Concerts have long been enjoyed by the general public since they made their first appearances in the late 17th century. It is reported that the first concert that required admission was by English violinist John Banister. Concerts kept evolving into having larger audiences especially as symphony orchestras gained popularity and after World War II, the modern concert that we see today came into light. Insider lists 35 artists you should see in concert at least once in your life, the list includes big names such as; The Rolling Stones, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Adele. As parents start allowing their children to attend concerts without parental supervision, teens start showing up to concerts more frequently.

According to a 2018 Nielsen report, 52% of the U.S. population attends at least one live concert a year. More specifically, a recent report from Eventbrite found that nine out of 10, 18-34 year olds have attended at least one live concert in the past 12 months. 

This is additionally found to be true in students at Newton High. In a survey of 23 students, 22 of those students admitted to going to at least one or more concerts in their lifetime. Senior Nikolas Lampman Thompson said that he has gone to about 13 concerts so far.

“In concert I have seen artists such as; Florence and the Machine, Grimes, Sleigh Bells, Phantogram, Clairo, Snail Mail, Lorde, Fleetwood Mac and more,” Thompson said. “A few of these I also saw as openers: Lizzo for Haim and Bishop Briggs for Phantogram.”

Senior Ethan Sympson says he has also seen a few live performances such as Trippie Redd and The Wrecks. Sympson said the sensation of being at a concert is drastically different from what you hear through a recorded track.

“The experience is a lot different than just listening to it through headphones,” Sympson said. “Not only are you getting to hear raw vocals from the performer but you also get to experience being a part of a crowd and that feeling is pretty cool.”

Everyone has their own reasons for attending or not attending concerts. Some people decide to not go to concerts due to not only safety issues but the chance for negative experiences. According to Elon News Network, some of these reasons include; seeing an artist who relies too heavily on autotune, crowds, standing and waiting. 

“The worst part about concerts just depends on the crowd,” Thompson said. “I’ve been in many crowds where they’re really respectful but there’s always that one person who drinks too much or tries to push people out of the way.”

At the same time, there are obvious positives to live performances that keep attendees interested enough to go back. Pros to concerts may be the atmosphere, improvisation from the artist and audience participation, according to Elon News Network. 

“I would recommend going to concerts because the feeling of being in a crowd like that can’t be emulated,” Sympson said. “You really just have to try it out and if you do end up liking it then you might’ve just found a new pastime.”

According to both Sympson and Thompson, music plays a huge part in their life. Sympson said that his interest in music has given him the opportunity to attend concerts with his friends or by himself. Thompson also has an important connection with music.

“I am a guitar player myself so music plays a huge part in my life,” Thompson said. “I’ve [been teaching] myself to play guitar since freshman year with no lessons. There is also the emotional factor of music. A lot of the music I listen to has helped me through a lot of things through high school.”

Music reaches people all over the globe, with national and international tours, artists can reach their intended audience just about anywhere. Improvements in transportation regarding artists tours has helped listeners everywhere experience their favorite artists live.

“The atmosphere is everything, everyone in the crowd is there for the same reason and that’s to just vibe and support an artist that you all enjoy,” Sympson said. “You can also make a lot of friends just because you already know all of you share something in common.”