Provo, UT

You know those moments when you realize you have to get out of the house, like, now, or you’re going to go absolutely out of your mind? Well. This activity came from one of those moments.
I believe it was Saturday, and my husband and I had been in the house all afternoon. We were trying to think of things to do without much success, while he was on the internet looking for ideas. Finally he asked if I wanted to go to a show; I said sure, and within minutes our decision was made. He checked out Muse Music, a small venue in downtown Provo, and found out when the next show started. It didn’t even matter what it was—we were going.
We drove up 100 N to University Avenue (the venue is at 151 N University Ave) and parked along the road there, then crossed the street and walked down. Cover was $5 per person.

It turned out to be a show I would never have picked myself, but we still had a good time. We saw two bands play—a moderately hardcore band called Poetica, which fans of Glassjaw will like because they sound essentially the same, and a super hardcore metal band called Collin Creek. I think my husband described them best: “They’re 95% screaming and 5% yelling. No singing.”

This particular activity is definitely not for everyone. Even when the music is less intense, shows in small venues tend to be very loud because of the enclosed space; definitely not for kids or those with sensitive ears. There aren’t always restrooms; as far as I could tell, Muse didn’t have one. Be prepared to stand if it’s a popular band, or, if you sit, to do so on a bench or wooden chair. And find out what you can about the bands playing before you go—emo/hardcore/metal bands are pretty popular (and frequent in small venues like this when they’re trying to get their start) but their music can be hard to take if you’re not already a fan.