What It's Like Being a Concert Junkie in Canada

It's 2017 and I am sure that there are many Canadians out there that understand the struggle of being addicted to going to concerts. I can also assume that there are some people that may read this confused. So let me try and explain this situation better and easier for some.

Many Canadian people always compare everything to the U.S. This is just what we do as we are limited in Canada and we watch the U.S have it all. With this in mind and relating to the title of this article, music/concerts are no hidden secret when it comes to comparing. Music lovers do this because artists and bands announce tour dates across North America and we instantly notice the difference between our two countries. Typically we see that there may be dates within Canada as follows: Vancouver, Alberta, Ontario, and maybe one or two dates east, but most times they get nothing. Someone could correct me, but I have been to many shows and I have always noticed those provinces listed.

Moving forward, this sums up what it is like for someone living in that province. Unlike those in the U.S, most times it takes someone within a province three+ hours just to get to the next major city. This is just an example of how it would be noticeably hard to commit to paying the money to go see a band you love. You could have worked all day and, sure, you are excited, but then you remember that you have to drive three hours to get to the concert and three hours back. This is why it makes it so hard for some people, but what really makes it by far the hardest is the idea that there are no dates announced in your province, and your only option is to travel across Canada just to see the band. I assume that no one would wants to do that, so in the end, how many concerts do you really attend?

I understand that the U.S has struggles as well, or, in the same case, they also have to drive three hours to get to a show. But what I am trying to explain is that, for every state that they have across their country, they have a total of thirty shows vs. Canada having four. This makes it extremely hard and frustrating on so many levels.

To give an example on a personal level, I am a music lover and have been my whole life. I come from a really small town in northern Ontario. It takes 45+ minutes to get to the major city and even then, the amount of concerts there are next to none. Only until I moved to go to school I was given the opportunity to finally experience concerts how I always wanted. When I was a teenager, I had a passion for bands that I dreamed of seeing. At the age of 14 I was unable to go because everything was in Toronto and it would take four hours to get there just to see the show. Once I got the addiction of going to more shows, it became my lifestyle. At this time, I live two hours away from Toronto. The next possible location for me to see a show would be one hour and thirty minutes, almost exactly the same as going to Toronto. If something happens that I can not make the one date in Toronto, I then have to consider out west, which is not something I plan to do.

If I lived in the U.S and had 30+ dates to consider, there would be no question as to seeing some of my favorite bands. I would love to think that the fact I couldn't make the show on Tuesday means Oh Hey ! I'll just go to New Jersey on Thursday. To sum this all up, I have thoughts of a few ideas that can help those who struggle as I do in the lifestyle we all love of music.

Concert going guide:

1. Create a concert fund (for those who need to keep money for a specific band)
2. Know your venues and how to get there
3. Get a passport if you think a U.S date is worth it
4. Plan your concert day ahead of time (book time off and schedule your day to be less stressful)
5. Plan meals for the day (no one wants to pay $20 for fries)
6. Have a back-up plan for a place to stay just in case
7. KEEP YOUR TICKET STUB! MEMORIES, PEOPLE !

Overall, I would love to see more opportunities across Canada, as we have many cities that would come together and build a music scene. This can offer so much more to those in Canada that cannot drive far or into the next province just to see a band.