The post-COVID experience has changed drastically whether it’s our preference for working from home or doing classes over Zoom. It’s no doubt that concert culture has adapted as well.
The attendance of concerts, the fashion, the concept of camping out hours or days before shows.
I’ve heard a common ideology going around these days, that people aren’t working because they want to but because they want money to buy concert tickets.
Attendance
Attending smaller shows that average $20 a ticket seems simple for people who have survived quarantine buying hundreds of new clothes or supplies for new hobbies from boredom.
Now there’s less time being bored, so the next best alternative for a fun 3-hour experience is going to a concert.
The class of 2023 to the class of 2026 especially has lost so much of the ‘supposed’ best time of our lives with college and high school years of freedom being obliterated.
Because of this everyone is seeking that missed experience by going to concerts. Celebrating our favorite artists with fellow fans our age.
Fashion
Not only has concert fever increased but the whole culture behind it has changed.
In the past, you wouldn’t typically dress up as if you were going to the MET Gala when getting ready for concerts. However, these days fans go all out by recreating outfits the artist has worn in the past or matching the vibe of the tour.
I love this new change because it makes going to a concert this event. Of course, it’s not mandatory but gives people another thing to look forward to doing to get into concert mode.
I know it makes me hype at least.
What I love about the new fashion culture of concerts the most is that you can dress to the nines and wear the most outrageous outfits that you possibly could not wear on a school campus or at work or in your daily life.
It gives you the chance to step outside of your comfort zone while having people dressed as cool as you surrounding you.
Not only is it the outfits, but the hairstyles and makeup looks that people are dedicated to doing just for themselves are what I enjoy the most.
Of course, sometimes concertgoers want to dress their best in the rare chance the artist sees them, but for the most part, they dress in a way they are the most confident version of themselves – for themselves.
Camping Out
Unfortunately, there is a negative aspect to this adapted concert culture, I fear. In the past, people would show up maybe one hour early to a concert before doors opened.
These days, especially when it comes to general admission venues or venues with pits, fans line up eight plus hours in advance just to be at the barricades. Just to be that close to the artists on the stage.
Not only is this dangerous for the health of the fans but is honestly unreasonable too.
The extremeness only increases as the popularity of the artist increases.
Someone I met at the Wallows concert told me they had been in line for over eight hours just so they could get interactions with the band members.
Another person stood in line for over 15 hours for a Harry Styles show. Another person was in line for a whopping 21 hours for Olivia Rodrigo.
One extreme situation I read about was that people started camping out at 11 pm the day before a Harry Styles concert that was starting at 7 pm. Full on setting up camping tents and everything.
The list goes on and on, with people waiting 8-9 hours for indie artists like Role Model, Clairo, Wallows, etc., and people waiting 15+ hours for more famous artists like Dua Lipa or The Weeknd.
The max I’ve waited in a line was 2 hours, and I’ve gotten barricade for almost every concert I’ve been to. Of course, all those concerts were at The Ritz in Raleigh so it wasn’t difficult to do so.
Over quarantine and Post-COVID many artists that we could refer to as “small” have doubled or even tripled in their monthly listeners and this along with the passion of fans has increased the intensity of concert culture.
It’s fascinating how music consumption and concert culture was so drastically influenced by quarantine and the pandemic.
Regardless of how you want to take part in concert culture, I definitely recommend going to a live show at least once. It’s a life-changing experience.
