Serial concert going has become a raging pandemic; as widely seen in the series of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras” tour shows, hitting every single concert of a particular artist or sequence of artists has become a prerequisite to being a music enthusiast. This isn’t unique to only Taylor Swift; artists such as Beyoncé, Lana Del Ray, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, and several K-pop projects have just a few of the most anticipated and attended tours/shows.
In addition to going to individual artist performances, attending music festivals has risen in popularity as well. Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands are a few of the most highly anticipated and attended music festivals of recent years. A significant component of appeal that concerts offer is that they act as a kind of social gathering; a sense of community is amplified when thousands of like-minded fans bond over a mutual passion for music. Music is such a powerful social glue; many use concerts as an opportunity to meet new people who are as enamored with an artist or band as they are. Music is a fundamental aspect of an individual – many associate music taste with specific personal qualities. Therefore, it is likely that individuals with similar musical tastes will get along as the genre that one may favor could translate into their personality traits. Concert attendees often feed off each other’s energy, getting swept up in each others’ infectious excitement, fostering further feelings of belonging.
More often than not, I am not able to attend the concerts of my favorite artists, but I do love watching live streams or videos of the event!
— Summer Najib (10)
It is also important to acknowledge that many take advantage of these in-person experiences following years of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. As society slowly reboots and returns to a somewhat normal state, the appeal of an extra, whole-day festivity intensifies. Unequivocally, the whole concert experience might last longer than simply a day – from fighting online to buy highly sought-after tickets, meticulously planning a perfect concert outfit, memorizing the setlist in advance, and maybe even binging fan-cams from previous shows of the musician’s performance, it often becomes a month-long affair. Dressed to impress, music followers have imposed high expectations for crowd interaction during shows; elements like lightsticks, merch, friendship bracelets (a Taylor Swift exclusive!), and knowledge of call-and-response and chants are used to demonstrate support. Furthermore, social media has contributed significantly to concert culture development. People indulge in conveying enthusiasm to others and preserving enduring memories; by sharing their musical excursions through images and videos, people can relive their concert experience while also providing an online viewer with a close experience. Summer Najib (10) reveals, “More often than not, I cannot attend the concerts of my favorite artists, but I do love watching live streams or videos of the event!”
