Concerts and music festivals are popular events for the summer months. People purchase concert tickets far in advance for shows such as Loolapalooza, Bonnaroo, Country Thunder, Riot Fest and hundreds of others. These shows provide music of all sorts. Not only are festivals well sought out, but solo acts as well. You gather all your friends to tailgate and camp out. Everyone has a ton of excitement leading up to the concert and at the actual event. Once the tailgating, dancing, meeting new people fades and you begin to lose your voice after all the yelling and singling along. The concert finally ends. Then, a void begins to form and find yourself . This is referred to as post concert depression.

The months leading up to these festivals and concerts are full of anticipation. People hover over their computers for hours to ensure the purchase of a ticket. The five minutes before tickets go live is an overfull of emotions. Excitement sets in that finally, this ticket will be yours! Nervousness begins because there is a possibility this ticket will not fall into your hands. Anxiety ensues over having the web page properly loaded and the credit card number ready at any moment. Anger can start over the thought that someone else less appreciative will hold this ticket over you. Then, the clock hits a certain time. The race begins and within a second that coveted ticket is finally yours. Screaming may begin, and if you are a big enough fan tears may even flow.

The waiting game now begins. The slow days drag by and are filled with preparation of listening to the artists and bands that soon you will be so close to. For festivals, large envelopes arrive as the event gets closer. Receiving wristbands and pass holders for the event only makes the anticipation worse.

Finally, the day of the concert has come and you could not be more excited. Getting to the show early to get a good spot in line and rushing into the gates when they finally open. For non-seating shows plotting out a good spot is always an adventure.

Once the lights dim before a show, the audience silences. The opening act will begin and you probably do not know them. However, it does not matter, that music sounds just as sweet because of what lies ahead.

Eventually, the moment you have been waiting months for begins and the artist(s) you came to see takes the stage. It is magical. It does not matter that you have been waiting for hours, sometimes in the extreme heat. It does not matter that someone spilled a drink down your back. It does not matter that you are crammed next to thousands of people you do not know. At that moment you all have the same concern and you are all hearing the music you have waited so long for. The show is incredible and before you know it it is over. When the act walks off stage there is a musical buzz. Your ears are ringing and your voice hurts, but it was all so worth it.

The next day is when the sadness sets in. It is over. All the anticipation and waiting and the show has come and gone. It was fantastic, exciting, and suddenly that the extreme jubilation has ceased. In the place of jubilation becomes a void of nothing to look forward to, no mail to arrive, no day of the concert and you are left with pictures and amazing memories. Despite the fact you have the memories, the fact of the matter is that so much time and thought was put into something that ended so soon. Post concert depression begins. The part where there are no extreme emotions, just emptiness that the concert is no longer in the future.

Post concert depression may be real after concerts conclude. However, there is an easy fix. Another amazing event or show is right around the corner and the cycle can being again.