Have you ever wanted to go to a concert - but felt you were "too old"?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by JonUrban, Oct 8, 2005.

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  1. bluesky

    bluesky Senior Member

    Location:
    south florida, usa
    Never too old.

    Age doesn't matter. Unless your rockin out to beiber. o_O In which case... you have other problems. lol
     
  2. crp207

    crp207 Forum Resident

    I'm 60 and most of my concerts these days are classical... I'm generally one of the younger ones in attendance!
     
    SixtiesGuy likes this.
  3. Atmospheric

    Atmospheric Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene
    If I thought the concert in question was actually about experiencing the music, I'd go without hesitation. Unfortunately, most concerts are about spectacle these days. AKA, "The show." The music, if live, takes a back seat to choreography, pyrotechnics, audience sing-alongs, selfies, tweets, etc. So yeah, not much into that, especially at today's prices.
     
  4. bababooey

    bababooey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX USA
    I know exactly what you mean. But Green Day fans as well as Green Day are pretty old themselves these days. Back in 2002 I went from being one of the younger ones at a Paul McCartney concert to the following night a bill with Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, and Green Day. I was one of the oldest there but I had a great time at both. Now, that I'm even older, I feel a little out of place but I go anyways.
     
  5. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    I wouldn't call it taste or knowledge, but I have the open-mindedness to enjoy whatever I feel like versus what I'm expected to like. Books, films, music - variety is the spice of life.

    Go to a smaller venue. You won't get the spectacle or the high prices...but you may get some great music surrounded by like-minded people.
     
  6. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I was good enough to play in the orchestra in college, but I was a percussionist so maybe that doesn't count.

    I don't know if you're familiar with this Green Day track, called "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" but Armstrong wrote it when he was 18 years old, long before Dookie. The song was used on one of the last episodes of the TV series Seinfeld, played over a montage of photos and clips from their nine seasons. It's wonderfully evocative, capturing that sense of warmth and gentle nostalgia you feel for those people with whom you've shared important accomplishments in your life. I think of all the great Beatles tunes or classical music pieces one could use instead, but nothing would fit as perfectly. Armstrong is a gifted songwriter.

     
  7. Technocentral

    Technocentral Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland

    True, old bands like U2, Floyd, Maiden, AC/DC etc never went with spectacle or pyrotechnics. :laugh:
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2016
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  8. Poxy Bowsy

    Poxy Bowsy Well-Known Member

    I can respect that. And we have something in common: i enjoy "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" too. I guess we're friends now, right?
     
  9. SixtiesGuy

    SixtiesGuy Ministry of Love

    Funny, same here... I usually comment to my wife that we are on the younger end of the audience, which for us is increasingly rare. On a more serious note, this concerns me about the future of classical music.
     
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  10. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
  11. BeardedSteven

    BeardedSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Indiana
    Nope. But at 43 I do like to notice the different audiences for the bands. Saw a couple of reunion shows last year where everyone was my age. Was nice not being the only old guy in the room! :winkgrin: But I have zero problems going to shows where I *am* the only old guy there. I don't really go to mosh pit shows anymore but I've no problem getting down in the front and dancing with the kids. :pineapple:
     
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  12. mojo525

    mojo525 Music Accumulator

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    It doesn't stop me from going, though it does piss me off. I don't feel old, but an occasional look around tells me differently.
    It doesn't help when, for instance, my wife and I are at a Dave Matthews concert and kid jumping around dancing, having fun, accidentally steps on my foot and turns in all seriousness and says, "I'm sorry Sir."
    Or when we were at a STS9 show, and a kid came up to me and says, "Man, I wish my dad was as cool as you."

    On the other hand, when I look around at an Allman Brothers show and see nothing but creaky, old farts I don't feel much better either.
     
    supernaut likes this.
  13. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    I started feeling too old to go to rock shows in my late 20s or early 30s. I had moved on to other music by that time.
     
  14. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    There's at least a couple of local scenesters who mean that I'll never be the oldest person at a gig here, by at least 15-20 years.
     
    BeardedSteven likes this.
  15. greenwichsteve

    greenwichsteve Well-Known Member

    A few years ago (I'd just turned 60 years old), I went to the Lovebox festival, mainly to see Roxy Music who were headlining. Most of the other acts were more current and the festival attracts a young crowd. I had no problem with the audience, many of whom I chatted quite happily to and I enjoyed most of the acts (I only had a problem with one act who couldn't get the sound right). I go to fewer gigs now because of mobility problems but I wouldn't not go to one just because I'm a pensioner.
     
    supernaut likes this.
  16. 86mets

    86mets Counting Crows #1 Fan

    For me I don't care what I look like at a show...what matters to me is the crowd...not a big fan of huge venues...at 54 going on 55 yo I prefer sitting and listening to a show...my wife doesn't care for huge crowds...so I wind up going to "age appropriate" shows and venues and leaving the punk and mosh pits to those who would appreciate it more...26th Feb going to see Poor Man's Whiskey and on the 27th Hells Belles at the State Room in SLC...going to enjoy both immensely...
     
  17. mooseman

    mooseman Forum Resident

    Depeche Mode 1986 Madison Square Garden. NYC
    It was the first time I really felt older then everyone around me. Not a good feeling. I was only about 26 years old at the time but everyone around me seemed to be in their later teens and early 20's.
     
  18. maxnix

    maxnix Forum Resident

    I'm sixty, and it doesn't really matter to me. One situation where I am aware of being in the age minority is Lollapalooza; my daughter (30) and I try and go all three days as our summer concert date. I seem to get a lot of fist bumps and "way to go old guy" type smiles with the occasional "excuse me, sir", but that's about it. I think it's funny. I've never not gone to a show because of age.
     
  19. I often feel too old to go out past my bedtime but I would never avoid a concert just because I felt it was age inappropriate.
     
    supernaut likes this.
  20. Thesmellofvinyl

    Thesmellofvinyl Senior Member

    Location:
    Cohoes, NY USA
    Last night in Albany, NY Sonny Landreth said, "That song answered the question, 'Can a senior citizen still rock while sitting in a chair?'" It was an older crowd of about 325. He played with Cindy Cashdollar. A fun night.
     
  21. To enjoy any music at any age is never ridiculous.

    Enjoyment is what music is all about, or should be.
     
  22. crp207

    crp207 Forum Resident

    You're lucky you can go with your wife.. I generally go by myself, the Mrs gets bored!
     
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  23. Oggy

    Oggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cambridge, England
    I went to see Bowling For Soup with my brother and had a great time. It was only afterwards, when I saw that I was older than the parents picking their kids up, that I really felt out of place!
     
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  24. PineBark

    PineBark formerly known as BackScratcher

    Location:
    Boston area
    One time, I went with a woman to a concert and the usher asked if we were parents of the performers. Ack!
     
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  25. Django

    Django Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I remember feeling a little too old at 2 gigs in particular. The Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. That was in 1996 when I was 21.
     
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