This weeks article, I went personal, because I'm going to show and explain why me going to concerts and meeting bands are a great thing and overcome fear of everything else. Concerts for me at first was something I hated but now i love concerts that I go to all the time. Now lets begin this personal experience and possibly a great journey.

My experience of concerts and knowing bands

If someone asked me 13 years ago what I thought about concerts, I would of told them that I didn't like them because the shows were too loud. That was me as a kid who had very sensitive hearing to loud noises and was shy/scared in big crowds of people. But today I have gone to more concerts than anything else and enjoy the concerts all the time. If someone asked me 13 years ago would I know bands personally, I've would of said no because they're famous and I don't want to bother them with my presence at all. But 13 years later I know more bands personally than anyone can imagine and I'm always in their presence all the time at the shows. Wonder if they get annoyed or irritated of me yet always around them.

My First Concert

For my first concert was kind of something that I was unaware of as this was new for me. I always thought I was like 4 or 5 years old of this concert. But my mom told me that I was 8 years old for the show. My first ever show was Bon Jovi in the old Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. I remember being up on the upper deck with my family. Sadly it was bad due to the nature of having drunk people almost topple over me. But I remember hearing songs like Livin' on a Prayer and Wanted Dead or Alive. The concert was good including afterwards when me, my older sister and my little brother raced down the ramps in the rain. A 21 year old me would brought a sled and slide down the ramps like that. So for my first concert it was good except for having drunk adults near toppling on top of a smaller me.

My Second Concert

Now fast forward a couple of years when I went to my second show. This show I was kind of forced to go because I was still to young to be left home alone for continuous hours with no adult supervision. The second show I ever went to was a young pop boy band from New Jersey, The Jonas Brothers. Yes it's kind of weird for me going to a pop concert when I was younger because my music taste now is not like that at all. The show was good for the most part but I just did not like the screaming girls when the Jonas Brothers came out. Just typing about this show my head hurts from thinking about those screaming 16 year old girls including my older sister and her best friend. Now I have a headache so thanks memory for making me remember those screaming girls.

My Third Concert

Now fast forward some 3 or 4 years, haven't been to a show in those years because of me doing sports in High School kind of took over my life. But in January 2013 I went to my third ever concert. This one is in my music genre because I got to see my favorite band, Hollywood Undead for the first time. I told my mom to go into the stands at Gramercy Theatre just cause I was being a good son by getting her off the floor that would open up into a pit. I was 17 and people there were surprised that I was there but I told them that my mom was in the stands. Weird enough I had two groups to keep my back during the show which was a group of 3 guys and a group of at least 6 or 7 college guys. I loved this show so much because it was for my favorite band and I felt like myself for once at a concert. But for my first time seeing a mosh pit I thought the people were fighting. Oops but I know now the people just mosh like that all the time.

Rest of the concerts

So since 2013, I have been going to concerts on almost a daily basis because I enjoy the shows and enjoy meeting new people who have the same music as me. That's how I met my girlfriend last year before we knew we would be dating a year later. But since that first Hollywood Undead concert, I went on to see them again in June of that year. Then in 2014, I had gone to a few shows from this and that which was Limp Bizkit and Fozzy on a back to back night basis. So not a lot in 2014, but 2015 a little bit more concerts I went to including my first ever Warped tour. Think the counter in 2015 was about 10-15 concerts kind of lost count. Last year was just an awesome year for me going to shows. The counter was at 35 concerts including Warped Tour and Loud Fest so last year I spent a lot of money which included a back to back same show for I Prevail. Now 2017 is up in the air but I want to break 35 and go to Warped tour again.

Knowing bands personally

If you asked me about knowing bands personally like 13 years ago, I would of said what I said in the introduction paragraph that I wouldn't of ever try to meet any bands cause of me being scared and them being famous. But in 2015, I actually met someone famous which was FunnyMan from Hollywood Undead. Was I scared? Yes because he was a member in my favorite band and it was kind of like no one else noticed home except for me. Since that night I haven't been afraid to meet anyone famous or in any bands. Hence me knowing all of these bands. By the end of 2015 I met FunnyMan and J3T of Hollywood Undead, The Amity Affliction, I Prevail, Dave from Crown the Empire, Wade from Secrets, New Years Day, Ice Nine Kills, Wage War, My Enemies & I, and The White Noise.

2016 was no different for me meeting bands. In February, I became best friends with The White Noise and their merch girl Rocky, also met Palaye Royale that same night. Then by May or so, I met the Michigan band A War Within which became the quickest friendship with all of them and still communicate with them all the time. Also 2016 brought me to meet James Harrison of Oceans Ate Alaska and further my friendship with Wage War as I played protector for Briton who almost got into a fight with some fat guy. My mind kind of hurts from thinking because 2016 I met a lot of bands and became best friends with them. 2016 also brought me a friendship that I can't trade which will get people jealous is my friendship with Ash Costello of New Years Day. 2016 I also met Palisades (best friends with them), Sylar, Blameshift, Bad Seed Rising, Chelsea Grin, Cody and Dan from Set It Off. So 2016 was insane and now I'm best friends with at least over 15 different bands and have met people from bands of over 25 bands.

Me and The White Noise in February of 2016 and August of 2016

Me with Emerson (Palaye Royale) and their merch guy Zach

Me and From Ashes to New

Me and Elijah Witt

Me and Ash Costello for like the 4th photo with her

All of my life, I never wanted to attend concerts or never wanted to meet famous people because of their space and me being scared to meet them. But now in 2016, I love going to concerts and I'm always meeting bands and becoming best friends with them. So it's ironic, but it's a good ironic as all of this makes me feel like I'm in a group now and everyone loves me and accepts me like hell. So thank you to all of the bands that I've met and became friends with throughout last year and in 2015. Now comes 2017 and wondering how many concerts I will go to and how many more bands I'm going to become best friends with. Wish me luck everyone and leave in the comments about how many concerts you've been to and how many bands you've either met or know personally