Top Five Concerts I've Been To

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to see one of my favorite bands, The Avett Brothers, in concert at White River State Park in Indianapolis. It was an amazing show that got me thinking about the concerts I'd been to in the past. And, being a lover of lists, I've made a list of the five best concerts I've been to. Here they are:

5. Death Cab for Cutie (Columbus, Ohio, July 2011) - I saw the rock band Death Cab for Cutie in the midst of the sweltering heat of last summer. My friend Derek and I waited in a line that stretched for blocks and blocks to get into the outdoor show. Once inside, we managed to secure a pretty good spot about 30-40 feet from the stage. Death Cab, fronted by lead singer Ben Gibbard, put on an amazing show. They played several of their classic hits like "I'll Follow You Into the Dark" and "Transatlantacism," as well as some more obscure songs. They put a lot of energy into their songs and played a lot of songs at that. The only downfalls of the concert were the insane levels of humidity we were standing in, the obnoxious people next to us who decided it would be a good idea to smoke in the middle of a packed crowd and the loud teenagers who were pushing us around so as to get closer to the stage. Don't worry, we pushed right back and secured our spots as we watched.

4. The Avett Brothers (Indianapolis, Sept. 2012) - I've been a fan of The Avett Brothers for about a year, after my friend Abbey and my brother Ryan both introduced me to them. They're an indie/folk band made up of Scott and Seth Avett along with a few extra band members who play standing bass and guitar. The concert took place on a beautiful night, and Abbey and I had great seats on the lawn. Good-looking hipster guys surrounded us with their beards and flannel, so we couldn't complain. The Avett Brothers put on a really entertaining show, playing songs from their album that had come out only weeks before, and playing songs from their albums that came out years and years ago. They definitely set out to please the new and old Avett fan alike. We tried to wait by their tour bus after the show was over to get an autograph or talk to them, but, unfortunately, security shooed us away. Overall, it was an amazing evening.

3. Ben Folds Five (Delaware, Ohio, April 2007) - Ben Folds Five has been one of my favorite bands for years, and during my senior year of high school I went with my friend to see them in concert for the first time (I would see them again about two years later). We got there early and were close to the front of the line. When we were let inside we secured a spot right up against the stage to the right of Ben's piano. Considering the entire band is consisted of just Ben on piano, a guitarist and a drummer, they put on an amazing show. Ben talked to the crowd and told stories more than most artists I had or ever have seen. He also talked a lot about what the songs and lyrics meant to him, and the stories behind them, which is something I really loved.

2. Coldplay (Chicago, Aug. 2012) -This concert kind of happened by accident, and I was able to go for free thanks to the generosity of my friend Brennan who worked for Live Nation at the time. I have been a huge Coldplay fan since buying their first album shortly after it's release many years ago, so when Brennan told me he could get me a free ticket, I high-tailed it to Chicago for a chance to see them. The concert was held in the United Center where the Bulls and Michael Jordan used to play. The stadium held roughly 30,000 people, so the roar of the crowd was astounding. Because we had free tickets from Brennan's work, our seats weren't great. We were up really high and to the back/side of the stage. But, nevertheless, we had an amazing time. The best part of the concert was that each person attending was given a bracelet before the concert began. When the concert began and the band came out, some music played as the lights went out, then suddenly Coldplay began playing their first song, and all of the bracelets lit up in different colors¬¬¬----blue, green, white, yellow, pink, etc. Imagine 30,000 bracelets beating and blinking to the song in a pitch-black room. It was simply amazing and is something I won't ever forget. The bracelets were used during all of the songs from the band's most recent album. Coldplay put on a crazy, energetic show and the excitement in the crowd showed just how well they did.

1. Coldplay (Noblesville, June 2009) - It may seem weird that I've put two Coldplay shows as my top concert experiences, but the two experiences were extremely different. I went to this show with my brother Ryan, and instead of settling for lawn seats, we splurged on the expensive seats----the ones where we actually had a seat and didn't have to sit on the lawn. While we were waiting to get in, a concert worker came around the line and asked if anyone was in section H. We raised our hands and said we were, so to our surprise, they upgraded us. We got moved to section A to fill the vacant, most expensive seats that no one had bought. So instead of being in the back rows of section H, we were now in row 25 of section A. Yup, only 50 or so feet from the stage. We were completely amazed at our luck, and the experience was nothing short of incredible. The band was incredibly energetic, entertaining and engaging with the audience. Both times I've seen Coldplay I would've thought it was the first time they'd performed, not the 30th or 40th time they'd performed since starting a new tour. They brought so much excitement to the crowd. They also use a lot of crowd-pleasing interactive items like balloons and thousands of pounds of confetti to make the shows more fun. If you ever have an interest or chance to see Coldplay in concert, I would definitely suggest you go.