1.) Sharpies!!! - Always carry a sharpie with you. I've been in several situations where I've seen one of my favorite celebs in public and did not have a permanent marker to have them sign anything. The great part about this hack is that sharpies can be extremely beneficial even if you're not at a concert and they are also small enough to have in a bag or pocket.
2.) Chargers!!! - Nothing is worse than hitting 20% at the beginning of a concert. Carrying around a charger or portable charger fixes that. Depending on your price range, they have portable chargers between $5 and $100. These come in different shapes, sizes and colors, some are even cases! So, there is no reason to ever have your phone die at a show again.
3.) The Mini First Aid Kit!!! - Mini first aid kits are so simple and extremely useful at concerts or festivals. They are sold at most drug stores and contain things like sanitary wipes, band-aids, and Neosporin; However, you can also put in things like nail glue, eyelash glue, pain medicines or even a mini sewing kit. I've been in situations where I've gotten blisters from my shoes and had to use a band-aid to help stop the blister from growing, and I've even had a friend's acrylic nail fall off and we used nail glue to fix it temporarily. This is another item to keep on you every day in something as simple as a backpack or purse.
4.) Arrive Early!!! - Chances are your favorite band/artist will be walking around the general area before the concert, so if you arrive a couple of hours early you have a chance of running into them at a nearby coffee shop or store. I'm not the type of person who loves to arrive first thing in the morning, or wait in line for hours (you'll see why at tip number 7) so I'll typically arrive 2-3 hours early and explore the area. Not only do you get to check out the area, but you can also sometimes take really cute pics in the city. You already look nice so why not optimize what you've got. Plus, bands are just like us... they want to explore too and check out some cool places in the area.
5.) Ice/Water!!! - Buying drinks at concerts can be extremely expensive and who wants to spend $10 on a bottle of water? Most venues offer free ice or tap water, so don't be afraid to ask your venue. This keeps you hydrated so you can keep rocking, plus it saves you money so you can spend it on that merch you've been eying up.
6.) Tickets!!! - Let's be real here, service charges can get crazy sometimes. Who wants to pay $20 extra dollars on top of their $50 ticket? When you order tickets online they charge for a "convenience fee", however its not very convenient when you're out extra cash. By buying tickets at the venue you can save in service charges. You might still have to pay a few extra dollars for taxes but it won't be anything like online. Specific venues sometimes even have their will-call window open for ticket sales day of.
7.) Barricade Every Time!!! - Everyone wants to be front row for their favorite concert. But, GA concerts can sometimes make this a challenge. Here's what you do... when you enter the venue head towards stage right or stage left. People tend to shy away from these areas because of "obstructed view", which results in less people in those areas. Once you get to the side, work your way towards the center and you'll get barricade every time.
Did I forget any? Share this if you are going to try or already have tried some of these hacks. Don't forget to tweet me and comment if you have any hacks for me to try!
