By Jacey Gibb

oncerts are a beautiful thing. You pay money to go
; and see a band perform music that you can easily

download and listen to at home for free. But just
listening to the music doesn’t provide you with the proper
experience. Some bands have a sound that’s impossible to
capture electronically while others are better known for
their wild, live theatrics (The Flaming Lips anyone?). My
point is that attending concerts is an essential activity for
any fan of music, yet there are usually two different takes
on how to host them: the smaller shows, usually hosted at a
bar or club and the others that are a grander event, usually
held in a stadium or similar venue (for arguments sake,
we’re going to ignore the ones that fall in the middle). Both
variations have different things going for them and I’m here
to dissect the pros to find which method produces the best
results.

Large concerts:

Bigger WOW Factor- Due to higher ticket costs, this
usually allows for the bands to employ a better setup and

a more impressive array of lights and other stage props,
meaning the aesthetics might be better. This is purely up for
debate though as I’ve paid eighty dollars for a show where

the band utilized only a backdrop and nothing else, whereas
I’ve gone to shows where I only paid twenty and I was
greeted with a spectrum of lasers and colourful balloons
being thrown into the audience.

Mosh Pits- Unleashing your wild side at concerts is
probably one of the defining characteristics. I don’t shell
out the extra money to get floor tickets for a show so I can
act proper and have a laid back evening; I’m expecting that
from the collective sweat I’m going to acquire from the
crowd, people will think I just fell in a pool with my clothes
on. I’m not a fan of the mosh pits with everyone basically
punching each other, but I fully expect a certain quota of
rowdiness to be filled. Another thing to point out is crowd
surfing isn’t the easiest task in the world if the venue can
only hold two hundred people at max capacity.

Mob Mentality- If someone sees a person engaging in an
activity, they’re usually more inclined to try that activity
out for themselves. It’s amazing how when a single person
starts dancing and moving around at a concert, people
around them usually respond positively and also begin to
move. This kinaesthetic wave can spread like wild fire and
before you know it, there’s a hundred people dancing to the
music. In a larger crowd, those numbers can increase even
more rapidly.

Broader Musical Selection- This one I have to explain
more thoroughly. If a band is playing a larger venue, it can
usually be assumed they’re a bit more established album-

wise. It’s always great when they have a larger discography -

to choose from, allowing for a mix and match set-list that’s
easier to customize. Unfortunately, I’ve been to concerts
where half of the songs were covers just because the band

  

(Pears RE
didn’t have enough of their own original material to fill the
evening with.

Small concerts:

Dollars- This is the first thing I look at and is usually the
deciding factor in whether I’m able to attend a concert or
not. Tickets for the Pacific Coliseum usually start around
the forty dollar range and have nowhere to go but up,
depending on what kind of seats you want and how well
known the band is. Concerts at venues like the Biltmore
Cabaret run from about twelve to twenty dollars for general
admission (to be fair, they’re bars so every ticket is general
admission). Merchandise is usually cheaper too, with
concert-tees falling more in the reasonable price range of
fifteen to twenty dollars as opposed to the thirty plus you’ll
see at the bigger shows. I can’t vouch for this one, but it’s
safe to say alcohol is probably less expensive too.

More Intimate- Often times at these shows, they don’t

have security guarding the stage, making sure no one gets
within arm’s reach of the band. The unspoken bond shown
here says ‘we can’t afford to have protection from the fans,
sO we’re going to trust we won’t need any’. This sense of
intimacy is almost impossible to obtain at a concert where
even if you’re as close as you can possible get, pressed up
against the bar, there are ten security guards and twenty feet
between you and the band.
Crowd Involvement- This
branches off from the intimacy
factor, where the band is
allowed to engage in crowd
activity more easily. I’ve never
been invited to come on stage
and help sing a verse at a large show but several times at the
smaller ones I’ve had the lead singer swivel the microphone
into my face to sing along. Another instance was when I
saw Hey Rosetta! years ago and the band members handed
out tambourines in an invitation for us to join in on the
performance. Try getting that kind of treatment when you’re
surrounded by hundreds of other fans.

Dedicated Fan base- This last reason may come off as
being pompous but if a band is not as well known, the
chances that someone who ‘really liked that song they heard
on the radio’ will show up is a lot less likely. When you go
to a concert with a band that has yet to make it big, you’re
surrounded by others that are just as invested in them as you
are, creating a sense of almost unity.

There may not be a definite answer to which type of
concert is ‘better’. If the concept of Rising Action has
taught us anything, it’s that most bands playing in the
smaller venues now are striving to one day grace the stage
of the big stadium, with thousands of screaming fans all
begging for a taste of their musical talent (or they break
up before they achieve that level of fame). Whether they’ll
admit it or not, bands strive for success. I’m never sure
whether to be happy or angry when a favourite band ‘makes
it big’ as I’m glad for their achievements but disheartened
at my loss of a more personal relationship with them. True,
everyone is going to have their preferences on what kind of
concerts they like, but ultimately, as a student on a budget,
I’ll stick with my twelve dollar shows at the likes of the
Biltmore and Media Club.

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