Well this is a special day… I have not one, but two treats for you!
1.) Kari is taking over this space to tell you how to enjoy a concert by yourself. (Ummmm yeah, I would never have thought that I’m brave enough to do this, but after reading this post, I’m more convinced that I totally could!)
2.) She’s giving away something from her store to one lucky reader!
Take it away, Kari!
Hello! I’m Kari, from This, too, a blog about finding the adventure in even the ordinary moments. I also sell handmade jewelry in my shop called “This” so that you can add that fun extra touch to any outfit as you go on your adventures.
New in the shop: beaded headbands!
Welp, after a long, terrible winter, it’s finally summertime and that means lots of concerts and festivals are happening right now. It’s like we’re attempting to squeeze them all in before the polar vortex takes over again and we all refuse to leave our homes.
I’ve seen some really good posts floating around about things you should bring to a concert or festival: sunscreen, hat, water bottle, etc., but what about if you don’t have someone to bring? Usually I’m able to drag my husband or friend to an event, but what do you do when no one else is available and you really want to see a band?
When I visited Chicago last year, I really wanted to see She & Him play at the Aragon Ballroom. I was visiting my sister (who was 8 months pregnant at the time) and my husband wasn’t able to make the trip with me. Now I did call the Aragon to see if they had special seating for super pregnant ladies. They said she could sit in the handicap section, but for some reason I didn’t feel right about making her do that (or maybe I did ask beg her to come, but she politely declined).
Zooey was too big of a draw, though, so I decided to bite the bullet and go by myself. Now you brave readers probably don’t think this is a big deal. For me, though, it was a big lesson in adulting (yes, it’s a verb. Read more about it here).
So I ratted my hair to get the classic “Zooey pouf”, put on my glasses, adjusted my peter pan collar top and made my way into the concert venue all by my lonesome.
Here are the biggest lessons I learned from the night to keep in your back pocket if you ever find yourself in a similar situation:
1) Keep your drinking to a minimum. A few beers made me feel on top of the world and not so shy about dancing to the music and mouthing all the lyrics, but I didn’t want to push it much beyond that since I didn’t have anyone else there to watch out for me. No one (except a creeper) wants to help out that girl who is sloppy drunk wandering around aimlessly. No, that right is reserved strictly for your friends and family. You have to keep your wits about you, so stay somewhat coherent.
2) Go to the bathroom before the show. Another reason not to go heavy on the drinks is that you don’t have anyone to hold your place in the crowd (if it’s standing room only), so you won’t want to leave during the concert to go to the bathroom. Make sure you go to the restroom before the show so that you have time to snag your spot near the stage and don’t have to budge the entire concert.
3) Stand wide. I would give this advice even if you weren’t at the concert alone. It just makes good concert sense. You might notice that before a concert starts, it’s easy to be lulled into thinking you’ve secured a spot that is big enough. Unsurprisingly, though, when the concert actually starts, your personal space gets a lot tighter. That’s why I like to stand with my feet wide apart and kind of sway from side to side to dissuade fellow concert goers from entering my domain.
4) Take that selfie. Just because you don’t have someone else to take a picture of you having a blast, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t commemorate the moment. Use a cool app like YouCamPerfect to take the perfect selfie.
5) Buy a souvenir. Or keep your ticket stub. Anything to remind you of how brave you are, and the awesome night you had. Remember, you’re the best friend you’ll ever have, so treat yourself to some quality time every once in a while. In fact, I still wear my She & Him concert tee even when I’m hula hooping.
What did I miss? Any other tips you have for going to events alone? Thanks so much, Lisa, for letting me take over your wonderful blog!
I’m so thankful that such a talented lady took over my blog today. I absolutely love Kari’s blog and store and if you aren’t already following along with her adventures, you should start now!
AND now for the giveaway!
Kari has offered to give one reader a gift from her store. If you win this giveaway you can choose either a headband or a necklace from “This” and you’ll also receive some super-cute bobby pins!
Kari modeling one of her necklaces!
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Of course I just had to have a headband to tame this crazy humidity hair I have all summer!
Cheers!
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