Seeing Concerts in Other Cities
If you know me, you know I’ll (most likely) never say no to travelling for a show.
Although I do enjoy travelling as is, having an event to look forward to adds a magical element to the trip. I often fly to Vancouver to go to various types of concerts. I acknowledge that this is a major privilege on my part, but I’m here to explain ways you can make it affordable and why you should try to do it at least once in your youth!
As an Edmontonian, I recommend trying to find concerts in Vancouver. It’s close by, has many options for accommodations, the public transit is A+, you can find super cheap flights, AND super cheap concerts/events/conventions. To find concerts, being chronically online will help you out lots. If you don’t have time for that, check out dice.fm! This site is useful because it can show you concerts all over the world, not just within Canada. Another option is to set up notifications on Spotify so that you know when your favorite artists are coming to town. Nonetheless, other major cities have a good variety of options, too. Just be prepared to spend more for travel!
I want to take a moment to mention how you should try to step out of your comfort zone and attend shows by artists you may have never heard of or listened to before. A couple years ago, I attended an Animal Collective show at Union Hall (I know it’s local, but you still get the point). I’d heard a few songs here and there, but I ultimately had no clue what to expect. That ended up being one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been to. The crowd was nice, the set list flowed from song to song, the visuals were really interesting and they paired nicely with the music. It was so awesome! A friend invited me to that concert, and that show itself definitely changed my perspective on Edmonton’s music scene. So, when you experience something so fresh like that in another city, it connects you to that place in a way you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
This leads me to my next point. A wholesome part of the experience that makes it so fun is getting to spend time with your friends. Travelling really does bring out sides of people you may not see in your everyday life, and it also creates a bond between everyone attending. There’s no better feeling than going on a trip with all your closest homies, seeing a really awesome concert, and then being able to look back on all those memories together later in life. It’s moments like that that you’ll cherish forever. A bonus is making friends at the shows, too!
The only downsides I’ve faced with travelling for concerts is trying to find cheap flights with reputable airlines. Just remember, if there’s a will, there’s a way! If you have a trip in mind, Google has made it super convenient to track airfares online. To do this, search the following on Google: Flights to (location) > input dates, airports, flight type, etc. > show flights > it should take you to a different screen. There will be a blue box that will tell you if the flight prices are currently low, mid, high. Under that, toggle on “track prices” for either your specified dates or any dates (if you just feel like going anytime). Google will email you with changes in prices as time goes on.
I hope everyone has the opportunity to see their favorite artists in concert some day! <3
Written by GAPSS Member Vanessa W.
Cover photo obtained from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/knock2-album-nolimit-coachella-1235235259/. Chosen because I attended Knock2’s show on February 7!