What Do You Mean That Was Fun?

Dhruv performing at Great American Music Hall. Photo provided by Shriya Dandin

Inevitably, there comes a day when you’re wrong—wrong on your homework, wrong about whether you should have gone left or right and so forth. For me, I was wrong about concerts. 

I associated concerts with flashy lights, crowds, pricey tickets and chaos—an overstimulating, expensive environment. But, I was completely wrong to say concerts weren’t for me without even trying them; my preconceived notions blinded me to a worthwhile experience. 

For years, my friend has been trying to get me to go to a concert, an activity I always refused to partake in. But, just a couple of months ago, Dhruv—my favorite (and relatively unknown) artist—announced his upcoming tour. And, he was coming to San Francisco! 

I debated going for a solid week, constantly staring at the $30 tickets in my online cart. I kept floundering over the decision; I was scared that my fears surrounding concerts would be true and a bad experience would mar my love for Dhruv and his music.

I made my decision—otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to tell you about it—and I was set to go to my first concert with my friends. So, let me tell you about how my fears were luckily wrong.

The doors for the concert opened at 8 p.m. and the show started at 9 p.m. so like good concertgoers, we planned to be there when the doors opened. By the time we headed over to the venue, it was already close to 8 p.m., but that’s okay. We’d still be there around 8:30 p.m., enough time to find a good spot to enjoy the show. 

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. On our way to the concert, we hit a literal roadblock: the Lunar New Year Parade. In trying to catch a bus that would drop us right in front of the venue, we’d overlooked where the bus would theoretically be: smack dab in the middle of the parade—the very parade that had all the streets blocked off in the vicinity. While the parade was beautiful, it was utterly inconvenient for our plans and a downer for my first concert experience. 

After much confusion and 20 minutes spent walking back and forth, we gave up and instead focused on finding the Metro—a feat we thankfully accomplished. We got to the venue much later than we planned, but we got there before the show started at 8:55 p.m. on the dot. 

While a hassle, the experience of getting lost and getting to experience the parade wasn’t something I would change. It made reaching the concert that much more valuable. Once we got to the concert, it was something we were all laughing about, and it was a key part of the concert experience even if we hadn’t even gotten to the venue yet. 

In the venue, we found a spot in the corner next to a pillar where we had a good view between the heads. Things were finally looking up, despite the massive pillar in our line of view. 

After the opening act, Dhruv finally appeared on stage. While he performed, everyone was singing along, swaying to the beat and having a good time—the opposite of the chaos I thought I would find with a concert. 

In that instant, I knew why people pay hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars for concert tickets. The energy and the experience are so unique. In fact, screaming the lyrics with my friends was therapeutic, if not euphoric. 

Dhruv interacted with his fans, letting us choose an extra song (not on his setlist) to play. The yells of the crowd weren’t chaotic at all. Rather, they signified a community, connected by the fervor brought by the atmosphere of the concert. 

Minus the minor hiccup getting to the venue, a hiccup that was our fault for not realizing the parade would impede the bus routes, the concert was so fun as we sang along and cheered, and it was such a memorable time with my friends. We were all in the moment and having the time of our lives—an experience that I will remember for years to come. 

I’ve been convinced to spend more money at concerts—Coldplay and the Jonas Brothers—courtesy of my friends, so here’s to hoping I have some more positive concert experiences.