Why You Should Watch a Live Outdoor Music Event This Summer
Whether it’s the beginning of summer or the very end of it, one of the best ways to spend the warmest time of the year is attending a local outdoor concert. Enjoying a Woodstock-style concert makes for a unique music experience that traditional indoor venues can’t match.
And while many smaller outdoor venues lack seating capacity for larger acts, they make up for it by bringing in a wide variety of local musicians, introducing you to music you might never have heard otherwise. But supporting local musicians is just one reason you should check out a concert at your local outdoor venue. Here are a few more.
You know the drill for traditional indoor concert venues. You buy your ticket and are assigned a seat. How good your seats are is usually based on how much your tickets cost. You won’t have any real feel for how good your view of the stage will be until you get to the venue for the show, and whether they’re great or not, you’re locked into those seats for the show.
With an outdoor music venue this isn’t an issue. Most outdoor venues don’t have any seats to speak of, just an open grassy field. This gives you the freedom to choose where you want to stand, or sit if you brought your own folding chairs, or lay if you brought a blanket. That’s another perk: not sitting on uncomfortable metal or plastic seats.
Live music outdoors offers a type of freedom that you just can’t get from an indoor concert: the freedom to move around. Not being assigned to a designated seat gives you the freedom to move about at the concert.
Outdoor concerts provide a more communal experience, allowing you to move about the venue freely, chat with other concert goers, or even just get up and dance if you start to feel the rhythm in your bones. Outdoor music events offer a completely unique way to experience both the music and the community that forms around different genres and musicians.
Many outdoor venues offer something that indoor venues can’t, the enjoyment of nature along with great music. If you’re familiar with outdoor concerts, you know what we’re talking about. Feeling a gentle breeze blow against you as you enjoy a midday bluegrass concert, or watching the sky colored with reds, oranges, and purples as the sun sets during a rock show. There’s just no indoor concert that can compare to the sensory experience of a live outdoor concert.
Open-air concerts are incredibly family friendly, giving kids the space they need to be kids. If they get tired of watching artists, they can keep themselves entertained by finding other kids to play with, or looking for bugs in the grass. If they’re feeling extra grumpy, it’s easy enough to leave without disturbing other concert goers. More than likely though, you’ll find the atmosphere and music of an outdoor concert will inspire them to dance their little hearts out.
Outdoor Concert Essentials
As fun as outdoor concerts are, you’re still outside and exposed to the elements. And if you’re a New Englander and attend a lot of live outdoor music events in Boston, or the New England region in general, you know the weather likes to change on a whim. So, here’s a list of essentials you should bring to be fully prepared for whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at you during the show:
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellent
- Sunglasses and hat
- Blanket or tarp
- Umbrella/poncho
- Earplugs
- Portable charger
If you’re coming to Hale for the Steam Kettle Music Festival, part of our Live at Hale Concert Series, you’ll also want to make sure you bring some extra cash so you can grab something to eat and drink from the food trucks and beer garden. The Steam Kettle Music Festival takes place on Sat. Sept. 10 from 12–7 PM. It’ll be a full, family-friendly day of great local music acts, great food, and great drinks.
The festival is just around the corner, so make sure you buy your tickets today! Early bird ticket prices end Aug. 31, student discounts are available, and a limited amount of premium parking is available.
