Ask Lemmy

You are referring to leaving my home for a social engagement?

100% depends on who's performing. I've driven 500 miles for a festival, but probably wouldn't for a single artist/one night show.

Approximately 135 minutes by train, 45 minutes by tram or rapid bus, 35 minutes by urban bus or 30 minutes by bike. Exceptions to the rule exist.

The concert? I dunno it's pretty close. But the company to go to the show with, that I'll fly across the country for.

When I was living in California, I had a friend text me he had an extra ticket to a Bad Religion concert in Chicago. So I booked a flight and went to see the show with him. Flight was a few hundred bucks, the "free" ticket was worth like $35.

Honestly, it was totally worth it. One of the best concerts I've been to, probably because of who I got to see it with.

If I have to rent a car, it's too far.

If I have to take an intercity bus, it's too far.

An intercity train ride over three hours is also too far.

I'm two hours from three major cities. For any major concert I must drive 2 hours. No more, no less

If I can't walk there, I don't go.

Given how expensive they’re getting, the fees, the ever painfully louder volume, any travel is too much.

However, when concerts weren’t as anti-fan ….

• longest trip: from Boston to Florida for a weekend
• second longest: from Boston to Buffalo
• most: 1-3 hr

20 miles

I travel from Portland, Oregon to Denver, Colorado and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania every year for the Decibel Metal and Beer Festivals. Not sure how far that is, but its definitely multiple hours in a plane.

Looking at flying out to France for Hellfest next year as well. That's pretty far from home as well.

Depends heavily on the band

It depends entirely on the band, my budget, and time. One that tours regularly, that I’ve seen before and can see again, probably only an hour, hour-and-half. One that’s not from this country, or I’ve never seen and they’re likely not going to tour anymore, or it’s a really unique show? I’m more willing to travel far, potentially even another country or continent if I can afford it. The farther I go the more I want to make a big trip of it: at least a weekend if not even a week or more if I were going to Europe or something. The closest I’ve come to that, though, was making a long weekend to Washington, D.C. during the cherry blossom festival to see Muse. That was about a 4 hour drive away.

At a certain distance, the concert is less the event and more a reason to plan a vacation around going to the concert.

I'll do 3 hours to Chicago if it's someone really good, but going to shows isn't really my bag anymore and crowds really get my hackles up so generally I just stay home

Farthest i've gone is London to Berlin - but I had a few days in a few other cities on the way . . . so maybe that doesn't count.

More normally 2-3 hours so I can go after work and be back in bed by say 1-2 a.m. Sometimes i'd stay over in a hostel and get the first train back - but same distance really.

Depends on how much I like the band/artist.
I did travel to Belgium this spring to visit Ado.

I live in rural Ohio and everything is far away, I'm about 2hrs from Cleveland, 2hrs from Columbus, and 2hrs from Pittsburgh, so about 2hrs drive is my limit because that's about as far as I'd have to go in any case.

Most concerts I've been to that have required travel outside of my home city have been 1000km away and I always fly. This has probably been about 10 times all up, 4 of which were festivals with multiple bands I wanted to see. I have yet to travel to another country for a concert but for a very few specific bands that's not out of the question. There's probably only a couple of bands that haven't toured here yet that would actually be that tempting.

Two hours is my maximum unless I'm going to stay the weekend. I went to a New Pornographers show where people had flown in from Chicago to. Toronto and driven four hours from Michigan to see them. This was right between Delta and Omicron so I think people were super eager to go to anything at all, but I was surprised.

For me it rather depends on how much the whole trip is going to cost me.

Too far from a rail line, max a couple of hours by train I suppose.

I live in a city where most popular bands tour, but I definitely would travel internationally to see a show just to make a week out of it. I was considering going to RAtM when they were in Europe, because I couldn't get good seats in the US. I definitely would have gone if I could have gotten better seats in Europe. Alas, couldn't get good seats there either