Going to a general admission concert, or being in the pit at a concert is a totally different experience than having a seat. General admission definitely has its pros and cons, and usually the cons outweigh the pros for me. If I have the option to get a ticket with a seat, I typically do that. Venues like the House of Blues and Paradise Rock Club in Boston are all general admission. There are floor sections and balcony sections, but there are no seats. Other venues usually have a designated general admission section right in front of the stage, called the pit. I have been in both circumstances, and while the views are great, you have to sacrifice other things to get them.

If you choose to go to a concert where you won’t have a seat, you have to have dedication. If you want to be close to the stage, chances are you’ll have to get to the venue early and wait in line for a few hours. The line will probably be outside, so be prepared for whatever the weather is. If you’re someone who can’t stand for a long time, do not go to a general admission concert. I went to see Jake Miller at the Paradise Rock Club in September 2017 and my feet were killing me after standing in line for two hours and then standing for another three to four hours after that.

Unpopular opinion time. Do not take children to general admission concerts. There have been multiple times when a child has tried to squeeze in front of me and their excuse was “I can’t see!” You always risk not being able to see at a GA concert, so if you’re worried about that I wouldn’t recommend going. 

Another thing that comes with GA concerts is the crowd. If you’re uncomfortable being in close contact with strangers, general admission might not be for you. Everyone is trying to get close to the stage, so unless you choose to stay in the back, it will be pretty squished. The whole concert is spent bumping arms with people and trying to keep your spot. One of my pet peeves is when people think they’re being sly trying to push past you to get closer to the stage. With GA concerts, if you care about your spot, you essentially can’t move. No getting a drink, no going to the bathroom, nothing. Once you’re there, you’re stuck unless you want to risk losing your spot. 

If you can get through all of this, it will be worth it. Each time I’ve been in a GA venue or the pit, I was very close to the stage. My strategy is to always go to one of the sides of the stage. Most people will go toward the middle because they want to be front and center, but usually you can get closer to the stage on the sides and still have a great view. 

It can be a very fun experience to be immersed in a crowd of people who all have the same interest as you. Yes, you might be pressed against strangers all night, but your love for the artist on the stage unites you. Once the concert starts, I forget about how uncomfortable crowds make me and being in a big group like that actually adds to the excitement of the concert.

The closest I’ve ever been to the stage was when I went to see Taylor Swift back in March 2013 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. It is a similar venue to TD Garden, so there was a pit section right in front of the stage. My friend and I originally had seats in one of the lower sections in the arena. But in the middle of the opening act, Ed Sheeran, a woman approached us and said she was looking for two people because she had extra pit bracelets. I don’t remember, but I think she was friends with one of the guitar players or something. Obviously we said yes and we ended up a lot closer than we’d thought we would be. 

General admission concerts can be quite the experience and they’re definitely a lot more hectic than having a seat. Having a seat means you can sit down while waiting for the concert to start, you can leave at any time to buy merch or food, and you can go to the bathroom. You give up these luxuries when you buy a pit or GA ticket. After every GA show I go to I always tell myself that I’ll never go to another one again, but that never happens. Despite my mixed feelings about them, I’ll probably find myself at one again in the future.