BY LAUREN REEVES
Staff Writer
Music has been around since the age of man and continues to inspire everyone who comes into contact with it. You can listen to music anytime and anywhere, but if you are from the St. Louis metropolitan area or just in the area for a short time, consider checking out some local concert venues because you may never know which music artist is in town.
Personally, I love attending concerts. I feel a rush from the intense concert atmosphere created by the audience and the performer. The concert types I feel most alive at are Hip-Hop, Pop, Punk Rock, and Alternative. Those styles of music send rushes of adrenaline through my body that then hype me up to the max. When the first beat drops, I am already screaming my lungs out for more. The anticipation for the show to get going always twists my stomach in knots because I am so pumped up.
Luckily for me, the type of concerts I like to attend usually happen right here in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Some of my favorite venues are the Pageant, in the Delmar Loop, the Ready Room, in downtown St. Louis, the Gramaphone, in the Grove, and the Fabulous Fox Theater. These venues are very diverse but all satisfy the needs of the visiting artist.
One of the most interesting things about concerts that are in my favorite genre is that the audience demographic is almost always the same. There are many different types of demographics in the St. Louis metropolitan area, but I feel as if there is only one at the concerts I attend. Most of the time, I am the one who stands out of the crowd every single time. My fellow concert-goers are teens with underage girls who don’t know how to dress and primarily Caucasian males who are “down” or “hip” to the genre of music. Yes, all types of audience members can come to show, but those are usually the type of people I encounter.
A fellow concert-goer, Javier Barragan, who fits into the crowd at these concerts, also finds it to be an entertaining experience. “The last concert I attended was Logic at the Pageant,” remarked Barragan. “It was really fun, and the atmosphere at most concerts I attend is always amazing.” He has been to over 10 concerts by himself, but when he is not riding solo to a show, he takes his friends. “Usually my friend, Charlie, and I go to just about every concert together.”
All audience members have different ways of getting ready for the show and what they like to do in line. Barragan and his friend, Charlie, have a leisurely approach. “We usually just relax in the morning, and we always try to get there as early as possible, especially if we know there is going to be a long line,” says Barragan. “While we wait in line we normally listen to the artist’s current hits and popular songs. When you’re actually in the concert, it’s a really amazing feeling because you feel very close and personal with the artist.”
Another concert-goer, Job McKinney, has attended more than 20 concerts on his own and with his friends. “Concerts are almost my entire life,” accounts McKinney. “I love seeing when another one of my favorite artists goes on tour.” Though McKinney goes to school in Indiana, he still likes to make an effort to see a show in his hometown of St. Louis before returning to school. “Each break from school, I have to see at least one or two shows,” says an excited McKinney. “My favorite shows that get me rallied up are Logic and Fallout Boy concerts.”
For McKinney, a concert is not just a concert. He feels as if he is being enchanted by the atmosphere each time the venue changes into the artist’s stage concept. “I have seen some pretty intriguing stage designs over the years from different artists,” remarks McKinney. “One time I was at a Katy Perry concert with my sister and Perry changed the entire stage into Candy Land.” The stage is a big component to the performance, but it is really all about the music.
Artists come and go, but their music can stay with us forever. The artist can entice a person to come to the show, but it’s the lyrics in the songs that keep them hooked. “The first time I heard Logic was on YouTube,” says Barragan. “The version I was watching had the lyrics included, so I paid more attention to what Logic was saying. From that point on, I was hooked.”
McKinney also recalls being hooked on one of his favorite artists, G-Eazy. “I was waiting to pick my little sister, and I was immediately hooked on the message and the crazy beat.” McKinney has also been a really dedicated fan of G-Eazy and attended all of the artist’s shows when he was in the area.
When it comes to concerts, everyone should experience at least one to see how they feel and connect with the music. Barragan and McKinney’s responses are unique because not all concert experiences are the same. Everyone should buy a ticket to a show and see what happens. Take that chance to feel the music.
