Concert Fun

When I was a teenager, into my mid-twenties, I used to go to concerts all the time.  It probably averaged to at least a show per week.  I would go most weekends, a Friday or Saturday night.  There were some weeks, I went to more than one concert.  They used to be affordable.  For a small or no-name band, $5 was the going price.  For a big name, you were going to spend $20 max.

Then prices started going up a lot and I stopped going almost altogether.  In all honesty, I got a lot busier as I got older, too.  I was a server/bartender and then became a hairstylist.  My schedule didn’t allow for as many weekend activities.

The past few years, I started going to some concerts again.  But it was reserved for bands that I am a really huge fan and had never seen before.  Recently, I lost my job and came into a little bit of money, simultaneously.  I now had the time and money to do a few things that I haven’t been able to do for the past few years. 

San Diego has gotten so expensive, that I was working so much just to pay bills and not be able to enjoy this beautiful city.  Or if I wasn’t working much, then I definitely didn’t have the money to be spending on extra activities.

There were a few things that I was able to knock off my “If Only I Had The Money” list.  There are still more things that are on that list but it’s the had a lot more money list.  I also just started to do things that I used to enjoy.  One of those things is going to concerts.

April:

• Willie Nelson & Family with Asleep At The Wheel

June:

• Mother, Mother with Cavetown and Meet Me At The Alter
• Kaleo with Neal Francis

August:

• Our Lady Peace with Blair Gun and The Renters
• The Struts with Barns Courtney

September:

• Pink with The Script and Sheryl Crow
• Glass Animals with Eyedress

October (still to come):

• Orville Peck with Nikki Lane and Emily Nenni

I am planning on moving to Tulum, Mexico.  While there is no set date, I am hoping sooner than later with everything else that is going on in my life.  There is a lot of live music there, but it is mostly local musicians playing covers at bars and such.  Bands don’t come there for concerts.  It’s really just a small town, with a population of just under 50,000.  

While San Diego has never felt like a big city, it is the second largest city in California, after Los Angeles, and the eighth largest city in the United States, with close to 1.4 million people.  Due to SD being second to LA which is only a couple of hours away, there are a lot of bands that solely do shows in LA.  At times, it feels like we live in LA’s shadow.  I would chose SD any day over LA but more people live in LA, not everyone would agree with me.  Nevertheless, I do live in a big city that has a lot to offer.  I am definitely going to miss going to concerts, especially since I just got back into going again. 

There also is no movie theater in Tulum.  That seems really weird to me.  However, it’s something I can live without.  I think the last movie I saw in the theaters was Barbie.  If that tells you how often I go.  They are supposed to be building a movie theater.  I would much rather a concert venue.  I’m in the minority with that choice, too.  I know there are some big rave/parties that happen in Tulum.  They are expensive and totally marketed to tourists.

After all of that I wanted to give my reviews about the shows that I have seen these past six months.  I didn’t see any shows in May or July—that or I’m just forgetting.  It could equally be either option.