Isn’t it disappointing when you buy a bag of chips and open it to find it half empty? The same thing can happen when purchasing concert tickets. Buyers end up super happy with the experience or disappointed. Many times people pay an absorbent amount of money and are not satisfied with the experience. Concerts allow people to connect with the artist and the music. However, concert tickets are not cheap and being on the floor costs even more. While there are serious cons to concerts, the experience is worth it.
Sr. Annie Walsh and Sr. Lauren Valentine said that their best seats were for a Justin Bieber Concert in 2013 in Detroit at the Joe Louis Arena. They had $250 floor seats that were right next to the catwalk. Even with these seats, the concert was not entirely enjoyable. “During the opening acts, everybody pushed towards the stage, and Annie and I were getting crushed against the side of the stage. I was scared for my life, but by the time Justin came out, the security guards got it all under control,” Valentine said.
The best concert experience for Sr. Jessica Dubeau was a Fall Out Boy concert at Van Andel. “I was literally within arms length of them. Everyone was fist pumping and singing all the words to every song. I would go back to that moment in a heartbeat. The only bad thing was having my feet stepped on every so often,” Dubeau said.
Jr. Kate Symoungkhoune has been to a number of concerts, so the number of bad experiences add up. “At a Kalin and Myles concert in Grand Rapids at the Intersection, there were people pushing me against the fence. One time, I had a hard time getting my tickets because there was confusion. In another case, I was too short to even see the artist,” Symoungkhoune said. Despite it all, she still claims that she had a good time at the events.
I have never been on the floor at a concert that was in an arena, but I have been to concerts at venues where everyone was on the floor. I have attended concerts at Van Andel Arena, Joe Louis Arena, and the Valley View Casino center in San Diego, but my seats were lower level, not on the floor. Venues are smaller and only have one level. I have gone to the intersection for a couple concerts. I am not a very tall person, so seeing the artist was a struggle when I am not up front. The one time I was up front I got bruises on my knees from being pushed against the stage. So even though the view was great, there was still a downside to it all.
Even with the bad things that occurred at these concerts, concert attenders would still label it as a good experience. That proves that the price and the uncomfortable situations were worth it. Fans will endure some discomfort when watching their favorite performer and still enjoy the experience.
