You go early, you grab a drink, you buy a T-shirt, you find your seat or you edge up to the stage, you listen to the opening act, you people watch, you watch watch, you talk to your friends, you guess what songs they might play, and then the moment finally arrives: the background music fades down, all the lights suddenly go out, and there’s total blackness.
You feel a massive wave of anticipation sweep across the crowd, people stand up, raise their arms, and scream — and everyone clamors for that first view of the band walking onstage.
AWESOME!
Photo from: here
46 Comments
October 15, 2008 at 1:00 am
I love that moment. In fact, at the risk of sounding like a psycho fan, I just had one of those moments last week when I saw NKOTB at their reunion concert.
LOL.
October 15, 2008 at 2:17 am
This one is actually becoming a lost art. As more an more douchebaggots (like that word? You may use it if you wish.) listen to whiny music for queers (I’m looking at you, Vampire Weekend, My Chemical Romance and AFI), the theatrics are slowly but surely being taken out of concerts. I’m old enough to remember some awesome-ass concerts. From KISS in 1994 to Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones in 1997, those were some fucking showmen. And, lest you think my musical taste is confined to dinosaur rock, Jet and Tool both put on awesome shows. Hell, I’ve even seen Insane Clown Posse (against my will, mind you) twice, and their stage show is amazing. I weep for my future grandchildren, and the concert-free world they will grow up in.
May 23, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Rock on bro
September 24, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Kiss may put on a good show, but in comparison to vampire weekend is pure crap.
November 20, 2009 at 7:13 pm
okay, first off, your a stupid, narrow-minded bigot that needs a serious reality check. trashing some of my favorite bands, while claiming to like some of my other favorite bands, is absolutely stupid. i saw afi YESTERDAY, and it was a WAY better show than when i saw aerosmith (and the moshpits were certainly better) Davey Havok is a showman if anything and you have no freaking clue what you’re saying. just because you’re old as dirt, doesnt give you the right to be an ass and dog everyones music, id like to see you get up on a stage in front of a crowd thats never less that 5000 people and rock like they do. and id like to see you do it completely sober like they do, you’re a miserable old fool stuck in the past that needs to get over yourself. you have to be, what, 40? please, get over yourself, im 13 and I at least know how to be polite when expressing my opinuions of dislike when it comes to music. jonas brothers? they suck. you see, thats all i said, i didnt call them gay or compare them to a bunch of drunk old rockstars past their prime. learn to adapt, don’t make a moron of yourself, its unbecoming.
November 23, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Oh man! For real? AFI is my favorite band and seriously, their concerts are amazing. I’ve see Bruce Springsteen, Butch Walker, The English Beat, The Lemonheads… none of them compare to AFI. Davey Havok has such a stage presence and an incredible voice- they always have the best sound out of any band.
That rush of adrenaline that you get in anticipation of seeing your all time favorite band (or any band that you happen to be seuing that you like…) is the best!
July 7, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Butch Walker is the greatest!
October 15, 2008 at 4:48 am
Awesome indeed! And the band had better have a “And now, I am proud to present” introduction voice in a good deep tone. Plus a flash of lights when they stride onto the stage, give a little wave, pick up things and just go for it. Yes, yes, that’s what we want!
October 15, 2008 at 8:59 am
two words: Mötley Crüe
October 15, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Totally awesome! Ur really good at capturing moments!!
October 15, 2008 at 2:36 pm
that feeling is panic because that is when the crowd starts rushing the stage
October 15, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Yea this one is just truly a great moment we have all experienced…
Kinda like when you slip on that condom and your about to…
http://andthisismyamerica.com/2008/10/15/a-tree-growsanywhere/
October 15, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Watching somebody with the hiccups, makes me laugh uncontrolably
October 16, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Blegh. Not to be confrontational here, but I saw Mötley Crüe with Aerosmith a few years ago, and Crüe was absolutely miserable. They stood in the same spots on the stage the whole time, swore like highschoolers, and were almost too drunk to perform. Aerosmith, on the other hand, was one of the greatest things I’ve ever witnessed in my life.
But yeah, great entry today.
April 21, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I saw Aerosmith and Cheap Trick a few summers ago. Best concert I’ve ever been to in my life.
October 17, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Drunken rock stars? Swearing? Surely you jest! I refer you to my previous comment about taking the fun out of concerts. If I went to see Motley Crue and they were sober, I’d demand my fucking money back.
Shit, if I wanted to see a gay-ass concert where they just praised Jesus and talked about how bad drugs and alcohol are for 2 hours, I’d go see Amy Grant or Evanescence or some other whiny group of vaginas.
Aerosmith does put on a good show, but ever since they got off drugs, the music is ass. Drugs and booze make the musicians better. Plain and simple. The Doors? Jimi? Janis? Robert Johnson, for Christ’s sake! I’m no Nirvana fan, but if not for the heroin, nobody else would be either. You think Led Zeppelin would be so hesitant to reunite if Page hadn’t kicked the horse? Not a chance.
Live fast, do lots and lots of drugs, make kickass music, die young, and leave a legacy. End of story.
November 3, 2008 at 5:33 am
I’ve been to several concerts and Bon Jovi’s starting on the “Have a Nice Day” Tour was one of the best, the background music was on, then the lights went off, after that, a giant screen with the red smiley from that album began to come down, the background music became louder and louder (the band were on stage (but nobody watched came in) and were playing the same music, then they stop and they started the song “Last Man Standing”, when it was time for Jon Bon Jovi to start singing, he did it from the middle of the crowd and made his way to the stage during that song.
AWESOME
November 3, 2008 at 12:50 pm
U2 also does good concert beginnings.
November 4, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Slayer, the Fillmore, Denver, 2006.
AWESOME!
November 20, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I went to Fiend Fest last year (07) and The Adicts put on an awesome show. It’s amazing to see a band go on stage and PERFORM instead of just shoegazing.
November 21, 2008 at 12:51 am
all i can ever do at this moment is look at the person i’m with and smile like a retard
and maybe shit my pants
November 21, 2008 at 1:14 pm
This is indeed a great moment. I saw Rush a few years back and they played audio of crickets that started out soft and gradually grew louder before the band took to the stage. Very cool!
November 24, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Lets not forget one of the best live bands of all time, Queen.
I managed to see them live with Paul Rodgers fronting them this year and yes, the lights went out, the background graphics started up. Then Bang, Tie Your Mother Down hit the speakers at 11. It was electrifying.
I just wish I was old enough to have seen Freddie front them.
November 26, 2008 at 7:32 pm
1981, December; The Boston Garden
AC/DC; lights go out, single spot light on a giant bell being lowered down from the ceiling above the stage. Crowd of course going absolutely crazy…
The bell reaches the stage level and Brian Johnson walks into the spot light and begins slowly hitting the bell with a sledge hammer; it’s familiar, Angus joins him; you know it… Hells Bells opens the show, I think everyone there began literally fucking their tour tshirts and filing for divorce of their future husbands and wives… that’s how crazy it then got…
pure genius …
November 27, 2008 at 3:32 am
I guess theatrics are nice, but most of the shows I go to focus more on the music than a light show. I enjoy talking to the band as they set up on stage rather than standing 30 rows back watching a fireworks display. Not to say that there shouldn’t be any theatrics, by all means the light operator is extremely important, but I just want to hear some music you know?
November 30, 2008 at 10:12 am
What’s the best song to hear right before the lights go out?
http://www.spitefulbadger.com
December 7, 2008 at 8:50 pm
The best moment of darkness I ever had was when Tool performed in Kalamazoo, MI. I swear 30 chicks ripped off their shirts in anticipation, and when the lights came back on it was nothin but boobs, music, and a deafening roar from the crowd! One of the best concerts ever, IMHO.
July 20, 2010 at 11:14 am
I can easily say that Tool is one of the best live bands in music right now. The combination of surreal videos and insanely good music just put you in a different place, man. So so good.
I will be attending the AiC/Deftones/Mastodon show in Boston come September. I’m expecting my brains to be blown out, especially since the new Deftones is incredible and Mastodon is one of the best bands to come out in a long, loooong time.
December 7, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I love this feeling so much. I was at a DragonForce concert (don’t laugh, they were fabulous) last weekend, and they had that whole dark, band run out, laser show thing going and it was pure magic. I love concerts so much. <3
December 13, 2008 at 4:55 am
As a resident of Chicago, I’m lucky enough to find myself at way too many concerts in a year. I often take this exact moment for granted. Thanks to this post, I’ll be sure to absorb every bit of awesome from it next time!
December 16, 2008 at 5:40 am
I had that EXACT moment when I saw the New Kids On The Block in concert for the first time in 16 years last month.
It was something I had dreamt of as a young teenager and thought would never happen. So to have my young adolescent dreams fufilled was truly a magical moment.
That feeling of anticipation was palpable!
December 16, 2008 at 3:53 pm
The ranter formerly known as Dave
October 15, 2008 at 2:17 am
This one is actually becoming a lost art. As more an more douchebaggots (like that word? You may use it if you wish.) listen to whiny music for queers (I’m looking at you, Vampire Weekend, My Chemical Romance and AFI), the theatrics are slowly but surely being taken out of concerts. I’m old enough to remember some awesome-ass concerts. From KISS in 1994 to Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones in 1997, those were some fucking showmen. And, lest you think my musical taste is confined to dinosaur rock, Jet and Tool both put on awesome shows. Hell, I’ve even seen Insane Clown Posse (against my will, mind you) twice, and their stage show is amazing. I weep for my future grandchildren, and the concert-free world they will grow up in.
Reply: sorry to say but your just
not going to the right concerts, you have been
sucked in to mainstreams idea of what
real music is, i feel bad for you and your future
grandchildren thinking these are the bands they should be seeing, spending 30+ dollars on a lousy
seated concert with crappy bands before
the big show…
you need to go to a real show, go spend
$5 and go to a punk, ska, or any other
type of show. the cheaper always seems
to be the better. they actually put there heart
into the stage performance and try to make
good music.
hell i went to a XVX hardcore show
the other day, only payed $3 to get in the door
seen 5 bands play the show was like 4 hours long
most badass time i have had in a long time.
got free merch out of it and a possible joining
of one of the bands. all for $3???
you should try it.
December 17, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I beg to differ about there not being good shows anymore. Just this year we had two of the most awesome shows in years, imo. Radiohead’s IN_RAINBOW/S 2008 tour and Nine Inch Nails’ Lights In The Sky 2008 tour. Both incredible shows. Just because classic rock has died out doesn’t mean that theatrics and shows have lost their touch. And not just those two, but also Justice’s CROSS North American Tour, Widespread Panic, Wilco, etc. not to mention all of the small bands out there playing smaller shows, like Sound Tribe Sector 9 or even shows like Girl Talk.
December 23, 2008 at 12:33 am
Van Halen 2008 tour was perfect. After the shitty opening act there was about 20 minutes where the lights were on and nothing was happening. The crowd starting becoming anxious. Then, all of a sudden, the stadium just goes completely black. A huge curtain falls and Eddie plays the opening power chords to “You Really Got Me.” I jizzed my pants.
February 21, 2009 at 1:56 am
IRON FUCKING MAIDEN
March 22, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Even better than this moment- discovering a mind-blowingly awesome band at a bar. I was hanging out with some friends one day, and they were going to a show at a bar. I went with and the band was called ‘Maps and Atlases’ (http://www.last.fm/music/Maps%2B%2526%2BAtlases/Tree%2C+Swallows%2C+Houses). Completely changed the way I play music.
May 30, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour in 2008 was amazing. Pure adrenaline high. The opening was amazing, people going crazy, and the bass from the opening mix…there is no way to describe the energy you get from her shows.
October 23, 2009 at 4:52 pm
see, I much prefer the moment right before that. When the house music just stops. Every single time a song ends before that builds the anticipation slowly and surely. And when you just hear a song start to fade out, minutes before it’s done…you know what is about to go down.
October 25, 2009 at 6:13 pm
This moment is pretty much tied with when you’re chanting for an encore….
December 27, 2009 at 2:09 am
totally agree. love the moment when you chant for an encore and than the band actually sings another song. Epic. (thanks Breathe Carolina!)
November 15, 2009 at 5:25 pm
There’s that moment, which is perfect, and then there’s the time after the concert, (which if my favorite) when you can’t hear a thing and you’re riding the train home deaf and still high on adrenaline.
November 20, 2009 at 4:34 am
Lol I Love That Feeling.. Its Like Almost As Exciting At The Concert Itself.. Butterflies :P
November 30, 2009 at 3:11 pm
awesome indeed !
March 30, 2010 at 1:49 pm
And, all of a sudden, a big cloud of funny-smelling smoke rises like fog from floor level. And you’re instantly ready for music. Oh, yeah!!!
April 24, 2010 at 6:46 pm
oh no…i love that feeling, but when you know its ending, you dont want it to…when its all over its like you’re paralyzed and you dant want to leave.you’re amazed and you think about it over and over again,its amazing. that feeling like omg i was there i’ll never forget it.it leaves me paralyzed every single time.
August 3, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Glow in the Dark tour, when Kanye West got on stage, the atmosphere in the stadium was amazing. You may not like his music or him in general, but let me tell you when he gets on stage he PERFORMS. He is the real deal.