Last week my three children and I went to see Taylor Swift in concert at the Target Center in Minneapolis. We got there about forty-five minutes early so that we could find our seats, get some snacks, purchase a t-shirt, and run to the bathroom before the concert began. The only way we were able to get tickets to the Taylor Swift concert was to purchase individual tickets, so unfortunately my three kids and I were sitting separately.
The first observation I made (and was aware of throughout the show) was the chaos of the t-shirt lines. The concert had many different t-shirt stands that sold t-shirts, sweatshirts, posters, etc. and the lines were crazily solid with people. I got my kids settled in their seats with their snacks and thought I would jump into a line because I had a few minutes before the opening act began. I waited in this packed line for twenty minutes and did not move an inch! People were spending more on t-shirts then they did on the actual ticket to come. They could buy similar t-shirts at the mall, but there is some type of stigma attached to "the" concert t-shirt. The most interesting part is that people waited for the t-shirts even during the opening act and even during the actual Taylor Swift concert! Now that is the confusing part - you come to the Taylor Swift concert not to see her, but to get the t-shirt so that you can proclaim to all that you have seen her. Luckily I found an empty line and purchased my overpriced t-shirts quickly and got back to the concert!
The section that we were sitting in was a "sit-down" section. Some times you get in the sections that stand during the entire concert. It seems as though it is either one or the other - either everybody sits or everybody stands. The sit-down section is a little more laid back, almost more like observers of the event. The stander-upper sections seem more like they are a part of the act - they are more engaged in the concert and it is almost like a two-way conversation. The sit-downers are enjoying themselves, but the conversation seems to be one-way.
Another interesting point in the concert was when she miraculously appears in another part of the arena. People went crazy and ran in the direction of where she was, hoping to touch her or be seen by her. It is almost as if in touching her they would receive a blessing, or musical talents, or something special. Taylor Swift was a big hugger - she would hug as she walked along and would want interactment. Proximity to the talent seemed to motivate interest and engagement in what was happening.
The concert was pretty long. Lots of people had their kids there. People were willing to be at a concert on a Sunday night until around 10:30ish pm, take the long ride home (we didn't get home until 12:15 am), and then have to get up for school and work the next morning. It is amazing what people (me included) are willing to do to experience a good show, an entertainment experience that breaks them out of their every day existence.
My kids loved the concert as well. One daughter was in the "standing" section so she was pretty pooped by the end of the night. My other daughter loved the costumes and the funny things that they would do. My son enjoyed the music, and although he knew some of it, he wished he had listened to more of her music before going. He ranked her concert quite highly. Overall the concert goers seemed to be pretty pleased with their time and money investment. Proud participants, proudly wearing their well-fought for t-shirts, sleepily walked to their cars after the concert, sated for now, but willing to brave the chaos again for another grand escape.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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