Otto: What I love about live music

Music can be a very powerful and meaningful thing for a lot of people. We all consume it very differently, some more intensely and passionately than others. Without even realizing it, whether we like it or not, music is a part of our everyday lives. Some of us listen to our favorite songs by our favorite artists while driving, at the gym, studying, working on an assignment, or just lying in bed late at night staring up at the ceiling.

At least, I did that last one. But I digress.

There are a lot of ways you can listen to music, but in my opinion, nothing quite beats hearing music in the atmosphere of a concert. I believe that going to a live concert is something everyone should get the chance to experience at least once in their lives. Being surrounded by strangers you’ve never met before, dancing along to the wall of sound that’s being directed from the stage towards the audience, singing your heart out to the point where your voice goes raw. For a couple of hours, you get to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

I went to my first concert on March 31, 2017, with my mom, just barely over eight years ago now. I got to see Bon Jovi at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where I was introduced to the live versions of a bunch of songs that I grew up listening to. That night created a feeling that I now, at 20 years old, have been craving to re-experience as many times as I can before my time on this Earth has passed.

Over the past eight years since that concert, I’ve been to about a dozen concerts, seeing artists such as Green Day, Fall Out Boy, blink-182, 5 Seconds of Summer, Wallows, and Niall Horan live. And I’m not looking to slow down there anytime soon, as I’ve already got a couple of concerts lined up for this summer too.

Now, of course, concerts and concert planning can be very expensive. There are a lot of factors that come into play: the size of the venue, where in the world the concert is taking place, how big the artist or band is who’s playing at the concert, and what kind of tickets are available, whether it’s standing room only or actual seating. Ultimately, you could be paying anywhere from $30 to $500 for a single concert ticket. For a college student, especially one who lives on campus, you might not be able to afford to attend a larger-scale concert during the semester. However, for Rowan students who spend enough time in Glassboro and would like to still hear live music, there are usually smaller, more intimate concerts at different venues in town. The house concert scene in Glassboro is especially rich with talent, and the shows are usually pretty cheap and easily accessible. I recommend following The Sewer, The Litterbox, and The Citadel, especially for any future local concerts.

No matter how big or small the location is, live music is a one-of-a-kind adventure, and I encourage everyone, regardless of how many shows they’ve already been to, to continue supporting.