First Time Concert-Goer Advice

[MnemoD]

So, those of you in the U.S. may have seen some articles about a Japanese band coming to America and touring with some big name bands.

To help further enlighten the rest of you, the group BABYMETAL is touring with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and some other band that was much less important to me.

They will be near me, and I was contemplating going to the concert- but since it was going to be my first and I have no clue what I'd be getting in for, I've been asking and kind of trying to assess how badly I -do- want to go.

The deets:
It's in Little Rock (Which I live 3 hours away from, closer to Memphis TN), and later in the evening (8PM CST), so I was thinking I would leave in the afternoon and eat dinner and see the sights a bit before the concert, and get a hotel room- since i don't think after a 2-3 hour long concert I would want to try and make the drive home.

Do you guys have any suggestions or recommendations for a newbie in that area?  I kind of need to take tabs of how much the cost is for going (Since the tickets are 113$ on their own, I would imagine after gas and other things the trip would approach a 250$ thing.)

 

[Contrabardus]

Depending on the venue and how they handle seating you probably want to get there sooner rather than later. Particularly for big name bands. I'd find out when they start letting people in and be there a couple of hours before then if you want a halfway decent parking space and a shorter time standing around in line to get in. If it's an outdoor thing or has open seating, get there as early as you can to get a good spot.

Piss before the show. I recommend going from the entrance to the bathroom right away. Don't drink for a couple of hours before hand unless you absolutely need to. Eat early and take a dump before you make your way to the venue if possible. If you have to go during the show, don't wait for a break between acts or you'll be in line for a while. Go while whatever band is on stage is starting a song that you don't mind missing, you'll probably be back before they finish.

Have a little cash in case you need to pay for parking, change in case you encounter tolls or need to use a parking meter, pay for everything else with plastic. I recommend $40 in bills and a roll of quarters. I'd recommend leaving your wallet in your car if you can. If you do plan on buying something in the venue, a beer or something, bring a little cash with you and put it in your pocket. $60 is the most you'll likely need inside.

A cheap seat cushion or something might be a good idea. Seating probably won't be terribly comfortable. You'll probably be standing for most of the show, but again, better to have it and not need it...

Feed yourself outside of the venue as well, it will cost less. You won't be able to bring anything in with you. Expect to get patted down, go through a metal detector, or have a wand waved around you prior to entering.

If you use a parking meter, pay for an hour or two longer than you expect to be in the concert. You might not need it, but it will be cheaper than a parking ticket.

A hotel room is a good idea, book in advance. If you haven't already, I'd go ahead and do it now.

Expect a long line for everything, buy swag outside the concert venue where it will be much cheaper. If you must get it at the show, expect it to be really expensive, like $40-$50 for a T-shirt kind of expensive.

Dress warm of course, wear a jacket at least even if it's warmer when you arrive. The venue may be cooler than you expect, and it might get cold while you're inside. The concert might get warm pretty fast due to how many people are likely to be crowded together. Wear something you can easily take off and put on.

Ear protection might be a good idea depending on where your seat is. Not something that will block out sound completely, but some of those foam earplugs might be a good idea. You might not use them, but it's better to have them on hand just in case you're right next to a speaker. Even putting one in one ear can help if you're in an uncomfortably loud spot.

Metallica will play a lot of their new shit, but a few old songs. They can't metal as hard as they used to for a full show anymore, they're old. They'll still be decent, but it won't be the same as going to see them in the 80s-90s. RHCP will be amazing. Babymetal...well you know what you're getting into there.

Have fun!

 

[zerohour]

Are you going with friends or by yourself?  If you've got any friends, especially night owls, it could work out better to have one of them drive back to save you some cash, depending on how important saving cash might be for you at the moment.

What's the day?  If it's a Friday or Saturday concert, it would make sense to spend the night regardless, than you could spend the next day exploring or leisurely heading back as opposed to driving back furiously so you're not late to work.

 

[MnemoD]

It's saturday, April 22nd. It's Babymetal opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers in Little Rock at the Verizon Arena (I think.) I was pretty sure considering the venue and my usual preference for being up late at night that it'd be better to just get a room and not have to fight too hard on the staying awake front.

 

[zerohour]

Sounds like you got a good plan then.  I would ask around to see if any of your friends want to go with.  It can make it more enjoyable to have a friend with you, you can get a little crazier than you could on your own if you want, and it cuts down on expenses since you can share a hotel room.

 

[MnemoD]

Sounds like you got a good plan then.  I would ask around to see if any of your friends want to go with.  It can make it more enjoyable to have a friend with you, you can get a little crazier than you could on your own if you want, and it cuts down on expenses since you can share a hotel room.

I only have one set of friends (my best friend/blood brother and his wife) and they'll be busy that day (And he's honestly a big pansy about leaving where we live).  Unless I happen to make some friends quickly, I'll be going alone.