How important is the concept of time when you are attending a show? Are you always worried about how late the headlining band is going to start their set? Or are you one of those people, like me, who doesn't really give a shit?
On Monday, Gawker's Kelly Conaboy wrote an opinion piece stating every concert should end at 11 p.m. This would allow attendees ample amount of time to get some sleep, maybe go crash a bar, or meet up with friends.
And that is fine and all, but the presumption that all concerts should end at 11 just because we all have lives outside the experience of attending concerts is asinine.
Something tells me that Conaboy is also the type of person who stands at the very back of the club in order to avoid the ruckus. As one Gawker commenter put it, "her argument is the least rock n' roll thing I have ever heard."
If you are planning on attending a weekday show, and you stay for the entire show, you have either made the necessary arrangements to call-in sick the next day or you just embrace for the suck. You know what you are getting into.
Your bigger bands aren't going to play during the week anyway. So does this mean that Conaboy is indirectly stating that you shouldn't give a fuck about the smaller touring bands that wouldn't be able to survive without the weekday gigs?
She does admit, however, that late-night shows are a young person's game. It's not too often that you hear people bitching about how late said band is playing Maryland Death Fest. Or how Trash Talk playing is a 2 a.m. SXSW set on a bridge.
But you could imagine someone groaning if Mastodon didn't go on until midnight or some dad being upset about Clutch starting late.
It all ultimately depends on the crowd. If your fans are all people with families or those that have to get up early and can’t function without 8 hours of sleep, then ending the show at 11 sounds pretty reasonable.
But not all bands share that kind of fan base or want to be that conventional type of band. Like I said, Trash Talk is known for playing impromptu shows at insane hours of the night.
Should concerts cease at 11 p.m? Give us your opinions. Would you prefer to tough it out or leave early to get some sleep—whatever that is.
