 20 live concerts and the charm is dead for me.
A friend of mine says “Going to a concert is like going to the shrine of your favorite artist just to bow down and come back”. And I get it – it’s just not fun anymore and the experience of the audience is not being prioritized beyond the stage antics and diversity in food stalls.
Personally, I enjoy music in isolation or with a small group of friends. Off late, I schedule a bi-monthly car drive with some friends. A scenic area, a national park or into the late-night darkness. And we blast our favorite music during the drive – sometimes on loud volume, sometimes soft as background music – whatever we all want and we enjoy the music in the backdrop of nature and silence.