On the face of it, I agree, although I can also see that they are making an investment in an experience they would like to have, and which reinforces their sense of identity as someone who goes to shows. It's only when the rubber hits the road and it's time to leave the house that they confront the changes we've all experienced over the last two years, to varying degrees.
I've noticed lower attendance at shows of late, as well as lots of people leaving early, perhaps exhausted by the same social stresses listed in this article.
Shows have not been a problem for me, but this may be because standing in the dark facing a band and not having to talk to anyone is probably one of my safest spaces (along with being on the stage not having to talk to anyone).
Your therapist traveling companion I believe is correct. However, for artists, and particularly performers, I see this operating in the disintermediating space of contemporary music. Mary Spender talks about this here - https://youtu.be/LP1na4h5srk
With the venues charging more to artists this must further impinge on their earnings especially when you also consider the cut that the monopoly Ticketmaster takes. Speaking of which, has anyone considered that the cost of a ticket (where Ticketmaster charges sometimes fees that equal almost half the price) as one of the things that is also contributing to low audience numbers?
I'm trying to think of shows I've blown off since COVID. I do recall blowing off a show BEFORE COVID. Rather embarrassing. We had bought tickets. We were trying to find a parking space, to no avail, and then said, "Fuck it, let's go home." I'm not going to park in Kenmore Square or at Coolidge Corner for a show at the Paradise. Which in my recent experience has terrible sound. (Since the last renovation.) You can't hear Carrie Brownstein's guitar? Really? Guitarists confirmed: It's not her rig.
Thanks for this! From what little I know about positive psychology, I understand that people underestimate the social benefits of being in public -- and if interacting with strangers (even introverts do benefit from this). So I’m guessing people are underestimating the enjoyment they will have “out” and overestimating what they will experience “in.”
I experienced many of the emotions/feelings/reasonings listed by your responders recently when I bailed on my Stereolab tickets which I'd purchased months before. It wasn't a flippant decision -- despite the fact that I did not consider the potential impact on the band; didn't consider it until reading your piece. And I still beat myself up about it, wishing I'd gone, wondering why I can't muster the (not to say) courage, energy, gumption, responsibility(?) to go. Thought buying the ticket would be the ticket especially after having a number of tickets get canceled after several years of reschedulings. But alas... I feel the next purchase will be more measured and the motivation to attend piqued by your eloquent and thoughtful analysis of us, the privileged fans. Thank you!
We've all become a lot more introverted, for sure. Personally, concert tickets are rare treasures, so there's no way I'd buy them and not go to the show. I can't afford to waste that kind of money.
I didn't recall if I answered your prompt, but since Twitter search still works I see that I did... but my answer is/was honestly mostly about covid... and since I documented it all (bit.ly/saltyshows) I have data to back that up:
I bought tickets to about 80 shows this year and went to about 50. of the ones i missed, 10 were cancelled (all but 2 ofthose were covid related), I was sick for 9 (including 4 when I had covid), had conflicting plans for 5 (mostly two shows the same night), and the other 6 or so I skipped mostly early in the year due to omicron fears.
2021 was much worse - I didn't buy any tickets at all until June 7, and ended up with 60 for the year, of which I only made it to 24. 5 were outdoor shows that I felt much better about going to. there were only a couple cancellations, and the rest I skipped because I didn't want to risk covid. I also had a self-imposed rule of one show a week - so if I did get covid I'd be less likely to spread it. so, I essentially bought a lot of tickets I had no intention of using, just to support the bands and venues. these were not sold out shows and a lot of them were at my favorite venue (Roboto) which is a sober DIY space that does not sell alcohol.
2020 was, of course, a disaster - I went to 5 shows before the pandemic, missed a couple because I was sick in early March, then had tickets to 40 (!) shows that got cancelled or postponed.
for comparison, between 2017-2019 (when I started keeping track) I averaged about 40 shows a year and rarely skipped any, mostly due to illness.
No antivax talk on this thread, I’m removing the comment
On the face of it, I agree, although I can also see that they are making an investment in an experience they would like to have, and which reinforces their sense of identity as someone who goes to shows. It's only when the rubber hits the road and it's time to leave the house that they confront the changes we've all experienced over the last two years, to varying degrees.
I've noticed lower attendance at shows of late, as well as lots of people leaving early, perhaps exhausted by the same social stresses listed in this article.
Shows have not been a problem for me, but this may be because standing in the dark facing a band and not having to talk to anyone is probably one of my safest spaces (along with being on the stage not having to talk to anyone).
Your therapist traveling companion I believe is correct. However, for artists, and particularly performers, I see this operating in the disintermediating space of contemporary music. Mary Spender talks about this here - https://youtu.be/LP1na4h5srk
An excellent encounter on a train!
With the venues charging more to artists this must further impinge on their earnings especially when you also consider the cut that the monopoly Ticketmaster takes. Speaking of which, has anyone considered that the cost of a ticket (where Ticketmaster charges sometimes fees that equal almost half the price) as one of the things that is also contributing to low audience numbers?
I'm trying to think of shows I've blown off since COVID. I do recall blowing off a show BEFORE COVID. Rather embarrassing. We had bought tickets. We were trying to find a parking space, to no avail, and then said, "Fuck it, let's go home." I'm not going to park in Kenmore Square or at Coolidge Corner for a show at the Paradise. Which in my recent experience has terrible sound. (Since the last renovation.) You can't hear Carrie Brownstein's guitar? Really? Guitarists confirmed: It's not her rig.
Thanks for this! From what little I know about positive psychology, I understand that people underestimate the social benefits of being in public -- and if interacting with strangers (even introverts do benefit from this). So I’m guessing people are underestimating the enjoyment they will have “out” and overestimating what they will experience “in.”
I experienced many of the emotions/feelings/reasonings listed by your responders recently when I bailed on my Stereolab tickets which I'd purchased months before. It wasn't a flippant decision -- despite the fact that I did not consider the potential impact on the band; didn't consider it until reading your piece. And I still beat myself up about it, wishing I'd gone, wondering why I can't muster the (not to say) courage, energy, gumption, responsibility(?) to go. Thought buying the ticket would be the ticket especially after having a number of tickets get canceled after several years of reschedulings. But alas... I feel the next purchase will be more measured and the motivation to attend piqued by your eloquent and thoughtful analysis of us, the privileged fans. Thank you!
We've all become a lot more introverted, for sure. Personally, concert tickets are rare treasures, so there's no way I'd buy them and not go to the show. I can't afford to waste that kind of money.
I didn't recall if I answered your prompt, but since Twitter search still works I see that I did... but my answer is/was honestly mostly about covid... and since I documented it all (bit.ly/saltyshows) I have data to back that up:
I bought tickets to about 80 shows this year and went to about 50. of the ones i missed, 10 were cancelled (all but 2 ofthose were covid related), I was sick for 9 (including 4 when I had covid), had conflicting plans for 5 (mostly two shows the same night), and the other 6 or so I skipped mostly early in the year due to omicron fears.
2021 was much worse - I didn't buy any tickets at all until June 7, and ended up with 60 for the year, of which I only made it to 24. 5 were outdoor shows that I felt much better about going to. there were only a couple cancellations, and the rest I skipped because I didn't want to risk covid. I also had a self-imposed rule of one show a week - so if I did get covid I'd be less likely to spread it. so, I essentially bought a lot of tickets I had no intention of using, just to support the bands and venues. these were not sold out shows and a lot of them were at my favorite venue (Roboto) which is a sober DIY space that does not sell alcohol.
2020 was, of course, a disaster - I went to 5 shows before the pandemic, missed a couple because I was sick in early March, then had tickets to 40 (!) shows that got cancelled or postponed.
for comparison, between 2017-2019 (when I started keeping track) I averaged about 40 shows a year and rarely skipped any, mostly due to illness.