I honestly never thought I’d go to another concert, especially not one a little over a year after the pandemic started. I absolutely didn’t expect my first show after Covid to be an intimate concert with 2000 strangers. The last concert I went to right before quarantine was Incubus. We saw them at ACL Moody Theater, and it was the perfect show; one of the best shows I have ever been to. The Incubus concert was so amazing it made it easier to accept that it would be a long time before I ever saw a live show due to Covid-19.
We purchased tickets to Black Pumas right after they played the Presidential Inauguration. At that time there wasn’t a vaccine, and I imagined this show much differently than it turned out to be. I thought it would be fun, but not the way concerts were before the pandemic. I knew I’d be worried anytime someone bumped into me. I was concerned the heat of the masks and the amount of people would cause unbearable anxiety, but I LOVE Black Pumas and I was willing to endure whatever my anxiety riddled brain had to throw at me to see them live.
Obviously and thankfully none of that anxiety happened. We’re both fully vaccinated and got to see Black Pumas play an amazing show with a couple thousand of our fellow Austinites. We danced, we laughed, we sang, and we had the BEST time. Sweat from strangers was all over us, beers were spilled down our backs, toes were crushed from everyone dancing, but none of that mattered. We were at a show, listening to one of our favorite bands, having the time of our lives. It felt so good to be back to almost normal, to be with people, to dance while listening to a great band in the middle of one of the greatest cities on earth.
Below are some Tips, Tricks, and Don’ts that I Did if you’re planning a post-Pandemic outing.
Tips, Tricks, and Don’ts That I Did
- Location! Location! Location! We saw Black Puma’s at Stubbs BBQ in downtown Austin. It was the first time either of us had been there and oh my goodness!! Such a great venue!! If you ever get a chance to see a concert at Stubbs, do it. You won’t regret it. Even with the Texas heat it was one of the best places I’ve ever seen a live show. Check out upcoming shows at Stubbs here https://www.stubbsaustin.com
- Wear closed toe shoes. I don’t know if it was the isolation or pandemic brain fog but we both wore sandals… to a concert. We know better, but the sandals still ended up on our feet. My toes were sore even a few days later.
- Don’t stress about where to eat. We planned to eat at a food truck that ended up being closed. We wandered around for a while trying to find something else but found ourselves back at Stubbs. The food was great, and we were right where we needed to be for the show.
- Being around a lot of people is kind of stressful in the beginning. Just remind yourself that most people are feeling the same way. Don’t let it ruin your night. Everyone is trying to get back to normal just like you are.
- Austin local Tameca Jones opened for The Black Pumas, and she was amazing!! If you get the opportunity to see her live… GO! You’ll love her as much as we do. You can check out her music here http://tamecajones.com
Mae Bakes 