Source
r/GenX•
imk

Still not the oldest guy at the concert

I went to see LCD Soundsytem last night at Brooklyn Steel, really fun show.

For the past few years I have been casually scanning the audience to see if I (M54) am the oldest one there. Normally I am not even close, but if you are at a show at some amphitheater in the suburbs then it really shouldn't be a surprise.

But a show at a crowded industrial barn in hipster East Williamsburg Brooklyn sounded like it could be the one where it would finally happen. Nope, there were some highly rhythmic grey haired dudes in there having a blast alongside me. Most of them were there with their wives.

It will happen someday, without a doubt, but if the concerts keep being fun then I will be there with my walker or in my wheelchair.

Posted Dec 5, 2022, 3:56 PM UTC

6943
stabby_mcunicorn•

A few years ago, I went to see Snoop Dog’s set at JazzFest. We found a spot right behind 3 elderly — I mean mid to late 80s elderly — women. My husband graciously asked if they would be bothered by the smoke. They laughed and pulled out the biggest joints we’d ever seen! They had a blast! I plan to be one of them, rocking out and rolling jays until the end.

28
yolonomo5eva•

Awesome

3
originalmosh•

LCD would be an awesome show. I live in Nebraska they play no where near here.

9
emotyofform2020•

I got to see them with Arcade Fire at Red Rocks “a few years ago” which of course means like 2008 in over-40 time

3
originalmosh•

I have been to Red Rocks, great place. 8 hour drive from where I live south of Omaha.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
originalmosh•

When we go we use a shuttle, it drops us off right at the entrance and picks us up after. It was super easy. I would never want to try and drive myself there and deal with it.

1
One_Random_Word•

I play this game with my wife all the time. We see who can spot someone older than us first. Usually it's the opening band's parents. We've both held up pretty well though, so it's not as if we look completely out of place. And some 20-30 y/o have not aged well at all.

7
PNWest01•

“The opening band’s parents” That is funny as shit, and also kinda sweet.

6
imkOP68•

My friend Dave was in a bunch of punk bands over the course of many decades. He would always acknowledge his parents when they came to the show. He is great that way.

5
evilthales1966•

Same here. The general trend I've found is that when I pick the show, we (56/M and 50/F) are usually one of the oldest. If she picks the show, it's not even close - we might even be in the youngest 10 percent.

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imkOP68•

That kind of happened to me when I went to see Roxy Music this past summer. I was like "Man, so there are people here who remember when this band first came out". A couple of folks even wore their old Glam rock duds, which was awesome of them.

2
Mom2Leiathelab•

When I saw the Replacements on their reunion tour some years ago, I thought it would be a lot of younger people and then my husband and me. Nope. Literally everyone there was in HS or college during the 1980s-early 1990s.

6
Lightningstruckagain•

They put on a great show! And at 51 I was no way the youngest when I saw them.

If you want to feel down right youthful, go see James Taylor. Holy shit, we were the only ones without canes or walkers. But, also- a good show.

5
legerdemain07•

I went to a Bonnie Raitt concert recently, and Boomers were pumping their canes and crutches in the air. I laughed, but at the same time hoped I would be doing the same thing in my 70s. Love of music knows no age boundary.

1
CalmDirection8•

Funniest thing I ever saw: Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden saying at there concerts now the aisle seats are more expensive than center front because their fans want to be closer to the bathroom 😂😂😂

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imkOP68•

Funny, yet relatable.

I have been in the aisle seat club for a long time now.

1
jessek•

older than even James Murphy himself and he got famous for writing a song about being old.

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imkOP68•

Yeah, ironic that it was one of his earliest songs haha. He has only gotten older since then.

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jhope71•

Me when my niece and I see Harry Styles! It’s me and a few other moms, then a sea of GenZ young whippersnappers in boas and bell bottoms. It’s a lot of fun, then afterwards it looks like a Muppet exploded with feathers of every shade just wafting everywhere.

4
1980pzx•

My wife and I went to a Black Keys concert this past Summer and I was surprised, I’d say at least half the audience were late 50’s early 60’s and we are all having a blast. Good times.

3
Myron896•

I went to see Pearl Jam back in September and every single person was my age. I’ve never felt so old at a concert before.

3
kitzelbunks•

I saw the singer from the Talking Heads show on PBS, and I thought this is the concert for me. The expensive one, inside a nice theatre, where we don’t all park in the same lot so we can go home afterwards.

3
krakatoa83•

I went to see Lyndsey Buckingham and couldn’t believe I might have been the youngest person there. I saw ladies pushing rollators in to see him.

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tunaman808•

couldn’t believe I might have been the youngest person there.

Huh? Lindsey Buckingham is as old as my parents!

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Infinite_Weather_695•

I went to see the Black Crowes a couple months ago. Started looking around and said, "Who are all these old fucks??! Then I realized I look just like them.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

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emotyofform2020•

I got to go to the When We Were Young festival and I was astounded at the lack of younger people there. I know it’s geared toward people who were obviously young during the early 2000s but I assumed there’s still a younger audience for those bands, but it skewed almost entirely over 30 at least.

2
tunaman808•

I was super-surprised to see someone very obviously older than me (51) at the Cannons x The Knocks show. I'm usually at or near "oldest in the crowd" status at shows like Purity Ring, Beach House, Alvvays, Magdalena Bay, etc.

On the other hand, some friends of mine inexplicably complained about being the youngest people in the crowd when they went to see The Glenn Miller Orchestra in Myrtle Beach. Yes, THAT Glenn Miller. Were they expecting Taylor Swift fans to flood the show, or what?

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kitzelbunks•

I thought he died like a really long time ago.

1
tunaman808•

He probably did, during WWII. I believe his story was featured on Unsolved Mysteries.

SPOILER ALERT: Miller joined the US Army Air Force during WWII. RAF planes were instructed to drop any leftover bombs in the English Channel before returning to Britain. Miller's plane was flying over the Channel on a very foggy day, so it's likely that a bomber, not seeing Milller's plane through the fog, dropped their leftover bombs, which hit Miller's plane. The bombs probably didn't explode, but damaged his plane badly enough to make it crash in the Channel.

Anyway, yes, Miller died, but his orchestra lived on, and is still around today.

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kitzelbunks•

Interesting. I think my dad had some records, but I didn’t realize it was still a thing.

1
Newnjgirl•

I saw all kinds of shows as a youngster, often for $10 a ticket. "Expensive" was like $40. Ticket prices are insane these days, lots of young people literally can't afford to go see shows.

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imkOP68•

I did as well. My meager allowance was enough to get me into a concert usually when I was a teen.

I do think that has something to do with why the concert industry skews older these days. Even adjusting for inflation, the prices are very high.

Still, I cannot complain. I have friends in South America who have spent a week’s pay or more to see a concert.

2
ambientdiscord•

Haven’t had a chance to see the latest LCD shows, but got some serious attitude from some young shits at the December shows. One douchecanoe said, “aren’t you a little old to be here?” I was like “fuck literally alllll of the way off. James Murphy and I are the same age.”

The worst was seeing Secret Machines back in the mid aughts. Some teenagers asked if my friend and I were were their parents. I would have had to give birth at 8 and my friend would have had to enjoy vagina.

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soIstartBlasting•

Saw Morrissey a few years ago and it was packed with 35-55 age range people (including myself) and families with kids.

He doesn’t come to Nebraska that often and I assume the majority of the audience were people like myself who have waited 30+ years to finally get to see him

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[deleted]•

I hope he performed for longer than 30 minutes!

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soIstartBlasting•

The first time I saw him, Omaha Nebraska, he did an entire show.

Second time, Lincoln Nebraska, he walked off after 20-25 min. He had a temper tantrum on stage; sat down during Every Day is Like Sunday, not singing. Then got up and walked off stage. Lights went on. People booooed. Show was over.

Before the song began he was talking about driving from Nebraska to Colorado for their next show. Someone in the crowd yelled “it’s boring as fuck” meaning, the drive. Everyone who lives in Lincoln and driven to Denver knows that drive well. There is nothing in between. It’s boring as fuck.

The paper speculated that Morrissey might have thought the guy yelling was saying that he (Morrissey) was boring and he got offended.

It was too bad; the show was in a small venue intimate, and he (they, the band) sounded great.

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[deleted]•

Yep sounds about right 😂

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Saint909•

Forget about it! Who cares about your age and going to shows. Way to self-conscious.

1
vanhamm3rsly•

I went to see Neil Frances at a local bar and I was definitely the oldest person there. On the plus side all the youngsters thought I was in my mid-30’s 😅

1