We took the boys to see the Foo Fighters in Hershey, PA, last night. It was their first concert… I think between COVID and our distance from Philly and AC have conspired to keep them from ever asking to see a show.

The show was awesome and Dave Grohl is an absolute bundle of energy. I’ve been a fan since the first record, which I lived and listened too ad nauseum when it came out. I learned a fair number of songs as a fledgling guitarist back in those days. The opening act, the Hives, were great, too.

1. Plan to wait in the parking lot: I am reacting somewhat to this most recent experience, where we were stuck in the parking lot for almost an hour after the end of the show. I saw a fair number of vehicles parked, tailgates open, with concert-goers drinking and eating. I wasn’t hungry after the show, but I was certainly in need of water. I had a small bit of water left in my water bottle in the car (the double-walled aluminum kept it cold), but I could have used more than that. I’m sure everyone did.
2. Listen to the opening band on the ride up: I enjoyed all of the Hives songs they played, but I regret not listening to more of their oeuvre on the way. I know most of the Foo stuff by heart.
3. Get a backup battery for your phone: I have a cool MagSafe battery from Anker that you can use like a piggyback portable battery on your iPhone. You don’t want to run out of juice snapping pics and taking video, but you might also need the thing for the forced march back to your car, depending on where you parked.

I’m sure there are more pro moves that veteran concert goers abide by, but that’s what I took from the experience. Concerts are a lot of fun, but they’re not necessarily the spontaneous adventure you might remember from your youth.