Road trips and setlists: Traveling for concerts

When I went to my first concert in 2015, I never imagined live music would take me to the places I’ve been.

I immediately fell in love with being immersed in the crowd, hearing everyone scream the same lyrics. Knowing everyone is there for their own reasons, but all being united by the same artist.

I had seen people online who have “followed” their favorite artists on tour, going to multiple cities to see shows, but I never understood how they were able to do it. 

The term music tourism is used to describe the phenomenon of people traveling for shows. Oftentimes, people will select a city outside of where they live to try and increase their chances of getting tickets. 

In August 2022, I took my first trip for the sole purpose of seeing a concert, something many people in my life were confused about. That trip has led to several other concert travels, something that has been transformational in my life.

Seeing new cities

My concert trips have taken me to various cities that I would’ve likely never been to otherwise.

From walking down the crowded streets of downtown Nashville in the rain to running through Times Square with my friends, I have learned that sometimes the best part of traveling is just exploring the sights of the city. 

As someone who has lived in one place my entire life, it has been exciting to see how people live their lives in other cities. I was watching people hustle and bustle down the streets of Chicago on their way to work in the high-rise buildings of the city, picturing myself in their shoes one day.

Meeting new people

Often, when I go to a concert, I end up waiting in line for multiple hours before the show to try and be as close to the front as possible. This has led to me meeting some of the coolest people.

When everyone is united to see the same band or artist, you already have that common ground to base conversations on. Just talking to people about the song they’re most excited to hear at the show can lead to so much more. 

I even got to travel back to Nashville with a friend I met at a concert—someone I would have never met had I not gone to a show in the first place.

Increasing spontaneity

One of the best parts of these trips is the spontaneity it has introduced into my life. 

I have always been a very planned and organized person, often keeping a schedule and planner for my day-to-day life. 

While many parts of my trips are planned—hotels, tickets, transportation—there are so many aspects that are decided at the moment. That level of unpredictability used to give me a lot of fear.

However, some of the best moments from these travels have been the last-minute decisions that were made. For example, my friends and I randomly decided to stop in a small town in Indiana for over three hours just because the billboards looked interesting. It ended up being one of the most fun parts of the trip and is something we still frequently talk about. 

I have started introducing this spontaneity into my day-to-day life and have seen the positive effects because of it. 

At the end of the day, I think there is so much to be found in traveling for a concert. Whether it is a 12-hour drive or a flight across the country, I think we should all chase the experiences that make us feel alive. 

• concerts
• kentstate
• live music
• music
• Olivia Montgomery
• travel