Talkin’ Post Concert Blues 

I was struck with that sinking feeling recently. The venue’s lights came on and it hit me again. I sat staring at the stage, ears still ringing from MJ Lenderman’s overdriven guitar solos. Everyone around me, faces now illuminated, began to filter out the door and the venue employees unplugged the band’s equipment. 

I stood in a daze, reliving the moment I got to watch a young artist perform some of his life’s work for a small crowd. My friend nudged me: “You ready to go?” Snapped out of it, I made my way outside with the rest of the crowd. The concert was over; a moment I had waited months for was now finished in a few brief hours. My entire existence felt like a deflated balloon, all the anticipation of the event left in the small venue behind me. I didn’t want to talk about it; it had hit me hard this time. The post concert blues were flowing deep through my psyche. PCB is a rare condition that mostly affects people in the 18-25 year old range, but anyone is susceptible to such symptoms of malaise following an emotionally intense concert-going experience. Symptoms are likened to that of an intense heartbreak and concertgoers have reported feeling a piece of themselves being left behind after the concert. 

However, there are treatments to subside such symptoms. Due to my recent experience with PCB, I’ve found several successful treatments for my condition. Use this as a guide for future encounters with the post concert blues. 

1. Take a video or two 

I want to start by saying that there are no preventive measures to be taken for the post concert blues. The moment of the actual concert is a sacred one. Therefore, you will almost certainly have some sort of experience along the spectrum of PCB after attending a concert of an artist you enjoy. 

Although, there are precautionary measures that can be taken throughout the concert to ease the symptoms of PCB. One of them is taking photos and videos to rewatch. Just like looking at old pictures of you and your ex, this will only provide temporary relief. Intense joy will fill your psyche at the viewing of these videos, but after you put your phone away and realize you’re laying on your bed alone, a sadness induced paralysis is likely to set in. This typically leaves you to study the drywall on the ceiling as you think about the concert for several hours. Watch the videos at your own risk. 

2. Buy merch and wear it every day 

Another great precautionary measure to be taken at the concert is to buy merchandise, no matter how poor the quality. Once acquired, wear it for the next several days after the concert. Everytime you look in the mirror, you’ll be reminded of the fun times that were had at the concert. Again, this is temporary relief. As people begin to ask you about the merch, you’ll begin to relive the moment over and over, inducing a despondent attitude which could disrupt the social settings you’re put into.

3. Listen to the music. Over and over and over… 

This may seem like another temporary solution, however, this is one of the most proven methods to relieve symptoms of PCB. This essentially eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-minds the concert out of your brain. As you begin to listen to the artist’s studio recordings, you’ll begin to forget what it sounds like live. This works even better when the artist has a live album, which allows you to fully immerse yourself into a concert experience with the artist whenever you please. 

4. Buy their records 

This one is a combination of the last two, but a physical copy of the music allows you to have a connection with the music that is not available on streaming services. It also inhibits healthy album listening patterns by respecting the artist’s album sequence. 

5. Honestly none of this works, just go to another concert 

I’ve been doing this all for the past two weeks following the MJ Lenderman concert and am still experiencing waves of post concert blues that have rivaled my worst breakups. I’ve cried several times to Lenderman’s music since the concert and I don’t even think it’s that emotional. This whole experience just led me to buy tickets to another Lenderman concert in September. It’s a brutal cycle that can only be combated with another concert. But my advice is to saddle up again. Go to another concert knowing that you’ll be sad for weeks afterward. You probably downloaded Hinge after breaking up with your long term partner, so what’s the difference? Aside from that, stay safe and good luck on future concert-going experiences.