Today’s Concert Crowds Wouldn’t Last in the 1990s

n one. They weren’t concerned about angles or filters or battery life. They were concerned about getting closer to the stage without dying in the process.And now?Now you’ve got crowds like Chappell Roan’s at Lollapalooza last summer, and Lady Gaga’s from Brazil last week, sure they were massive, but they look like a dystopian tech conference. AdvertisementEvery second person there surely has their phone in the air, recording grainy footage they’ll never watch. There’s dozens of jabronis in cowboy hats filming themselves fake-singing for TikTok clout. There’s girls in the front row whose backs are turned the entire show while they try to record themselves “vibing” to a song they just Shazam’d.And yes, there are small exceptions to the rule. Robbie Fox just blogged a great example today of Turnstile in Bmore – AdvertisementYou can still have great shows and experiences today, don’t get me wrong. Taylor Swift is moving stadiums. Beyoncé has a literal army of backup dancers. Travis Scott is staging post-apocalyptic ragers with inflatable eagles, and people are legit dying in the audience. But it’s not the same.It’s not feral. It’s not dangerous. And it’s definitely not as free.The 90s didn’t have stage design or pyrotechnics that looked like a Marvel movie. No frills and pizazz. But what they did have was soul. People left those shows with bruises and no voice. And just as importantly, no evidence. Just memories burned into their brains. An experience they didn’t document, so much as they survived it. p.s. – AC/DC is coming to Solider Field in a couple weeks and I feel obligated to go since I’ve never seen them live before. Even for their age, they look like they still fucking bring it. And I really like who they brought on tour opening for them, The Pretty Reckless. This song fucks. p.p.s. – to this guy on twitter’s credit, this show looks like it was a lot of fun to be at. Maybe Brazil is just nuts?Advertisementacdc+ 4 Tags