Who are all these old people at concerts? Why, it's me!

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Cat2370@reddit

Yes—same experience constantly. But I’m not old 🤣

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Famous-Crazy3395@reddit

My sister saw Bob Dylan a few years ago and that was a lot of walkers and oxygen tanks etc. We are still “young”! 🤣

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MurderedRemains@reddit

I played a fairly heavy gig last week, half the crowd were kids, the other half looked like their parents. I forgot I'm old too.

The bar staff looked under-age.

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CornTreeRoad@reddit

When I book venues now, I make sure there’s plenty of seating and that i can start the show at 7pm to wrap by 9. I know my audience.

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MurderedRemains@reddit

Oh yeah, we were playing a Grinspoon tribute show. My wife and her friends were there, and immediately looked for a rare table and stools. We were done by 10pm and home by 10.45.

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drumming4coffee@reddit

It seems like every concert lately is motivation to keep going to the gym and taking care of myself. I don’t look young, but I’m shocked by how old many of my peers look.

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It was nice to hear "Oh, you're young!" because it was NBD popping up to let your row in and out. Especially on your 55th birthday. Strange time to finally be the belle of the ball but I ain't complaining.

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alwaystenminutes@reddit

Went to Hunters and Collecters when they did a farewell tour, and Mark Seymour said "who was alive in 1984?" There were only a handful of people in the audience who put their hands up, including me. Then they played "Throw Your Arms Around Me", and everyone was roaring out the lyrics. I felt old because I remembered when it first came out, but it felt really great to be roaring away with that younger crowd, who must have grown up with their parents singing it.

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MurderedRemains@reddit

Hunnas!

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Aveeye@reddit

My wife and I went to Stone Temple Pilots on my 50th birthday and we saw SEVERAL people with canes and people taking out ear plugs after it was over.

Weirdly, we saw Bryan Adams with Joan Jett as his opening act the year before and the crowd there was younger, with a lot of kids.

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East-Garden-4557@reddit

Earplugs are the smart choice if you want to still be able to hear the music later, protect your hearing.

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1kpointsoflight@reddit

Lots of Gen Z use earplugs at concerts too. Tinnitus sucks

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HearingDue2119@reddit

Pure Hell. And it gets worse.

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1kpointsoflight@reddit

It’s all in our head. It gets better too.

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HearingDue2119@reddit

Mine has definitely gotten worse over the years.

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1kpointsoflight@reddit

I’m sorry to hear that! Yes it can at times be a nuisance!

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nataliescar@reddit

Had this exact thought at the Afghan Whigs concert last night! They still put on a hell of a show

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Haunt_Fox@reddit

Lol. Passed by the arena to run an errand on my bike, and on my way back, a show has just let out. And I wondered, "what's with all the geezers, everyone is my age or older (was in my 40s at the time)."

Fortunately, I got stopped by a swell older couple who were obviously at least two sheets to the wind, who wanted to make sure they were going the right way to their hotel (they were), so I was able to ask who it was they saw.

Bob Dylan. 😹

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beansoupscratch@reddit

I saw Mike Tramp last night and it was all full of old people. I like to think at one time we were young and with big hair.

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drumming4coffee@reddit

It seems like every concert lately is motivation to keep going to the gym and taking care of myself. I don’t look young, but I’m shocked by how old many of my peers look.

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97Whaler@reddit

Saw George Thorogood last weekend yup everyone was old George too but he still kicks ass !!!!!!!!!!

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ValgalNP@reddit

All the damn time. 😅

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fredout1968@reddit

Haaa! I went to Britt Floyd a couple of months back and it smelled of BenGay and weed...

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MicheleRSimon@reddit

Saw Springsteen in LA. Was surprised at fans being mostly older and then realized same, oh yeah that's me.

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wrhnj@reddit

Go to a Pearl Jam concert if you really want to feel old.

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Early_Doughnut8295@reddit

Going to see Echo and the bunneyman next week then the Cure next month. Yeah I'm old lol

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DKHawky@reddit

Heck yeah!! Two of my favorites. Seeing the Bunnymen tomorrow at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

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salomey5@reddit

The Cure are awesome live, you're gonna have a great time!

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martej@reddit

Will be lots of grey hair there.

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Early_Doughnut8295@reddit

Or bald like me lol

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umeboshiplumpaste@reddit

Envious!!!

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Murashi@reddit

From a conversation I had with my sister the other day.

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PrettyWorn_@reddit

Hell yes! 🔥

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Top-Inspection-5009@reddit

Nope. Age doesn’t bother me at all. We will all be gone in 40 or so years so live it up!!!!

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MalibuSky@reddit

Same experience recently, and I was sitting on a seat at the end of the aisle, at about a 1/2 hour in, people kept coming and going up the aisle. I couldn’t understand why people were leaving..then my husband looks at me and says “they are going to the bathroom”;)

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Short-Personality398@reddit

Air Supply concert just last year (or year before?). Awesome concert and I was one of the old peeps. I’m not even sure there were any youngens

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Jerking_From_Home@reddit

I’m still playing in a metal band, and I’m quite certain that some young people there think I’m someone’s dad who came to watch their son’s band.

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conejon@reddit

At most shows I went to in my teens and twenties, there was always some random older guy hanging around at the back of the crowd, by himself. Now I'm that guy.

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Entire-Flower1259@reddit

Oh yeah. There’s hearing your music at the supermarket, visiting elder communities and realizing you could live there, going to the doctor and realizing it’s for an age-related complaint, realizing the arthritis isn’t a temporary condition, and on and on.

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2PlasticLobsters@reddit

I had a moment like that during my 4th season working in Yellowstone NP. Normally the employee pub opened at 8 PM. That year, they started to open at 6 PM one day a week. Good move, I got there about 15 minutes after the first 6 PM opening & it was PACKED.

I looked around & thought "Funny, it's all old people". At 52, I was one of the youngest people there. It was bliss. I hope they kept that up. It was a big hit with the semi-retired crowd.

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thatto@reddit

I took my dad to Simon and Garfunkel... His favorite group. We pulled into the American airlines center parking lot. There was a line of people waiting to get in. First words out of his mouth were "There sure are a lot of old people here"

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Egg_Gurl@reddit

I went to a Squeeze show and I was one of the younger people at age 50 🤷‍♀️

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jenij730@reddit

Have seen them twice. They still put on a Good show

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Egg_Gurl@reddit

I was hoping they’d play Electric Trains but alas they did not 🥺

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CountHonorius@reddit

We're the grey panthers now, lol

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nottodayautoimmune@reddit

Going to my sixth twenty øne pilots concert in October. Husband and I always go with our 23yo son, who is one of their biggest fans. Death Cab for Cutie is opening for tøp. The lead singer actually encourages the folks in bowl seats to sit during the middle part of the show. He jokes that it’s his dad’s favorite part, LOL. Tyler actually posted a photo of himself today showing some gray hairs among his brown hair. I guess they sneak up on famous people, too.

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BarbellLawyer@reddit

Went to see Triumph this week and thought “Damn, there’s a lot of canes here.”

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Full_Mission7183@reddit

I hate it when I see an old person and then realize we went to high school together

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BizzyQueenBee@reddit

Hey, but look at us still going to the concerts! My parents went to the symphony. Not that it’s not great music, just not as cool.

Recently, my 13 year old asked me when I was going to grow up. Never, child. NEVER!!

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betterWithSprinkles@reddit

I listen mostly to newer music, and I feel oddly reassured if I can spot another woman that’s close to my age or older. There are always a few older men, but it seems like very few women my age are going to these shows.

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MooPig48@reddit

There’s SO much great new music out there. I haven’t been to a concert in a long time but I’m finding myself trying desperately to win tickets to some of this stuff (yes, I could pay hundreds for tickets but I refuse).

I can get Balu Brigada and Sombr for like 80 bucks though so I will be buying those. Anyway you may see me at some

Do you like Wet Leg?

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betterWithSprinkles@reddit

I do! I think I’d be more likely to see them at a festival than as a headliner, but they are a lot of fun.

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MooPig48@reddit

I think they played Coachella. I would definitely see them as a headliner. I’m obsessed lol

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chuck1664@reddit

I'm an older guy, and I love new music. I saw Wet Leg at ACL Fest last fall in Austin. Best show I saw all year. So far this year Pacifica in Chicago and Arcy Drive in Milwaukee. The Arcy Drive show was kind of uncomfortable in the beginning, because I looked around and there was exactly one other person out of about 300 with white hair. Easily everybody else was below 30 including of course, the band. Fortunately there were some folding chairs on the side, but I actually stood and even danced for most of the show. Next, I'm going to try to brave a Velveteers concert.

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MooPig48@reddit

I plan to take my college kid to Sombr and Balu Brigada. If you haven’t heard Balu Brigadas single Backseat (extended 6 minute version) well let me tell you, it’s amazing but especially so after a tab of acid (yes, there’s other things I haven’t entirely given up lol)

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chuck1664@reddit

I think Balu is at ACL Fest this fall, so I'll have to check them out. Which with a bunch of 20-somethings of course.😂

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thekennytheykilled@reddit

Ooh me too! Look at all these geezers..... Wait ......are we geezers

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udonbeatsramen@reddit

I went to a Violent Femmes show a couple months ago, I know the feeling. I had to remind myself that their first album came out when I was a toddler so technically its a little before my time

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Azipcoder@reddit

I saw them at a standing room only venue a few years ago. Great show but I wanted to sit down so badly 🤣

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udonbeatsramen@reddit

Ha, I was standing by the back of the GA section so I had something to lean on

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EffortZealousideal8@reddit

Took my way younger brother and nephew to Rage Against the Machine (a band I’ve been listening to since the early 90’s) and I was pleased to see so many peeps that were my age. Definitely one of those cross- generational band. The show was fantastic of course.

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Sometimes_I_Do_That@reddit

I went to see Green Day with my youngest, and I pointed out to him that there are alot of old people here,.. then he mentioned that I'm probably in their age group.

It hit hard, but funny at the same time.

Either way, Green Day put on a great show.

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AggravatingBobcat574@reddit

Billy Joe Armstrong is 54

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Sometimes_I_Do_That@reddit

Yup,.. and he still looks great.

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TheAnarchyChicken@reddit

Going to Ben Folds tomorrow night with all the young people… and their parents. It’s me, I’m the parent and my 23-yo daughter is going with me. 😂

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AggravatingBobcat574@reddit

It’s the band,

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ThisIsAllTheoretical@reddit

When they started calling me “mom” at work. 🫤

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TempurmentalSam@reddit

We have a “mom” at work. She’s actually a year younger than me but she doles out the money like an allowance so….mom 🤣

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Phog_of_War@reddit

I'm glad I go to metal shows where the age range of the crowd has always been pretty large.

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Relative-Accountant2@reddit

Lol. We went to see Alice Cooper a couple of weeks ago and some punk ass 30ish guy said "wow, there's a lot of gray hair in here!" Your day will come, friend, your day will come.

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foreverce@reddit

between the final KISS shows and current AC/DC shows, i’ve noted we’ve hit geezerdom. no GA for me, i need my own assigned seat.

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MargnWalkr@reddit

A friend of mine has taken to saying ‘this looks like a Clutch crowd’ (referring to one of our favorite bands). So much of what I still listen to is from the 90s, so it tracks that the crowd is older.

I remember going to metal shows as a teenager and if you saw an older person you figured it was someone’s dad taking them to the show. Now you see a lot of kids with their parents at these shows.

Honestly, it warms my heart to see so many younger people at shows for ‘our’ music. Gives me a little faith in the future gens.

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yanknga@reddit

Yes. I saw Simple Minds last June. My first thought when getting settled was “what’s with all the old people?”- immediately followed by - “oh yeah, that makes sense.”

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RL203@reddit

I saw Simple Minds last summer as well. Lets just say that I am of their cohort from back in the day and still very much love their music. Anyway, it was a great concert, high energy and Jim Kerr still very much has it. I would see them again in a second flat.

I dont know about the concert you saw, but in Toronto, Kerr quipped after performing his signature interpretive dance moves, which involved getting down on both knees and bending backward: “Don't try that at home kids... Try that at someone else's home. I'm getting too old for this malarky”.

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yanknga@reddit

Yes Kerr was damn flexible for his age. Very impressive. It was a great show and I’d see them again anytime.

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worstpartyever@reddit

Damn mirrors!

/s

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Adventurous-Egg-8818@reddit

I went to see Foreigner a fews ago and was surprised to see younger kids with their grandparents.

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WileyCoyote7@reddit

Yes, I (52M) think this a lot of the time. Concerts, movies, walks in the park, etc., I see people around my age or younger and I knee-jerk reflex think they are “old people.” I think it’s because (and this is quickly coming to an end I feel) I physically don’t see myself as old when I look in the mirror. I have hardly any grey hair (to the point my parents/siblings even accused me of coloring it), thanks to oily skin I have very few noticable wrinkles, and I’ve always stayed in pretty good shape. Mentally I am still a 20-something goofball, and I act like it by being a sarcastic jokester whenever possible; keep things light. So my dissonance is with people that reflect their physical age as commonly appropriate, and myself not realizing I’m simply running on borrowed genetic luck.

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rhionaeschna@reddit

I don't get out a lot these days, but saw Cabaret Voltaire a week and a bit ago and I loved that I wasn't one of the oldest in the room. Even better was the room was mostly full of folks in our age range with a few younger folks, but everyone on the dance floor was enjoying the show and dancing. I can't dance anymore at shows but it makes me so happy that others still do.

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Antique-Ant5557@reddit

Sometimes friends will throw a party. Still single after all these years I go hoping maybe I'll find someone there, maybe even 'thee one'. Instead I'm like "why is everyone here so old and grey??" And then I realize.....

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wellbloom@reddit

Same 😭

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moneyman74@reddit

I was at a Billy Joel concert at 45 and I was in the 5% youngest people there.

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DavePHofJax@reddit

My dad told me when I was 16, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I went to bed last night and I was 18. I woke up this morning and I'm pushing 57. Time has a way of creeping up on you.

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DrumsKing@reddit

Yeah. I took a nap yesterday, I was 22. Woke up in my 50s with a heart attack under my belt!

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DavePHofJax@reddit

Hope the ticker is doing better. No issues with my ticker or anything else except a little high on my BP. I blame stupid people pissing me off for my BP.

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CelebrationFull9424@reddit

Yep, I saw Jane’s Addiction a couple years ago and thought the same thing….

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Oh-No-RootCanal@reddit

2023 Cheap Trick concert, when I took this pic was the exact moment.

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no_car1799@reddit

Nine inch nails!! Great concert! Lots of old folks, but I must say, I think I’m looking pretty good for my age, compared to others.

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Raskal37@reddit

Go to the symphony, you'll look/feel young at that place. But yeah, my Dad and his wife are big Rolling Stone fans and still attend concerts, talk about a time warp! I think most of the audience are 70+.

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heynow941@reddit

I saw the Stones on the most recent US tour and there kids that appeared as young as 6(??) all the way up to grandparent age. And everything in between.

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Raskal37@reddit

Well that's good to know since I always wondered what was going to happen to classic rock as the fanbase aged out; I always feared they'd take the good stuff with them, glad to know that won't be the case and we'll still be dancing to the stones in "the home".

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ahutapoo@reddit

I went to a Blasters, Los Lobos and X show. 80% white haired punks on the floor and of course yours truly.

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FeeOk1230@reddit

No Doubt it does

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Mr_Pink_Eyez@reddit

We were at a show a year back, small venue. I had this young kid come over to me and say “I don’t mean any disrespect, but I think it’s awesome seeing someone older at this show!” I was taken aback at first cause I thought he was wanting to g to start something, but this dude was absolutely genuine! I just told him “shit man! I’ll be 80 and I’ll still be coming to shows”

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ToraFromTheNorth@reddit

Yep. Although the guys on stage are also old, but somehow we don't see them that way?

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Suitable-Bike6971@reddit

A Sisters of Mercy song was playing at Wholefoods today.

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the-dutch-fist@reddit

My live music taste skews younger so I end up at a lot of Gen Z targeted shows. Last year I went to see Suki Waterhouse and I was literally the oldest person in the crowd, and it was awesome. We did see Sting recently and that may as well have been a Gen X class reunion.

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LagrangianMechanic@reddit

I kinda had the opposite experience just before the pandemic.

I went to a Frank Turner concert at a (large) nightclub in town that was all SRO. I got there when the door opened so I was able to basically be 6 feet from the stage.

I (51 at the time) was at least 20 years older than anyone within at 50 feet of me in any direction.

It was both amusing and isolating. A lot of the people around me happened to be women in their early 20s and I didn’t want to be seen as “creepy older guy trying to chat up women my kid’s age” so I basically just kept to myself.

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WittySign1264@reddit

I feel like you just described a nearly universal experience we go through. Saw someone from high school and said damn he looks old. Then realized he probably thought the same about me.

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PlaxicoCN@reddit

If you're bummed or somehow surprised by people your age at a concert, focus on that fact that you can actually afford to go and be grateful for that instead.

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ColdHandGee@reddit

Also in good mind and body too! I am grateful that i am a healthy 57 year old.

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No_Maintenance_9608@reddit

Yup. Every time. We old and grouchy.

Next month I’m going to see Echo and the Bunnyman, and then the next week I’ll see The Human League in Vegas.

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ColdHandGee@reddit

gif

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GoldenMonkeyRedux@reddit

I’m going to see Tomahawk and The Melvin’s and then Pavement. I guarantee my age group will be highly represented.

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Independent_Sock_213@reddit

Duane Denison is the best.

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GoldenMonkeyRedux@reddit

I can’t believe I get to see him. Hell, the whole band is insane.

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AnalFanatics@reddit

I was recently thinking about my old Nanna who came down to Australia to live with us from England after Pop died, and we would sit at the Kitchen table and she would tell me about things that happened during The Blitz in WWII when the Germans would bomb and strafe the area where she lived near the London Docks; I would look at her reliving it in her head and wonder how she could remember it so vividly all those years later.

Whilst remembering that myself, I suddenly came to the realisation that nowadays the equivalent would be me, telling my grandchildren about things that I had experienced in the 1990’s when I was already a father…

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martej@reddit

Went to an 80s revival concert last year and looked out at a sea of white hair. Then realized I’m going a bit grey myself so I was in good company.

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Dalearev@reddit

I mean, kind of, but I was at a Casualties show last night and it was a really mixed crowd lots of old people, but lots of young people too, which was awesome

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mapett@reddit

Well, the rest were casualties.

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Available-Bison-9222@reddit

Yes!! Has exactly this thought at a concert last year. Then I told myself I looked much younger,and immediately felt better.

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Veggyhed@reddit

I remember being 14 years old and going to my first rock concert, Van Halen 5150. I remember looking around and I asked my friend, "Why are there so many old people here?"

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dogmatixx@reddit

By the time 5150 came out, a lot of Van Halen’s original fans were in their 30s, so that makes sense.

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Veggyhed@reddit

The concerts that I saw with the greatest range of ages were AC/DC and KISS. I was shocked. At that time I was 16, 17, somewhere around there but it was pretty amazing.

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Buc-ees_Bathroom@reddit

gif

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mden1974@reddit

I’ve been saying this for 25 years.

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Historical_Project86@reddit

Sort of. I did the same, went to see Godpseed You! Black Emperor a couple of years ago. There were old crusty dudes in the queue, and I was one of them! To be honest I'm always interested in what type of old dude still goes to see shows like that as opposed to just going to see popular big shows like Bill Joel, Springsteen, etc. The older dudes in my queue looked pretty cool, cooler than me I would say. I feel like a bit of an outlier in that I have never really been cool but like music which brings me into contact with cooler people - creatives and such.

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