I’ve been seeing concerts for as long as I can remember.

Anywhere from the Allstate Arena to Soldier Field, you name it I’ve most definitely been there. The familiar feeling when walking into the concert venue, the excitement that fills the air, the soft music playing in the background, walking in for the first time and going to find your seats, the anticipation beginning to set in as the lights lower and you finally see the artist you’ve wanted to see for so many years.

Concerts can be traced as far back as the 17th century. They have always been evolving. People know concerts as a lively and fun experience but it hasn’t always been that way. The 17th century is what turned modern concerts into what we know and love today. The first known public concert was held in London in 1672 and similar events have been held ever since.

In many ways, the concert experience is a timeless experience for humans. Anywhere from ancient tribal rituals to the more classical performance humans have always come together to share music.

Today’s concert experience is very different from how they used to be back in the day. The new and ever-changing technology and mass entertainment have a huge  part to play in that—but no matter the change of it, concerts are a huge reminder that the human need to experience music remains untouchable.

I remember my first concert experience back in 2013. I saw Taylor Swift for the first time during her Red Tour in Kansas City. My parents were dedicated to getting me these tickets, so they did. I don’t remember much because I was like 6 or 7 at the time but I have the photos to prove it. What I do remember is that, ever-since, I’ve loved concerts so much that I took my boyfriend to his first-ever concert. (against his will, maybe?).

His first concert was Louis Tomlinson, a former One Direction member who happens to not be his favorite singer but mine! But when I asked him recently he said he liked it a lot so a win’s a win.

For me, my first concert was a great success and I have loved them ever since so much that now my boyfriend and I work at a concert venue seeing free shows all the time.

That doesn’t mean the concert experience doesn’t come with ups and downs, especially in the working field. I have worked plenty of hard shows that are very testing at times but the good outweighs the bad. Seeing people come together in one room and see all their worries disappear is something I’ll never forget.

In today’s day and age, we often forget about needing to socialize with people in person due to the prevalence of social media platforms. That’s why the concert experience is so important. “People from all walks of life come together, united by their love for music. These events often act as social catalysts, encouraging new friendships and reigniting old ones amidst the backdrop of electrifying performances” mkilbary.com explains. As new generations come in and technology advances we somehow never forget the things that make us human.

Considering that the first concert to ever happen was in 1672 for an English violinist John Banister and from that point on concerts began to gain a larger following. After World War 2 the world was down on its luck and that inspired the happy-go-lucky concert we see today because musicians realized that humans need something to come together and wash away their worries. The earliest example of older concerts like the ones today was in WW2 called the Moondog coronation ball.

The concert experience is about how you make it. I’ve been seeing concerts since I was six or seven—and now I work at them.

I love seeing people’s expressions when they see their first artist or their favorite artist for the first time. It’s a feeling that I will never forget, I always try to make the concert experience for the people the best that I possibly can. It’s always hard because you never know what’s going on outside of this event and what the people go through. So being able to see them laugh and enjoy something even if they’re having a hard time is something that I will always cherish.  Like I said, I remember my first concert and even now I see them so often. I even just recently saw one that I was not working (surprisingly).

Knowing how far we’ve come from very small concerts to whole stadiums being designed for them is an incredible thing and something that I hope for many generations won’t change. The concert experience is what you make of it, bad or good.

For me,  I rate the concert experience four out of five stars.