I saw fun. in Atlanta, Ga., this weekend. The tickets were a Christmas present from my mom, and not until the show was over did I realize that she gave me more than an audience with one of my favorite bands – she gave me one of the best experiences of my life.

Concerts are great if you love the live music experience, but they can serve another purpose if you are willing to let them. While waiting in line, I met some of the most interesting people I have ever encountered. My brother and I entered the line with the mindset of isolation and keeping to ourselves. We failed miserably, and I am so glad we did. Not only did having people to talk to seemingly shorten the waiting time, but we also forged some hopefully lasting friendships.

The friends you make at a concert are a special breed of people. You are together because you have a similar taste in music, and because that has already been established, you can move from there in conversation. Humans are social animals – we weren’t meant to be alone.

If you go to a concert, don’t just sit by yourself while you wait for the doors to open. Talk to the people beside you, the people who pass by, anyone at all. Especially if you go to a show out of town (or even out of state) you’ll meet people from all over. We met a girl who lived in Germany through her youth and was going to grad school to study gender relations and politics in Turkey. We met a mom who was just as excited as her two daughters to see the band. And those were just some of the people we interacted with.

If you’re not meeting people at shows, you’re truly missing out on a great experience. I’m the shyest person you could ever meet, and even I opened up to my neighbors after a bit.

When we were allowed to go into the venue, we looked out for each other and saved spots while some of us went to get water or buy merchandise. Even though we’d known each other for less than 12 hours, we’d shared more with each other than we would with some close relatives of ours. That sort of bond can’t be faked or forced – it was special.

The concert itself was amazing, but as my brother pointed out to me while we were driving home, waiting in line was just as rewarding an experience as actually attending the show.

We were very lucky to be beside such great people, and I hope at the next concert you go to you will be, too. Maybe I’ll see you at the fun. show in town this September.

Beth Lindly is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Her column runs biweekly on Tuesdays.

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