Though Charleston is quite the musical town, it is often overlooked by big names in the music industry. A few prominent names in pop music, such as Chappell Roan and Hozier, have visited our city, but unfortunately, this isn’t a phenomenon that happens often. However, just because bigger artists do not visit Charleston often doesn’t mean that there aren’t a ton of different ways to see live music.
The North Charleston Performing Arts Center hosts a series of different Broadway plays each season, which is a good way to satisfy your musical fix. Additionally, venues like the Credit One Stadium and the North Charleston Coliseum host different musical events every year. The Firefly Distillery also has live music, but given its status as an alcohol vendor, it’s not the most friendly place for high schoolers. If you want to attend a concert in the area, your best bet will be the Charleston Music Hall.
This was just what the two of us, accompanied by fellow senior Emma Fang, did on the night of October 25. For the first time in ages, a name we recognized was coming to town – and we finally had a chance to grab tickets. If you don’t recognize the name Ricky Montgomery, he is an indie musician who rose to prominence during the pandemic with songs like “Line Without A Hook” and “This December.” When we learned of this concert, we were determined to go as soon as we realized we had the opportunity.
That brings us to our first big concert tip: get your tickets as soon as possible. If you don’t snap up your tickets the moment you have a chance, all the best valued ones will be bought up by resellers and sold for a considerable mark-up compared to the original price. Price gouging is real in the music industry, especially when more popular artists come into play. I learned this first-hand trying to buy tickets to the Chappell Roan concert in North Charleston back in May, only to realize that they were now priced at over two hundred dollars.
Being a general admission venue, timeliness becomes the most important issue. The main area is just an empty floor which means to be able to see the performance at all, you will need to be front and center. We were lucky enough to be only behind one row of people. At some points I could almost reach out and feel Ricky Montgomery. Though, please respect the artist’s personal bubble. We got to the line an hour and a half before the doors opened. That seems like a long time to wait, but with friends it passed quickly. We were still stationed at the front of the building, but behind us the line snaked down a narrow alley into a parking garage. It was also right on a street corner, so I was scared for the people put at the mercy of downtown traffic. The other option is to buy VIP tickets, but be warned that those of us in general lines will give you death stares and talk about you behind your back. I also recommend being dropped off, so time is not wasted on navigating Downtown roads and parking.
We were so determined to be on time that we ate our dinner in line. While two of us stayed to hold the spot, one of us left to pick up Subway from a few roads down. While we did save time, I would recommend picking up food on the way. There are not many fast-food restaurants nearby and even those that are, are around a 15 minute walk. There is also food in the venue. We did not eat it, but if you wait until you’re inside you are giving up your chance for a better spot. The food line almost immediately filled up with people wanting to buy water or alcohol.
The other good thing about getting there early is shorter merch lines. I was able to score a signed CD for $25 and a t-shirt for $40 without any wait. Everyone who has been to a concert before knows that the lines are a disaster after a show as everyone wants to grab something on the way out. It may be annoying to carry it for the whole concert, but both easily stayed in my pocket. Bringing or buying a tote bag is also a good plan for merch for just bringing a sweater, earplugs, or headache medicine.
Making your way to the main concert area should be the priority after buying merch, water, and taking a bathroom break. By this time, there were still empty spots along the stage. I made the mistake of trying to look for my friends. The hullabaloo of all that made me lose my spot and gained angry eyes as I tried to reach my other party members. Better coordination of where you will be and where your friends are is needed. Establish a basic area and keep communication. The venue will become crowded quickly, so stay flexible and keep an eye out for fellow concert goers.
Support acts are a big part of the show, so make sure you show them the proper courtesy. The support act at our concert was Nep, a musician from Miami who played with a band of their own. While we were only vaguely familiar with their music beforehand, all three of us thoroughly enjoyed their act. When concerts have support acts, it usually means the main artist won’t come out until around half an hour later. Because of this, it’s important to ensure that you have a fully charged phone battery, as our phones came close to dying due to the amount of photos and videos we were taking.
All in all, the concert was a really fun experience for all three of us, especially for Lillian and Emma since it was their first concert. It’s definitely an experience that we’ll be doing again once another one of our favorite artists comes to town. If you see a name you recognize coming to any venue around here, it’s definitely worth the money to go to the concert and have an experience you’ll never forget.
