Last week I had the opportunity to go see one of my favorite artists, Lorde, live in concert. As an early birthday present given to me from my family, I was absolutely thrilled! Sure, I had gone to a few concerts before seeing Lorde, but nothing would come close to the experience I was about to have. Here are 7 reasons why seeing your favorite band or musician live in concert will (pun intended) rock your world!

1. The rush, the thrill, the environment

Let’s face it, the weeks or months that come between when you purchase the tickets and when you actually get to see your favorite artist are incredibly exciting. You tell all of your friends about the upcoming concert and you can’t wait until the day comes when you finally get to see your favorite artist live.

When you first walk into the concert venue you still can’t believe how you managed to get tickets! Then it hits you. After the opening act, the musician walks on stage and you go crazy. Random shouts and roars surround you, and you become the definition of a fangirl. You notice that nearly everyone around you is just as excited as you are.

2. You will know nearly every song

One of the best parts about being able to see your favorite artist live is that you have listened to all of their latest songs. You know nearly every word and can’t help but sing along when the band begins to play. You’ve listened for hours and hours on end, playing the same album on loop, or maybe just a few songs. Now is your time to sit back, and enjoy the show.

3. You get to actually see (maybe even meet) them

When you’re from a smaller town and you aren’t used to celebrities walking around on the street on a day to day basis, then it can be quite exciting to see someone who is famous, let alone your favorite artist. Often times, I’m in awe that I’m even in the same room as someone who is known worldwide. Whether it be a famous actress, musician, or YouTuber, you get an entirely new sense of reality from the experience.

4. Authenticity in music

You can always tell a great artist from a good artist when you hear them live. If the songs at their concert sound exactly like they do on the radio then one of two things are happening. Either the musician is not truly singing or playing like they come off to be, or their digitally recorded song is hardly messed with.

Musicians are bound to sound a little different live due to the tremendous amount of editing that goes into creating a digital recording. When you hear your favorite artist live, you get a good sense of how they actually sound and how they perform, and you get to see a little more of their personality.

5. You’ll have a fun time and meet some pretty cool people

Nearly everyone at the concert is there to watch and enjoy the show. They wouldn’t have bought tickets if they didn’t want to see the artist in person. I’ve met some pretty cool people at the concerts I’ve been too, whether it’s one of my favorite artists or not.

You’re bound to find others there who have similar tastes in music. And who knows? If you start talking to them, they might have a lot more in common with you than you might think.

6. Supporting them financially

In a day in age where people are switching over to Spotify and Pandora in order to listen to music, a well-attended concert is extremely important to artists. CDs and Vinyl are for the most part a thing of the past, and even those who still purchase digital copies of their favorite albums still listen to music elsewhere.

Because of this, musicians aren’t making their money primarily off their digital sales, but more from their concerts. Sure, they still do make money from selling records, CDs, and merchandise, but nothing compared to what they make for a performing a live concert. When you go to see your favorite artist live, you are financially supporting them and their career.

7. They won’t be here forever

Your favorite artist today will probably not be your favorite artist a few years down the road, but that shouldn’t stop you. Most musicians only play live for so long before they stop coming out with new songs and albums. When they stop creating music, they also stop performing live (most of the time).

Few musicians continue to perform at an older age, which means that if you wait to get tickets until another year or late date, you are running the risk of not being able to see them at all. You never know when someone’s music career will end, and you wouldn’t want to regret not being able to see them live.

JUST DO IT!