Why do people like concerts? (1973, picture, Action, Music)

[In2itive_1]

Originally Posted by clawsondude

My post assumes it is a band that actually plays live

I love attending concerts for several reasons. While the band may play songs I've heard many times, it's exciting for me to hear them recreate them live and in the moment. It isn't the same exact performance I've heard at home, I'm watching a unique performance of that song. Maybe the band will decide to play it differently, or maybe the lead guitarist will improvise and take an extended solo. Sometimes you hear notes flubbed here and there or a wrong lyric which I enjoy. Maybe the band will play a song they rarely put in their live set and you'll be there to see it.

There is also a social component. It's fun to see a band you love and be around others who feel the same way. It's a shared experience and there is a real energy being there live.

I am a huge fan of live music. A live concert is the closest thing I've ever had to a religious experience. To me music is the only real magic that exists on Earth.

I think you've said it all. This is how I have felt, for reasons as described. It is an experience and since live, there exists spontaneity and being surrounded by others enjoying themselves, is energizing. I have seen one group many times who are consistently good, yet never know what they may add. It's just fun.

[In2itive_1]

Originally Posted by clawsondude

I’ve also played in bands. There is absolutely nothing on Earth that compares to the feeling of performing live. I was never under any illusion that I would “make it” as a musician, it was just for enjoyment. I have two young kids so I don’t really have the time to do it these days. You’d better believe that when they are older I want to get out there and find and old man bar band to play in!

You made me think of, though different since televised, the recent performance of Queen with Adam Lambert a couple months back. I thought the musicians, though having aged, were fantastic and performed for a long while. It seems they could also not have found a better lead singer than Lambert, either. It was some show.

[KemBro71]

Originally Posted by eddiehaskell

I’m not questioning people’s spending habits...spend how you want. I’m simply attempting to understand what it is that makes concerts so appealing.

Well nothing is sinking in apparently since you post 10000 posts "questioning" these sorts of things to....what end? Justify your choice by minimizing others?

[bursitis]

Originally Posted by eddiehaskell

What do people like about them? I know of people paying $300++ for a ticket. Celebrity worship?

I couldn’t care less about seeing the actual celebrity/performer in person. I certainly wouldn’t want to stand in a crowd watching them on a big screen.

If I like a song - I just want to HEAR the damn song! And after I hear it about 100 times I need my distance...might enjoy it only occasionally if it pops on the radio.

I feel like people think I’m weird when I say I don’t care for concerts.

To socialize and blow off steam while listening to and watching a performer I like.

[Katana49]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

As I’m sure others have pointed out, music found on digital platforms or even CDs are high quality and are likely better than a live singer. I don’t go to many concerts, but at least personally, I’ve found live music to be disappointing.

That's not generally true actually... Most streaming music is compressed, not lossless, and some fidelity is inevitably lost. CD's (as most people know them) represent the entrance to high fidelity, as they too were mastered within certain limitations of the recording sphere, using a 16 bit, 44.1khz process. Nowadays, SACD, and DSD files are much higher audio quality and for distribution, get as close as possible to the actual master recording.


Not everyone can tell the difference of course, so for them, an MP3 or music stream at 128Kbps is just fine. But played against a CD quality or higher recording, there are appreciable differences. With a live performance, there are no filters, you are hearing what is being played, which will undoubtedly have a greater frequency range. But, you're also hearing that particular venue's acoustics, which may or may not make the music actually sound better.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

As I’m sure others have pointed out, music found on digital platforms or even CDs are high quality and are likely better than a live singer. I don’t go to many concerts, but at least personally, I’ve found live music to be disappointing.

Going to concerts or seeing live performances is all about the experience. One is mostly there with their friends or family, and there’s something to be said about enjoying music with like-minded individuals.

Now there are some groups or styles of music that are probably better in concert. I would think something like the Grateful Dead or classical music (two things that aren’t ordinarily grouped together) are probably enjoyed more in concert. Something like Taylor Swift or The Beatles are honestly probably better listening with a good pair of headphones.

Live acoustic folk music and any classical music are incredible, for different reasons. With acoustic folk, you get a feeling of intimacy and immediacy to the voice and instruments that can’t be matched by listening to recordings. And IMO, there is nothing as magnificent as a full symphony orchestra or a pipe organ live concert.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by eddiehaskell

What do people like about them? I know of people paying $300++ for a ticket. Celebrity worship?

I couldn’t care less about seeing the actual celebrity/performer in person. I certainly wouldn’t want to stand in a crowd watching them on a big screen.

If I like a song - I just want to HEAR the damn song! And after I hear it about 100 times I need my distance...might enjoy it only occasionally if it pops on the radio.

I feel like people think I’m weird when I say I don’t care for concerts.

I don't care for concerts, just because it's such a hassle getting there, parking, and seeing clearly from my seat or over the heads of other people. BUT....it is very exciting, if you love the entertainer. I went to see Rod Stewart once at a smallish theater in Dallas. I LOVED it, even though we were sitting up in the balcony. I had binoculars. It was just exciting hearing him sing live, and watch him do his dancing in person...with sometimes an unexpected move. I was, and am, a big fan of Rod Stewart.

OTOH, I went to a BB King concert once & didn't think it was worth the cost or hassle of getting there. It was good, but tho I like BB King, I wasn't a big fan.

You might as well ask "Why do people like to see plays in person, when you can stream them online or see the movie version in a theater, for a lot cheaper & less hassle." I like plays in person because it's a different experience entirely. I've seen a number of plays in person, and one opera. I've loved every one. You have a connection w/the artists, sort of. You can applaud impromptu...and the artists will hear that. You can laugh at a funny part, and they will hear that. They'll also hear if you don't laugh. I appreciate seeing them act and dance & sing on the spot ("live"), knowing that accidents may happen. I can hear the footsteps on the stage. It's like that phrase "the roar of the greasepaint." I find it exciting and more entertaining in some ways than a movie in a theater, which is shot out of sequence, edited, and scenes are reshot sometimes many times.

The film versions are more polished, usually have more famous people, and are higher quality in finished product in some ways. For example, I saw the Bob Fosse play "Chicago" in a theater w/Sandy Duncan playing Roxie. It was great. I saw the film "Chicago" starring Renee Zelweger & Catherine Zeta Jones. It was one of the best musical films I've ever seen. The two productions I saw were a different experience. I loved them both, but I bought the DVD for the film version.

[eddiehaskell]

Originally Posted by bursitis

To socialize and blow off steam while listening to and watching a performer I like.

Sounds good.

[eddiehaskell]

Originally Posted by KemBro71

Well nothing is sinking in apparently since you post 10000 posts "questioning" these sorts of things to....what end? Justify your choice by minimizing others?

I have a desire to understand what people do and why they do it I guess.

[bursitis]

Originally Posted by eddiehaskell

Sounds good.

Drinking beer and smoking weed (as with most experiences) makes it much more interesting.