Concerts have power beyond belief. They are a true gift to this world because they are a unique place where everyone is connected with joy and love for the artist performing. Going to concerts provides real and raw emotions to be expressed and felt. For instance, the pure happiness one experiences when attending these events is one of a kind. That happiness pushes people to connect with others and the music in more than one way.
Freshman Hunter Henry explains how his love for concerts and music in general has pushed him to find his passion which is making music of his own through playing guitar in his band Diagonals.
“I am very interested in seeing bands live because it’s a different experience and that’s probably where my love for music is from and also just playing and making music myself,” Henry said.
History teacher Melissa Gebhard says that she loves concerts because of the atmosphere.
“I love music. That’s like my outlet. It really just enhances my life and I don’t have to talk or say anything. I’m kind of an introvert myself, so I really enjoy concerts because then I go to a concert and just enjoy the experience and I can just completely submit myself to that and I don’t have to do anything else.” she said
Not only are concerts inspiring, they are also a great way to connect with the people around us because music has no limitations and it doesn’t discriminate.
Senior Ellie Callahan experienced this first hand with her father introducing her to the music she now lives for. She went on to mention her love for metal concerts, for example, Metallica.
“My dad has always been super into music so I just kind of like got his taste in music and then I just started going to concerts like even if they were really small artists and so I really enjoy concerts. They are a lot of fun. Metallica was probably the most recent concert I went to and it was one of my favorite concerts,” Callahan said.
Concerts and music in general are a connection to what and who we love. Sometimes, concerts stand as a reminder of our younger selves and how we were raised. This is exactly what Callahan feels when she finds herself at some of these concerts.
St. Louis is known for its abundance of concert venues, but concertgoers seem to pick favorites. Senior Cameron Lally says that he prefers The Pageant because of its small size, as well as Enterprise Center because of the possibility of effects like pyrotechnics.
¨I like the pageant because it’s small and I feel like I can get a better view of the stage since I don’t have great eyesight. But the Enterprise Center is always really big, and they can do a lot more like effects there. Yeah, I’m excited to see what Drake does with that,¨ he said. He’s going to see hip hop artist Drake, when he visits the Enterprise Center on Feb. 12..
Another factor that drives people to concerts is the possibility of meeting the artists that they love. Callahan says that this has made concerts memorable for her.
“My most memorable concert was probably seeing TV Girl and I got to meet the lead singer and the keyboardist,” she said.
Overall, the benefits of concerts go beyond what people might believe. They are a way for people to let loose and truly be themselves. For some like Callahan, they are a connection to the people she loves, for others like Henry they are an inspiration to try new things. Because of the long-lasting value concerts have, they are something that should be experienced by all.
