Summer is over and fall is approaching fast, with that; how many shows did you see over the summer?
I saw a handful: David Lee Roth, Jimmy Eat World, Shinedown, and Guns N’ Roses. These shows were all in major stadiums (except for David at The Vogue Theatre). What I find interesting is how each venue has its own unique food and drink options, I noticed that these choices even influenced how the crowd acted. I think crowd engagement can be a major factor in how you immerse yourself in the show. A venue like Rogers Arena has its own bar, whereas a place like The Thunderbird Arena has kiosks, and BC Place has concessions.
The Six / Pexels
I noticed that at Rogers Arena with the open bar, people were drinking a lot less. I think it may be because mixed drinks take a lot longer to shake and having all the alcohol behind the same bar means longer lines. You would probably rather watch the show than wait in the lines at the bar, also – a walk-up bar means unlimited liqueur to an extent, and unlimited liqueur means more trips to the bathroom. I hate getting up during a show, especially in a stadium. Isn’t it the worst feeling? Especially sitting in the middle of a row and having to collide with everybody else to make it out of the aisle. Or even worse is losing your spot standing in front of the stage.
I think the Thunderbird Arena had wine and beer,r and BC Place was fairly similar, just more expensive. I remember a concert I went to at Rogers Forum in Abbotsford earlier this spring, and they had small, mobile bars around the venue. Clearly, Rogers loves to drink. Either way, Rogers Forum was my favourite venue I visited this year. Security wasn’t as tight as Rogers Arena, and by the time we got inside half of the crowd had already drank their weight in alcohol. It didn’t help that it was a Megadeth concert, aggressive drunks are almost a given.
You might not be a big drinker at concerts and live shows, but you can’t deny that a venue shapes how the crowd acts. It creates an important impact on your overall enjoyment.