Concerts are a staple of the current-day music industry. If you live in any major city, you can expect to find multiple concerts on the radar every single week. With concerts becoming increasingly prominent, artists of all sizes plan shows and tours in venues that match their following. Not all concerts are good — there are key components that help create that great concert feel.
As I briefly mentioned, venues play one of the biggest, if not the biggest,roles in how a concert goes. The most important thing about the venue is that it has to match the size of the artist. For example, I recently went to a Kendrick Lamar and SZA concert, which was at U.S Bank Stadium. This is the largest music venue in Minnesota. Kendrick and SZA were able to be placed at U.S. Bank because they are some of the most well-known artists in the game right now. I also went to a Destroy Lonely concert a while back, which was at the Fillmore, a medium-sized venue in Minneapolis. The concert was pretty packed in terms of that venue, but it wouldn’t have filled even a quarter of U.S. Bank Stadium. An artist must be able to sell out their venue, or at least pack it, otherwise the atmosphere of the room is going to feel lackluster.
To go hand-in-hand with the venue, the theme and set are huge influences on the feel of the concert. Nobody wants to pay money just to see their favorite artist sing in front of a black wall. Usually, the theme of most concerts matches the album that the artist or artists are on tour. Whether it’s big holographics, huge colorful structures or symbolic displays, the aesthetic is key for a concert to be a success. Along with the theme, outfits also bring a sense of community and a fun air to the concert. The artist doesn’t necessarily need to wear something expensive and flashy, but they should wear something eye-catching and memorable in order to leave a mark. The audience should also follow suit by wearing clothes that coordinate with the theme or resemble something that connects with the artist. You want the energy of the concert to flow between the stage, the artist and the crowd.
The most important thing that makes a concert great is the setlist. People go to concerts in order to hear the biggest and most popular songs. One characteristic that I’ve noticed at every concert I’ve been to is that the artist always finishes out their setlist with their most popular song at the time. Every setlist should be diverse so that everyone in the crowd can appreciate the artist’s discography. There should be songs that get the crowd hyped up and loud, some that everyone knows the lyrics to and, depending on the artist, ones that slow down the tempo and give a more relaxed vibe. The sound of the concert should go through changes and draw out different emotions to create a fun and engaging experience. Every concert will be different, but there are guidelines that will help make it great.
