Pros(e) and concerts

I don’t think concerts are worth going to. Over the years I’ve attended concerts by Muse, Iron Maiden, John Mayer, and others. But, over the past few years, I’ve increasingly felt that the experience of attending a concert isn’t worth the price I’d pay. I’d rather spend time trying out escape rooms, joining sports leagues or if we want to stick to live performances, then watching theatre and stand-up comedy, where tickets are still reasonably priced.

Concretely, music concert tickets sell for hundreds of dollars, for a sub-par experience where you may have to stay seated, be surrounded by people recording the show on their phones instead of being in the moment, and listen to music that’s worse than what’s on the album. Some acts have tried to compensate with greater theatrics, but I’m not sure they still provide enough value for the cost. In the past, the cost-value tradeoff may have still tilted towards the whole experience being worth it because costs were lower, and music could not be listened to easily digitally.

Theatre and stand-up comedy feel worth it because you can’t find the material elsewhere. Further, in the case of stand-up comedy, the experience of watching a live show is enhanced by having others around you laughing. For escape rooms and sports leagues, you get to do things in person, which you can’t really do virtually. And the icing on the cake? The fact that everyone’s fully present and there’s not a screen in sight :)

On the other hand, I’ve started rethinking movies as a fun experience to go to with friends. Sure, you’re left staring at a screen with no connection for a couple of hours. But, maybe, just maybe, there are a few movies out there that leave you feeling something. That grapple with your heartstrings or inspire you to action. And maybe, this then inspires discussion at a post-movie lunch or dinner, which really is all you were looking for this whole time.

I’ve also realized that movies were culturally a big part of life. My family used to watch movies together and so, the feeling of watching a movie together allows people to re-experience the feeling of those moments from the past, adding another layer to the experience. I’ll end with some recommendations of movies I’ve seen recently that left me feeling something: Jojo Rabbit, A Million Miles Away, Coco and Didi.