Taking Daughter to Rush Concert?

[hughes&kettner]

QUOTE (LeaveMyThingAlone @ Jan 26 2011, 11:05 PM)

A rock concert is no place for an 8 year old. Granted, Rush and their crowd is tamer than most, but you still have incredibly loud arena, a lot of drunks, a lot of pot, and just a fair share of crazy and rowdy people at any concert.

true, but isn't it the same at say, an NFL game? loud music is played and more agressive drunken idiots than a concert...yet there are lots of little ones...what's worse: smelling weed or hearing some a-hole blast F-bombs for 4 hours at a game?

 

my point is that it's relly up to the parent. if you're on the fence, wait. IMO...

[Phantom]

QUOTE (LeaveMyThingAlone @ Jan 26 2011, 11:05 PM)

A rock concert is no place for an 8 year old. Granted, Rush and their crowd is tamer than most, but you still have incredibly loud arena, a lot of drunks, a lot of pot, and just a fair share of crazy and rowdy people at any concert.

I agree. Expecting an 8 year old girl to sit through 3 hours of anything might be a bit much to ask. Add in that it's a rock concert, loud as hell, drugs and alcohol in the crowd and more than a fair bit of cussing, and I'm certain I wouldn't take an 8 year old to a show.

 

I'm not certain what you expect your daughter, or yourself, to get out of the evening but in my opinion, a rock concert can be an overwhelming environment for anyone, let alone an 8 year old child.

 

 

 

 

[Phantom]

QUOTE (hughes&kettner @ Jan 29 2011, 10:29 AM)

QUOTE (LeaveMyThingAlone @ Jan 26 2011, 11:05 PM) A rock concert is no place for an 8 year old. Granted, Rush and their crowd is tamer than most, but you still have incredibly loud arena, a lot of drunks, a lot of pot, and just a fair share of crazy and rowdy people at any concert. true, but isn't it the same at say, an NFL game? loud music is played and more agressive drunken idiots than a concert...yet there are lots of little ones...what's worse: smelling weed or hearing some a-hole blast F-bombs for 4 hours at a game?   my point is that it's relly up to the parent. if you're on the fence, wait. IMO... I don't thinkg I'd take an 8 year old girl to an nfl game either...

[SpiralArray]

While I am on the "take her!!" side, I will add that it might be wise to come up with a Plan B. What to do if you end up sitting right next to a group of folks that either: a) plan on drinking themselves into oblivion (the shenanigans and not-kid-friendly language will follow) or brought the bag of smokes they've been hanging onto just to share with their good buddies at the show. While the Rush crowd is usually more laid-back and open to children at shows, you can't fault a group of adults who go to the show and expect to be able to let their hair (or mullet) down, so to speak. Will there be another adult with you so you can have your daughter sit between you? Will you be offended if the joker next to you is too drunk to filter their language in front of your child? Are you prepared to explain the stumbling drunk to her?

 

Most likely you will not have to be concerned any of the above possibilities.....but it wouldn't hurt to have a contingency plan. If things get rough or outta' hand or if she simply gets tired and wants to go home, will you be willing to leave the show with a good attitude knowing you are taking a youngster into an experience that is for adults?

 

Just some things to think about.

[shaun3701]

yes, we need to raise a new generation of female Rush fans...

[Ron2112]

I took my 7 and 9 year old sons to the Camden and Bristow shows last year. And they had a blast! At Bristow, there were a ton of grey-haired dads with kids in tow, some younger than my boys. If she likes the music, then it will be a great experience for both of you.

 

Folks at both shows were very well behaved and thought it was cool that my sons were there -- giving them high-fives, asking if they were having fun, etc. I think most Rush fans are nice enough, and now OLD enough that the odds of you ending up next to some drunken fools is fairly small.

 

Good Luck,

Ron

Edited January 31, 2011 by Ron2112

[Test4Eco23]

I really think she will dig the show. She likes to stay up late and hang with dad. With the music and the excitement, I think she will do fine. I have taken her to hockey games, and receptions where there was music to dance to and she didn't want to leave even when it was well after her bed time. As far as the drunks are concerned, I plan to have a talk with her about what she may see in the way of poor behavior and she is to ignore it and enjoy the music. There will be another adult with me so between the two of us we should get along just fine.

 

JRS

[osage2112]

Certainly take her...the crowd will be the most supportive of any you know. So much so, you might tell her that people are so friendly, a total stranger will talk to you and be really nice to you.

 

A conflict in today's mentality I know, but this will happen as fans are happy to see the experience shared.

 

Be sure and get to the venue EARLY, scope out the seats, people watch, bathroom duty, but mainly to get your gear before the line reach 40 min. wait times.

 

One limitation is visibility. If you can bring in a bag that has a inflatable kiddy chair...put that in your seat and have her stand on it.

 

The people behind won't mind and she'll have better memories.

 

Just my feedback...enjoy making them memories!

[amish_ashaman]

I'm taking my 8 year old to the Nashville show. It will be his first concert. He loves to stay up late and Rush is is favorite band by far.

 

Visibility is my main concern, as our tickets aren't great (they aren't bad either). He's big for his age, but I plan on holding him for as long as I can if it will help him see. Thankfully, I've already seen the TM show once without him, so this will be more about him. We are going with another friend (who I went with last time) and his 15 year old son who has been to a few shows, but this will be his first Rush show as well. My best friend will also be there. I'm feeling good about it, but as always, I know my son will throw us a curve ball or two. He's been to many theatrical productions, NBA games, college basketball, college football, Major League and Triple A baseball, minor league hockey, Star Wars live, and other things like that, so the big crowd/loud arena thing won't be completely foreign to him.

[anitarush]

Hi, I'm new here--but let me give you my take on it.

 

My own daughter is 8 and Cleveland will be her 8th Rush show. Her first was at Red Rocks, at age 4, at her very strong insistence. She even had a friend make her a sign that says "Maddy loves Geddy. Maddy is 4." Over the years, we've changed the sign to reflect her age. She is still crazy about the band.

 

That said, she also listens to Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana. Leaving the Chicago show last summer, she told me "I like HM, but Rush is the real deal."

 

If your daughter likes their music, she will probably love the show. As for the people around you, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. These are RUSH fans! The greatest people in the world! They usually aren't there to get wasted, they are there for the music.

 

Earplugs are a very good idea, too. We bring them every time.

[01GT Eibach]

QUOTE (Phantom @ Jan 29 2011, 12:39 PM)

I don't thinkg I'd take an 8 year old girl to an nfl game either...

To me, a Rush concert is pretty benign and (as I said ealier) my only concern with taking a child is how interested in they would be in seeing it for all three hours. For my kids, I know Rush is not very interesting to them. Now, the Black Eyed Peas are totally different story, but that is what they like ...

 

As for taking kids to NFL games, I can speak as a former NFL season ticket holder and as someone that has been to countless games in many stadiums ... I think the conduct at NFL games is deplorable. And not just any one team or stadium. NFL games are filled with just enough loud, obnoxious, foul-mouthed drunks to ruin it for "the rest of us". It is a damn shame, actually ...

[Test4Eco23]

QUOTE (anitarush @ Feb 1 2011, 08:12 AM)

Hi, I'm new here--but let me give you my take on it. My own daughter is 8 and Cleveland will be her 8th Rush show. Her first was at Red Rocks, at age 4, at her very strong insistence. She even had a friend make her a sign that says "Maddy loves Geddy. Maddy is 4." Over the years, we've changed the sign to reflect her age. She is still crazy about the band. That said, she also listens to Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana. Leaving the Chicago show last summer, she told me "I like HM, but Rush is the real deal." If your daughter likes their music, she will probably love the show. As for the people around you, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. These are RUSH fans! The greatest people in the world! They usually aren't there to get wasted, they are there for the music. Earplugs are a very good idea, too. We bring them every time.

My daughter likes Hannah and Taylor also but likes to listen to Rush as well. I was at the two Chicago shows last summer also.

[losingit2k]

I took my daughter when she was 10 years old! It was the best experience I ever had at a Rush concert! There's something in knowning that you are passing something so special to your kids! She's a die hard fan now! And my 8 year old son now has his first show lined up! You might smell some "stuff" in the air! But you can just write that off as European cigarettes! LOL All and all it was the best time in my life. And last tour she was not able to go and I heard about it! Hence she lined up for two this leg of the tour!

 

[Hemispheres89]

QUOTE (losingit2k @ Feb 1 2011, 11:18 PM)

I took my daughter when she was 10 years old! It was the best experience I ever had at a Rush concert! There's something in knowning that you are passing something so special to your kids!

Bingo! This right here!

 

To me, what makes a particular concert so exciting is the fact in knowing that you're bringing a first-timer along with you, whether they're being introduced to the band, or just being introduced to the concert scene in general. Maybe I feel this way because it reminds me of how good my body felt with excitement when I went to my first show (it was Rush, coincidentally!), so I always hope that my friend will like what they experience!

 

To answer the OP's question, I say only bring her if she has exhibited signs of actually taking a liking to the band. At that age, the atention span is limited in situations like this, where the true appreciation for the whole experience won't be fully realized. I would think, more than anything, the noise would deter her and push her away from enjoying the show.

 

Just my opinion though!

[luvrush]

My youngest son went to his first concert with me when he was nine, along with my older son who was fifteen at the time. The anticipation for both of them leading up to the concert was crazy, so when that day came, they were definitely ready. It was a Boston and Styx concert and we were in nosebleed seats, but it just didn't even matter. People around us were commenting about how the boys knew all the words to every song. I don't actually remember much about the concert except watching my boys enjoying themselves ... playing air guitar, drumming, etc. It's great when your kids play loud music around the house, and you don't even tell them to turn it down, because it's the music you love and grew up listening to yourself.

 

I say - DEFINITELY take her. It will be a memorable experience.

[rushbass]

Depending on where you are sitting, the pot smoke can be rather thick... but, you already know this.

 

As far as hearing protection, I would get her a set of "ear muff" style hearing protection instead of plugs - this will work better, and she will be more likely to wear those the whole time.

 

Working out the logistics of bathroom breaks could be interesting if you are not bringing the wife / gf, or there is no female acquantance in your party - you definitely don't want to bring her in the men's room with you... I am not sure I would trust a stranger to take my 8 yr old daughter into the rest room.

 

I would love to take my daughter to this tour's show I am attending - she will be 9yrs old by then... if I have an extra ticket (one of my brothers may not be able to make it), I may consider it... but then, I couldn't be one of those rowdy drunks if she comes along!

 

 

[lifesavermike]

Dallas 2010 was my youngest son's second RUSH show. He was 5 for S&A in Milwaukee, and 7 for Time Machine. He has done fine at both shows. All the suggestions for hearing protection are correct. Ear muff type do work better, but depending on where and when the show is, they can get hot. I have not had any issues with security and him standing on the seats, but I do have to brace him against my chest and he stands on the seat back of the row in front of us. Binoculars also help depending on seating. The fans are awesome. They have always been polite and considerate. He usually gets bored sometime around the middle of the second set, but that is when they play Tom Sawyer, and since his name is Sawyer he perks up. He thinks they wrote it about him. We brought his Nintendo DS so when there were times he was not into it, he sat and played with that, but not for very long. All in all, good experiences so far, but then again he is a RUSH fan. Good luck, a little preparation goes a long way to everyone having a good time.

[clem]

QUOTE (lifesavermike @ Feb 12 2011, 02:19 PM)

Dallas 2010 was my youngest son's second RUSH show. He was 5 for S&A in Milwaukee, and 7 for Time Machine. He has done fine at both shows. All the suggestions for hearing protection are correct. Ear muff type do work better, but depending on where and when the show is, they can get hot. I have not had any issues with security and him standing on the seats, but I do have to brace him against my chest and he stands on the seat back of the row in front of us. Binoculars also help depending on seating. The fans are awesome. They have always been polite and considerate. He usually gets bored sometime around the middle of the second set, but that is when they play Tom Sawyer, and since his name is Sawyer he perks up. He thinks they wrote it about him. We brought his Nintendo DS so when there were times he was not into it, he sat and played with that, but not for very long. All in all, good experiences so far, but then again he is a RUSH fan. Good luck, a little preparation goes a long way to everyone having a good time.

So, you didn't NAME your son after a Rush song, did you??

 

Just kidding of course. Glad you didn't name him "Geddy".....

 

 

Clem

[Literatii]

I haven't read through this whole thread, so I'm sure someone else has said it: Rush concerts are tame compared to everything else out there.

 

I highly recommend ear-plugs though for someone that age.

 

BTW I'm interested in your drum kit -- send me an email

Edited February 13, 2011 by Literatii

[Rick4001]

^^^ Yup, Rush shows are pretty mellow, but if it's an outdoor venue you may have to deal with pot smoke.

[Kubla~Khan]

I say take her.

 

There's nothing better than a fathers relationship with his daughter. Besides, the Time Machine concert is pretty entertaining. Just have her look for the Gorilla to appear sometime during the show.

 

The earplugs may be a good idea.

 

My daughters first concert (at the age of 8) was, Korn and Disturbed. She's now 18 and going to see OZZY next Sunday (2/20) in Lauderdale, Fl with me and she'll be right beside me at the Rush concert on March 30 in Lauderdale too.

 

Rock on Dad!

 

KK

[Voyager1000]

This leg of the tour will be the third Rush concert for my daughter, who is 13.

Ear Plugs, and a little explanation as to why all those "old guys" are playing air guitar and air drums are all that's required.

 

BTW after the first Rush show my daughter understands the difference between true artist talent and showmanship, we had a lot to talk about together.

 

You're certainly spoiling her by taking her to see Rush, if she plays an instrument herself she will not think the same about other bands she sees in the future.........

[WIDE-ANGLE WATCHER]

I say take her

 

I took my 10 yr. old boy to his first concert, Green Day, and had originally thought that 10-12 yrs. was the appropriate starting age for 'child' friendly rock concerts.

 

RUSH is not Hanna Montana and is not exactly a child friendly concert, nor was Green Day. There was profanity, drinking, drugs, scantily dressed women engaged in sexually themed dancing, very loud music and general craziness abound.

 

If your child, and especially you are tolerant and understand what to expect and what you may encounter and have a back-up plan like taking a break at the concessions stand then you will have a great time.

 

My boy had the experience of his young life, albeit a few "look at that dude Dad" or " What are they doing?" moments.

 

If you believe you are going to have issues with sheltering your daughter's ears, feelings or overall experience, then I would say do not bring her.

 

Most Rush concert goers are very respectful and most Rush loving parents are very tolerant, so ..........You and your daughter have a great time.

[third hand grace]

I really hope the boys can do it for a few more years... my daughter is 7 and has asked to see them, but right now I know she is not ready for a night like that.

I dont think she is capable of toughing it out for dad if she gets bored or tired.

One more tour and she'll be ready!!

[Orbourus]

QUOTE (Test4Eco23 @ Jan 26 2011, 08:02 PM)

I have decided to take my daughter to her first concert. She will have just turned 8 yrs. old at the time of the show (April 12 in Chicago). I think it will work out fine, but I do have concerns. I have asked friends, and family and have had mixed reactions. Some have said they think it's fine, and some said it wouldn't be a good idea. Some opinions from you guys would be great. I am sure some of you have taken you own children to Rush shows. Thanks... JRS

My daughter will be 3 when they come back in 2012 as Alex has eluded to in the Gibson article. We will get lawn seats at Verizon in Irvine and she will be there , she has too she got a pink Rush T for Christmas.