This Friday I will be attending my *mumbly sounds*th Hanson show, and over the years I’ve developed a list of concert tips that I follow myself. I have had the luxury of attending their fan club weekend every year for awhile now, and as a “Fanson” you get used to a lot of waiting. The band is running perpetually on “Hanson time,” which basically means everything starts late. As such, I have many years of concerts to formulate what I’m about to share with you! Of course, these ideas don’t have to be applied exclusively to Hanson shows.
Concert Tips:
Wear comfortable shoes
Hanson shows in particular involve a LOT of standing, even on the rare occasions they are in seated venues. Some of us (lovingly) refer to fan-club weekend as annual standing-in-line weekend, so it has become imperative to wear comfy shoes. Rain or shine, cold or hot, there’s no sense in suffering feet and back pain just to wear cute shoes. Plus, you need good traction if you’re going to spend much time jumping up and down. I mean, try it in your stilettos if you’re determined, but I promise you’ll be happier in the long run if you don’t.
Take a small bag or no bag at all
Packing light for the show has a number of benefits
- Bag checks are a snap if you don’t have a bag or one so small you couldn’t fit contraband in it.
- You’ll avoid the neck, shoulder and back pain of spending a long evening on your feet with a heavy bag.
- If you’ve got a seat, you don’t have to worry about where to put a big bag.
- You’re won’t have a bunch of personal clutter keeping you from dancing, jumping and having a rocking time.
Plus it’s really easy to be organized when you don’t have that much with you! Just keep the essentials – ID, money and/or credit card, insurance cards, lip balm, eye drops and mints, etc.
Look into the area ahead of time
If you’re going to a concert somewhere you haven’t been before, make sure to check out the venue and surrounding area ahead of time. Most venues have websites where you can get the lay of the land and find out about parking, eating and other things to do around the site. There’s nothing worse than running late or feeling stressed because you can’t find a place to park, grab a bite, or worst of all, you’re in desperate need of a bathroom before you enter the building!
Don’t watch the whole thing through your phone screen or camera lens
This is one that I still have to fight through sometimes. So many of us think we need good photos or video to commemmorate the experience. Even more, it’s fun to share those on social media in the moment to capture up-to-the-minute updates. RESIST!! It’s easy to get so caught up in documenting and sharing what’s happening that it takes away from savoring the moment and creating lasting memories. I’m not saying you shouldn’t snap a few photos. But the pictures rarely do the memory justice. Not to mention that the people behind you don’t want to have to watch the concert through your screen, either!
There you have it
My best concert tips for having a good time and being comfortable while you’re at it. You can bet I’ll be abiding by them when I head to Chicago on Friday. Also, did I mention Finally It’s Christmas?!
Do you have any concert tips you always follow? Share them in the comments!
