Music

5 things to do while waiting for a Warped band to go on

by Anne T. Donahue

You know the drill – you’ve arrived to the festival, you’ve caught a band you love, and now for the next two hours there’s absolutely nobody playing that you want to see.  So what do you do?  While it’s tempting to stand around and endure the next 120 minutes of mediocre rock and/or roll, there are other options that will make your concert-going experience that much better.  Standing around and embracing boredom is no longer acceptable.

Explore the Grounds

Sure, you fought hard for that spot front row-centre, but the thing about live shows is the free-for-all atmosphere that will allow you to return to your coveted standing space.  (Believe it or not, assigned seats are reserved for arenas and theatres – not outdoor events or free-form venues.)  If you’re at a festival, peruse the grounds and check out what’s going on.  You’d be surprised at the people you meet or the bands you run into who are doing the same thing – and few things are better than the casual stop-and-talk with one of your favourite musicians who’s attempting to fill his afternoon, too.  Worst case scenario?  You kill half an hour by aimlessly wandering – and isn’t that just part of a typical Saturday anyway?

Eat Something

It seems like common sense, but countless attendees adopt a starvation diet for their big day out since the idea of spending $5 on a slice of pizza can be terrifying.  However, if you’ve committed to an entire day at a music fest, you might as well adopt the “when in Rome” mindset and indulge yourself in actual sustenance.  Those granola bars seemed like enough at the time, but if you’re set to spend the afternoon moshing, crowd-surfing or nonchalantly swaying, energy and calories are required unless you plan on being the person who passes out in the midst of an encore.  You don’t go to shows every day – you deserve a hotdog.

People Watch

Contrary to popular belief, people-watching during a festival isn’t the concert equivalent of sitting on a bench in the mall and judging the youth of today.  One of the best parts about concerts is observing the goings-on of the people around you, and while you don’t want to blatantly mock (although you probably will), fun can be had while watching the shenanigans of fellow attendees who can’t contain their excitement, hold their liquor or learn when to say when.  If you doubt this, you’ve clearly never been surrounded by enthusiastic or inappropriate dancers at an event that calls for much different behaviour – and you’ve certainly never made your own impressions of them when they weren’t looking.

Board the Friend Ship

You may be 100% music-driven, but there’s still no need to take a vow of silence and stare deadpan into the face of performing musicians in hopes of making time pass.  Concerts and festivals are social events, and if you’re not treating them like the party they are, you’re doing nearly everyone involved a massive disservice.  No, you don’t have to get rip-roaring or even drink anything, but you do need to have a good time and bask in the day’s excitement with friends.  If you have two hours to kill, do it by making conversation, taking pictures and having fun.  Sure, you’re serious about the show, but even the most serious musicians treat their gigs like social hour and take advantage of a day spent with music-loving friends.  (After all, how often does that happen?)

New Music

In case you weren’t already aware, you’re in the middle of a jam-packed music event, and you’re still searching for something to pass the time.  You maybe unimpressed with the current band rocking the main stage, but that doesn’t have to stop you from perusing the festival and checking out smaller bands that have yet to hit make it big.  Once upon a time, Metric and Broken Social Scene were playing second fiddle to acts that seemed to eclipse them, and as you’re probably well aware, it’s the people who can say “I was there when” that have earned that sense of entitlement.  Who knows who you’ll see – use your “intermission” to take in something different and become that person who stays ahead of the game.