Do you go to concerts by yourself?

[Seijuro]

See Topic title: As I grow older I increasingly get into the situation that a band comes to town I want to see, but none of my friends care to come out and catch the show with me, be it they are busy with family stuff, money is tight, they don't keep up with current music etc.
So in the last few years, I started to go to concerts alone if nobody is interested to watch whatever band I wanna see.

I know there are people out there who think the exact opposite, that there is a stigma attached to going to an event alone. How does Era see this? Do/can you enjoy going to a concert alone?

 

[Spiritual_Chaos]

Went to Tegan and Sara alone this spring.

And had a falling out with my closest friend in 2014 just before Pearl Jams Stockholm show, so I had to go alone to that too.

Plus more instances where I've been sitting alone, but maybe not gone to the concert alone.

At festivals I've strolled off and seen stuff by myself too, but maybe that's not really the same situation.

I'm going to the cinema all the time alone too. Big deal. It's nice to be by yourself (sometimes). And – you don't have to organise with other people and stuff that sometimes just drain you of energy.

 

[Unspoken90]

All the time. I felt pathetic about it at first, but now I don't care.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I mostly go to concerts alone. It's just easier, less stress with who needs to pee or grab a beer. And after the concert starts you are not able to talk with each other anyway.

 

[Gray Matter]

Yes, but not because I want to, but because I have to.

Literally none of my friends listen to ANY of the music I listen to, so I always end up going alone. It really sucks.

 

[Morrigan]

Rarely, since my SO and I share similar tastes in music, but I've done it. It's no big deal.

I will never understand so-called stigmas about doing ___ alone (concerts, eating at a restaurant, etc.). It's beyond ridiculous.

 

[Atenhaus]

I go to concerts alone all the time - and went to one by myself last night, in fact. I also go to 3-4 shows a month and don't reasonably expect my friends to shell out cash to go see an obscure ambient electronic artist with me lol

 

[Bagels]

Sure! I'd rather go alone than drag along someone who is not interested. It's always more fun to go with friends, but the few shows I have seen by myself have all been super fun, too.

 

[Tetsujin]

Most of the time I go by myself. Wouldn't be able to see most bands I wanna see if I had to rely on others every time. Just a bit boring when standing in line waiting to get in and having no one to talk to as I'm not really the type to strike a conversation with strangers.

 

[Travo]

Just went to an Atcade Fire concert by myself. It was the best concert I have ever attended.

 

[Netherscourge]

This year I did.

Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold I flew solo and had a great time

Nobody to worry about and it's easier to seat-jump.

 

[yepyepyep]

I do nearly everything alone lol. Sometimes I go to meetups to see small indie bands but most of the time if I am seeing my favourite bands I will be going by myself. I used to have hang ups about when I was a teenager but as a 26 year old I really do not care. It actually allows you to fully enjoy the experience for yourself. Sometimes if you invite someone to a band you like you can feel a bit awkward if you can tell they are not really enjoying the experience.

 

[machine]

Always. My tastes don't seem to line up with my friends so I gave up and started going alone ages ago. Recently I told my friends I was going to see Gorillaz and none of them even knew who that was.

 

[Coffee]

I flew to Holland from Sweden alone just to see "Tricot" live. It was a great concert and I'm glad I didn't miss it.

If you really wanna go, just do it. Nobody cares if you're alone. If anything, it's a good opportunity to talk to total strangers who have at least one shared interest with you.

 

[RedNalgene]

I do this often. I don't know a ton of people who like the music I like. So my options are either go alone and see the bands I like or don't go alone and miss the bands. I'll pick the former.

 

[Bebop242]

Sometimes I prefer going alone. My music tastes differ from my wife (and most of my friend actually) and I prefer to enjoy the show instead of worrying if my wife (or friends) are enjoying it as well.

 

[gruenel]

I went to a Nine Inch Nails concert by myself a few years ago. One of the best concert experiences I've ever had.

I also had the chance to see Loyle Carner today actually. No one I know was interested. I didn't go, but I kind of regret it already. So yeah, I should do it more often. It's no big deal.

 

[TheChuggernaut]

If a friend wants to go, I would rather do that, but I have no problems going alone. I saw Kendrick alone because I was the only one who got tickets when he did that smaller tour a while back, and I saw Run the Jewels by myself because none of my friends knew who they were. Both times were just as good as concerts with friends. Don't miss a good show just because you have no one to go with

 

[TheBeardedOne]

I've gone to a couple by myself, but I honestly haven't bothered going to a concert in quite some time. Used to go a ton, but kind of lost interest and got cheap.

The first one happened because my friend got so stoned he forgot about the concert he and I had been looking forward to for quite some time. I didn't hear from him, despite trying to contact him, and ended up just going myself with hope that he'd meet me there. I carried his ticket with me just in case. Turns out he'd forgotten, went to work and got high. Thankfully he was nice enough to pay my parents back for the $80 ticket he didn't use.

The other was a Marilyn Manson concert I went to alone.

I go to the movies alone quite often and don't mind it at all anymore. It used to make me anxious, but now I could really care less.

 

[Atenhaus]

Oh shit this topic reminded me I'm seeing Flying Lotus in Novemberrrrrr

So hype~

 

[M.J.]

Crooked Rain is the only person I know who does this.

 

[brokenmachine]

Just started doing this because my friends aren't really into the same music that I am. Although I do prefer going with my friends when it's a show I know we will all enjoy.

However, going by myself has been great so far. Went to two shows this month and going to another in November.

 

[medli]

I often go to outings alone, but I had trouble with this for awhile since I have pretty bad anxiety. Sit down eating places were the worst.

The way I try to look at it now is that anytime I've been to a movie or concert I've never once noticed/considered that someone else in my vicinity is there alone. I imagine the same goes for everyone else. So if I want to go, I just go and try not to think about it.

 

[GoronsRuby]

I go alone all the time, but only for certain shows - weeknights at the local place near my house. I feel comfortable there alone. I don't think I would go to a huge arena show by myself. For those or other weekend shows, I'll go with my wife or sometimes my sister. But I missed way too many great local shows to give a shit about being there alone.

 

[thekonamicode]

I just went to Voodoo Music Fest in New Orleans by myself yesterday. I met some really cool people and hung out on the barricade of the main stage all day (mainly for Brand New and Foo Fighters). It was a great experience! Luckily my new friends didn't mind grabbing me some food and water throughout the day. That's the only downside I see, if your plan for a festival is to stay on the barricade of any particular stage for an act not coming on for 7 more hours.

Of course I ordered to pay for a some of their stuff to return the favor!

 

[Aramon]

Last year I went Heavy Christmas metal concert. They played all kinds of Christmas songs heavy metal versions.

I was alone but the concert was blast.

Little sample
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1Wc5dmUYc

 

[Bufbaf]

My taste in some music doesn't align with my friends', so yeah, every now and then. It's not that different honestly and you can pick your own place in the crowd, which is a plus even.

 

[Quantum Leap]

I prefer going by myself, I don't have to wait for anyone, random women come up to me to dance a lot of the time and I can slither myself to the front without people caring too much.
People that judge people for going alone can go fuck themselves

 

[bjork]

I went to the Bridge School Benefit in 2013 by myself, because Tom Waits was playing and I needed to be there. It was kinda weird traveling alone and sleeping in a train station, but totally worth it. I treated it like an adventure.

 

[Seijuro]

Sometimes I prefer going alone. My music tastes differ from my wife (and most of my friend actually) and I prefer to enjoy the show instead of worrying if my wife (or friends) are enjoying it as well.

Click to shrink...

My taste in some music doesn't align with my friends', so yeah, every now and then. It's not that different honestly and you can pick your own place in the crowd, which is a plus even.

Click to shrink...

Yeah these are definitely the biggest upsides for me too.

 

[Zevenberge]

Nope. I barely visit concerts and if I do, it's usually when I am already out with friends. If a band comes along that I want to see, but no-one else wants to, then I wouldn't be afraid to go by myself.

 

[Deleted member 11522]

Yeah,my friends never shared my love for heavy metal so there has never been an alternative to not going alone.

 

[Milk Lizard]

If it's my general area, I usually have people to go with. But I have travelled quite a bit of the world watching some artists I enjoy (as in seeing them 7 times on a tour), and while I can drag a friend with me to a local show, it's a struggle to get them to fly around Europe with me.... Obviously. So yeah, I go to those alone, but I have enough people I kind of know at those shows at this point, that do the same thing, that I usually have some people to talk to at least.

 

[_swee_]

I did once and I had an amazing time.

 

[Ledbetter]

Usually my sister is the one I go with as we share similar tastes (mostly with old music). Among my friends, nobody likes the bands I listen enough to justify a trip to a concert, so I don't care and go alone. You get to meet interesting people that also share at least one thing with you.

 

[JORMBO]

I have gone to plenty of concerts alone. My friends don't like the same music.

When I used to go a few times a month I started to bump into a lot of the same people and made some friends.

 

[Linkyn]

Sure. Even when I go to a concert with friends, I tend to get separated from then within the first 2-3 songs, so the experience is largely the same either way.

 

[Clawbvious]

I don't go to many concerts, but I do go to a fair amount of other events alone. Movies, conventions, theater, stand up, that sort of thing.

Sometimes its great to go with friends, sometimes its great to go alone. When people say it's sad, I usually just ask them why, most people are just buying into the social construct of it, they've never really thought about whether it's actualyl sad to go do something alone.

With a rich inner self there's no reason to not go do activities on your own if the mood strikes you.

 

[Nox Potens]

Most of my friends are not big into the bands I really like, so i end up going solo quite often.

 

[Kurita]

Don't really have friends that share my tastes.
Went to like 40 shows in my life and 90% of those were by myself.
For festivals I try to go with friends cause the wait between acts can be tedious.

 

[NekoNeko]

i went solo to a few bands i'm a huge fan of and nobody had time or was interested.
i'm not gonna miss it if nobody is around, it's not like we talk during the performance or anything.

doesn't happen very often though.

 

[EchoChamber]

Yes, nobody loves paramore like me :(
But I made new friend in Mexico city.

 

[Rudr]

I went to see Slowdive alone last year. Going to see them again tonight. (with company this time)

 

[Bloodbathnbyond]

Honestly I miss out on a lot of shows because I don't want to go by myself. Maybe it's something I should get over.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

I prefer to go alone. When I go to see a band I like, I want to be right at the front which usually means queuing up hours before the gig starts. I want to really get into the spirit of things, scream my lungs out and bounce around with the music. Quite honestly I would feel more awkward if there were people there that I knew. I'd feel like I had to keep up appearances somewhat.

 

[MaskedNdi]

I tend to get social anxiety at shows, so I really want to have someone I know and trust with me. I don't think I've ever gone to a concert by myself.

 

[NealMcCauley]

Drove down to Atlanta for Radiohead in April and had a great weekend by myself. Going to the concert solo was amazing, and I'm pretty sure going solo allowed me to get a primo seat.

 

[Creamium]

Yeah for the same reason as many here: don't know many people irl with similar tastes. And I don't care at all. People held back by this just have to jump over this meaningless hurdle. When you're there nobody else cares, so why should you? Just enjoy the music and have a good time.

 

[Speely]

I go to shows alone all the time. It's great because I can actually engage in listening to the artist(s) however I want. If I wanna be up front, I can. If I wanna sit back and have a drink, I can. It's glorious to not have to barter for position.

 

[Deleted member 13131]

Most of the concerts I've ever been to have been solo. I don't really have any friends and my taste in music is very different than my wife and kids. We've gone to a few together where there is even tangential overlap, but they were not down for Tool.