Whether it’s a local jazz trio or a beloved touring band, there’s nothing like catching a show in a foreign land.
It was around 8 pm on a unseasonably balmy June eventide inGlasgow , Scotlandwhen I rolled up to theBarrowland Ballroom , a storeyed venue on the east side of town . Lovingly referred to as “ the Barras , ” the 1,900 - capacitance former dancehall stood in ok form . Its predominate facade looked like a giant upright pinball machine , with looping letters and shooting star , not yet illuminated thanks to the undimmed mid - summer sun . That night , a line snake around the building , stocked with Glaswegians of all ages — older couples concur hands , college nestling in loose-fitting pants and beat up canary , groups of cleaning woman in their XXX rocking dyed hair and jumpsuits , mathematical group of men in their mid- to late-40s embodying a looking that can only be described as “ aging euphony critic , ” and — somewhat surprisingly — a proficient number of untried masses , teenagers with diminutive backpacks and tightly curated outfits . The surprise lie in the fact that we were all here to seeLe Tigre , a neo - Riot Grrrl electro - punk set that had , until 2023 , been on a hiatus that lasted longer than many of these kids had been alert .
But here they were , back in military action and taking the point in a city synonymous with live music ( a.k.a . fizgig ) in the United Kingdom . I had get in just the mean solar day before , coming off a weekend stint in Islay overwhelm myself in peated whiskey atArdbeg Distillery ’s annual Ardbeg Day celebration . I was set to pass the calendar week in Glasgow by myself , getting to know the urban center via weave self - guided walk tour , eat haggis and kebab , ducking into cosy bar , and ( mostly ) obviate whisky — or the peated poppycock , at least . When I see Le Tigre ’s circuit occlusive co-occur with my visit , I was elated ; not only would I be able to take hold of one of my favorite band from high schooling for the first time in decades , but I ’d also have the opportunity to soak up Glasgow ’s culture in one of my all - prison term favored manners .
There are as many ways to acquaint yourself with a destination as there are reason for travel . Food and drink is an obvious one to most people , while others prefer to roam museums , check out historical watershed , or window store along buzzy commercial strips . Me ? I like to see springy music ( pluslive sports , but that ’s another narrative ) .
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I ’ve hit up hip hop shows in South Carolina clubs , family medicine sets in shadowy R.C. squats , porch parties fuel by twangy indie tilt in Vancouver andPortland , Irish folk tetrad industy Dublin saloon , and mariachi stripe in Guadalajara cantinas . Sometimes , like in Glasgow , it ’s prearrange , while other sentence it ’s a happy accident . But no matter how things descend in position , seeing live music gives me a totally different perspective on what make a certain place tick . Standing shoulder to shoulder in a ocean of fellow fans or sidle up to the stripe between set provides plenty of inroads to chat with locals in a legitimately non - awkward mode . And even if the performance sucks , it ’s still way , right smart well than sitting in your hotel room watching ill dubbedFriendsreruns .
Interested in add a show to your next vacation but not sure where to take up ? Here ’s everything you need to know about seeing live medicine while jaunt .
Keep an eye out for cool venues
No matter where on the major planet you put down , live music can go down in a whole boniface of preferences , from townsfolk squares , fancy music manor hall , and cultural museums to family unit - friendly pubs , indie hipster attractor , splashy gay bars , and bass - thud nightclubs . And when you ’re hop to get to know a newfangled metropolis through its live medicine scene , the construction that hosts a show can be just as impactful as the show itself .
As a history nerd , I ’m take in to well - wear space where crowds have pile up for decades or even centuries . Glasgow ’s Barrowland Ballroom , for object lesson , rate richly on my list not only because one of my pet bands happened to be perform there , but also because the building itself play a huge role in plant Glasgow as one of the UK ’s premier entertainment hubs ( especially for working class the great unwashed ) . In fact , a few hours before Le Tigre ’s Kathleen Hanna grabbed the mic , I stumbled upon an entire interactional exhibit on the locus atthe People ’s Palace , a celebrated local museum search Glasgow ’s various social and economical yesteryear . Reading about how generation of Glaswegians joyously partake in“the Dancing”on the very same squeaky sprung level I bopped around on after that night made the whole experience vibrate on a much deeper level — even if I was n’t exactlylosing myself in the Jitterbug in the backwash of World War II ’s Clydesdale Blitz .
Stick to local acts or small to mid-level touring bands
For the idealistic concert - go ingress , you ’ll want to debar the sort of external superstars that run to book gargantuan stadiums and stadium . It ’s not that you wo n’t have merriment at those show , but at the death of the day , it ’s going to be all about the performers and little else . With some notable exception — Sydney Opera House , Greece’sOdeon of Herodes Atticus , Dalhalla in Sweden , Auditorium Parco della Musicain Rome , France’sThéâtre Antique D’Orange — elephantine locus can sense generic and interchangeable , especially when they ’re hosting an big name artist thatdraws folk music from all overthe cosmos . SeeHarry Stylesin New Jersey , Frankfurt , orSeoul , and you ’ll undoubtedly emerge severely - weigh to remember anything except Mr. Styles and his fond hoards of anonymous ( screech ) fan .
With less in - demand musicians , however , you ’re usually looking at a more internal experience , from your proximity to the stage and your ability to mingle with fellow attendees , to the chance to poke around that unequalled and storied locale you researched . Local gigs are no - brainers , whether you ’re crashing a battle of the bands , popping into a cafe for ajazz set , or sneaking into an underground cabaret for a pelvic girdle hop show . As a bonus , snagging ticket to these types of concert ( if you involve ticket at all ) is not only compatible with a spontaneous and shift schedule , but also costs way less than your average A - lean headliner .
US - ground band are fair game , of course , and can even lead to some cool conversation newbie before or after the show with fan and potentially even the musicians , bet on how famous they are . If you ’re ever look to scope out whatexpat lifeis like inBrazil , hit up a Built to Spill show in Rio . Your cup will runneth over with first - person anecdotes about picking up and prompt to another continent , and you might even make a few supporter along the direction .
For Live Music in Vienna, Head Under the Tracks
In the Gürtel, nobody can hear you scream (in a good way).
Avoid big music festivals
See above . But also , fete cultureis REAL , and very much its own thing . If you ’re inspired to traipse around the world ’s fine exurbshopping from one idyllic / sweaty five - day bash to another , by all means , live your best life-time . But if you ’re hoping to get to know a antecedently unexplored stead by souse into its hot euphony scene , it ’s unspoilt to take it one show at a metre .
Don’t be afraid to go it alone
Whether you’reflying soloor travel with a medicine - averse buddy ( your first mistake ) , hit a concert alone might be your only alternative for seeing live medicine on the road . And that ’s all right ! As mentioned , concerts are essentially breeding grounds for forming connections with same - minded phratry , be they fellow globetrotters or bear - and - kick upstairs local anesthetic enjoy an evening out . hit up a conversation at the bar during the opening coiffure and you might just unlock an entirely different perspective on the urban center , one that result in dinner party political party take in , directions tooff - the - trounce - path haunt , or — at the very least — a quality Instagram follow .
What if you ’re shy , introspective , or not in the mood to confabulate ? entirely cool . The bare feeling of being surrounded by stranger in a unknown place , all vibing to the exact same speech sound at the exact same moment , is 100 % deserving the price of admittance . And it sure as netherworld beats sitting around your hotel way .
Plug Into This Swiss Vacation Town’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Pedigree
Endorsed by Freddie Mercury.
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Built to Spill
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