DPuents Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Just wanted to see what the general consensus is re: kids at a show...My 7-year old son has asked me a few times to take him with me when I go see Wilco...I am considering taking him to either the Wappingers Falls or Brooklyn shows in July since they are outside in a baseball stadium...Ear plugs for him are a given...I don't remember seeing a kid sighting at any of the past shows I've been to other than the Tweedy solo show in Beacon, NY. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
remphish1 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I think those would be great first shows for a kid...bring him...I would recommend the Wappinger Show more so thoguh....Coney Island is hectic and overwhelming and there are more chances for a kid to get lost.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Just stating the obvious, but make sure they're "all ages" shows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DPuents Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 I'm leaning toward the Wappingers Falls one, too...Nice country up there... It is good to see that it is not that uncommon then...also is interesting to note that Wilco music appeals to the younger ages... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fatheadfred Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Just don't put them on your shoulders in the front rows. Some dopes were doing this at Lawrence, KS last year. Still can't understand why you'd bring a half pint up to the front at a rock show. On another note, saw MMW at Lawrence (indoors) and like any MMW show the 'indo' was thick. Some ol gal had a 2 mos old in there cuz " my kid is gonna be cool, she likes this music" wtf is up w/ that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Just stating the obvious, but make sure they're "all ages" shows. After checking the above, bring the kid and enjoy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
creativetype Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ask Christine & Kidsmoke ... they are experts at this. If you are lucky, you might even get a photo op afterward with band members and your cute offspring. I told my twin girls they can go to a Wilco show with me when they are 10 (just 1.5 years away ) ... By then, I figure they'll have heard most of what could possibly be uttered during stage banter or by drunk crowd members. As of now, I'm still muting certain PG-13 lyrics ... Also, they'd be taller than the rail (maybe). Earplugs will be mandatory. (My ears are still ringing from an Old 97s show Sat. night in Tulsa and it wasn't even that loud.) Outdoor shows would seem more fun and kid-friendly and would allow some reprieve from the tighter crowds that can pack into smaller venues. Plus, they are usually less smoky. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ask Christine & Kidsmoke ... they are experts at this. If you are lucky, you might even get a photo op afterward with band members and your cute offspring. I told my twin girls they can go to a Wilco show with me when they are 10 (just 1.5 years away ) ... By then, I figure they'll have heard most of what could possibly be uttered during stage banter or by drunk crowd members. As of now, I'm still muting certain PG-13 lyrics ... Also, they'd be taller than the rail (maybe). Earplugs will be mandatory. (My ears are still ringing from an Old 97s show Sat. night in Tulsa and it wasn't even that loud.) Outdoor shows would seem more fun and kid-friendly and would allow some reprieve from the tighter crowds that can pack into smaller venues. Plus, they are usually less smoky. Hi Clay! My daughter's first show was Wilco when she was 7, I think. She has now been to many shows; Beck, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird and Wilco, who she has seen at least a half dozen times. Her dad also takes her to shows. She'll be 13 next week. I have created a monster. A seated show has none of these concerns, but at a GA show these considerations are important: I try to be on the rail, so that she can be in front of me and can see.EARPLUGSBe prepared to shield your kid's body with your own. At the Arcade Fire show, a drunk guy jumped on stage, then dove back out into the audience right over our heads. He injured the woman he landed on.The most important aspect is that your first job is as a parent in this situation. Become hyper aware of what's taking place around you. You may have to take more bathroom breaks. Be sure the kid stays hydrated. And if the kid gets uncomfortable with the bodies/ heat/ drunken behavior etc, be prepared to leave. I had to do this at the Cain's show with my daughter. The temperature, humidity and crush of bodies became too much for her. She made it on YouTube jumping to Beck's EPro. First (and last) girl you see in a black Fedora. Just understand that you may have a little concert buddy for ever after. Have fun! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 She made it on YouTube jumping to Beck's EPro. First (and last) girl you see in a black Fedora. That's great. She looks like she's having a blast... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 here is the thing, 50% of the crowd will be there not to listen to the music, but to drink beer, smoke pot and be general asses. As the bigger Wilco gets the bigger this element gets, especially at outdoor festival type shows. It is unfortunate, but it the truth. I am saying 7 years old is too young. 13 would be good age to go to a "rock show," wait 6 years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I'm taking my my 13 year old daughter and 7 year old son to the Red Rocks show July 3rd. The first Wilco show for both of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lovecontagious Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I think taking kids to shows is perfectly acceptable. I've been taking my daughter to various shows since she was tiny. It just depends on the show and the venue. When she was little, she went to most outdoor shows that we went to. As she grew up, I started taking her to indoor ones. When she was 6 she went to her first Wilco show, but it was her 30th concert. She's 9 now, and if we are at a concert, she's right there with us rockin' out. We still have to hold her up to see, which can be exhausting, but that's a small price to pay to watch the awe spread over her face when she's watching her idols onstage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MadMonkey Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Was just at Athens, OH with my 15 and 8 y/o. The 15 year old has been going with me since he was 11 and the 8 y/o since she was six. I started with outdoor venues where we could set up camp on the lawn. I moved my son to indoor venues but we try to get their early for a prime spot (He's a big kid). The little one I tested inside at Athens b/c we could get reserved seats. She took a little while to warm up due to the noise. I'm the first to admit I messed up with the earplugs. Being a single Dad I dropped the ball on that one. Definetly bring ear plugs if your going to be indoors or close to the stage. I perfer the seated venues for kids so they don't get crushed in the constant push of bodies toward the stage. Other than that never a complaint and the kids have loved it. I would take my kids anytime. Also, I have had a better experience with people being sensitive to the kids than at any sporting event. Less cursing and overall rude behavior. Actually most people comment about how cool it is to see kids there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lovecontagious Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Also, I have had a better experience with people being sensitive to the kids than at any sporting event. Less cursing and overall rude behavior. Actually most people comment about how cool it is to see kids there. I have to agree. People at concerts are much more sensitive to kids than at sporting events. I don't know why. At my daughter's first Wilco show, people were surprised to see her once they stepped on her. It was a complete accident, of course, and they appologized excessively. One guy even went to the bar and got her a WHOLE CUP of marachino cherries to appologize! After she was stepped on a couple of times, I carried her on my back...no problems! As for the swearing, people definately curbed their language, and if they slipped, it was very considerate, yet *so* funny when their eyes got big, covered their mouths, and said amuffled "Sorry!" When Jeff noticed her in the audience, even he held back the F-bomb.! At another show he let a "Shit" slip out and appologized to her. When I take my daughter to shows, At the GA shows, people are extremely sensitive that she's in the audience on the rail. She's never been pushed or squashed. WhenI take my daughter to a concert, I expect that she'll be exposed to things that she's normally not use to, but in life, people, in general, come across situations/language/other people that they would rather not have to deal with, but they do. JMO. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Was just at Athens, OH with my 15 and 8 y/o. The 15 year old has been going with me since he was 11 and the 8 y/o since she was six. I started with outdoor venues where we could set up camp on the lawn. I moved my son to indoor venues but we try to get their early for a prime spot (He's a big kid). The little one I tested inside at Athens b/c we could get reserved seats. She took a little while to warm up due to the noise. I'm the first to admit I messed up with the earplugs. Being a single Dad I dropped the ball on that one. Definetly bring ear plugs if your going to be indoors or close to the stage. I perfer the seated venues for kids so they don't get crushed in the constant push of bodies toward the stage. Other than that never a complaint and the kids have loved it. I would take my kids anytime. Also, I have had a better experience with people being sensitive to the kids than at any sporting event. Less cursing and overall rude behavior. Actually most people comment about how cool it is to see kids there.This will be interesting to see. We go to a Rockies game the next day so I will see who is more considerate.....the rock crowd.....or the jock crowd? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Hope Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Just wanted to see what the general consensus is re: kids at a show...My 7-year old son has asked me a few times to take him with me when I go see Wilco...I am considering taking him to either the Wappingers Falls or Brooklyn shows in July since they are outside in a baseball stadium...Ear plugs for him are a given...I don't remember seeing a kid sighting at any of the past shows I've been to other than the Tweedy solo show in Beacon, NY.Do take your kid. Like most have said, some things you have to expect, venues matter most. We all know how a concert makes us feel and to have your child experience it. My children, grown now, still go to concerts, sometimes with me But it is something we can share together... I've even started with festivals with my grandbabies.. Wilco is a great band to expose your kid too! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Hope Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I'm taking my my 13 year old daughter and 7 year old son to the Red Rocks show July 3rd. The first Wilco show for both of them.This would be so kool. One of my goals in life is to go to Red Rocks for Wilco! Wonder how long it takes to drive there? Only other artist I'd travel for to Red Rocks would be Van Morrison.... Well Neil Young maybe... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have taken my 21 year old son to every Wilco concert I've been to except one and he handled everything okay. He's going again this summer but he will be a little older. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Maybe I'm a jackass (okay, I probably am) but I was a little bit annoyed with all the kids, when I went to see Wilco. If you want to take your kids to a concert, go take them to They Might Be Giants, or something like that. There's a time and a place for kids but it isn't a rock concert. But I just don't like kids in general, so maybe I am biased. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I'm not sure how I feel about taking my kids to Wilco. A festival show, maybe. Songs like "Handshake Drugs" and "Via Chicago" would really make me uncomfortable. That, and you drunken a-holes who turn out at every show. They're 4 now, not sure how old I'd want them to be. We have watched Austin City Limits (minus Handshake Drugs) and some other stuff and play their CDs frequently, but no concerts yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Hope Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Maybe I'm a jackass (okay, I probably am) but I was a little bit annoyed with all the kids, when I went to see Wilco. If you want to take your kids to a concert, go take them to They Might Be Giants, or something like that. There's a time and a place for kids but it isn't a rock concert. But I just don't like kids in general, so maybe I am biased.I wouldn't say your an ass, maybe you just shouldn't have kids... JMO... Why shouldn't children be a part of rock n' roll? Grant it I don't know what "They Might Be Giarts" is. I'm sorry that your times with Wilco have been mared... I rather expose my kids to things I love, enjoy, find pleasure in, like a live show of WILCO... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Hope Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I'm not sure how I feel about taking my kids to Wilco. A festival show, maybe. Songs like "Handshake Drugs" and "Via Chicago" would really make me uncomfortable. That, and you drunken a-holes who turn out at every show. They're 4 now, not sure how old I'd want them to be. We have watched Austin City Limits (minus Handshake Drugs) and some other stuff and play their CDs frequently, but no concerts yet.You aa a parent will know when and if you take your child to see a showl The artist or band matters as well as the venue...At age 4 you should be subjective, that is our job to be. As teenagers, well we cannot sheild them from all the world holds... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I agree with all the common sense considerations that have been mentioned...you do need to stay conscious that you are your child's buffer from any oddness or rough crowd behavior, and remember to see through your child's eyes a bit. You don't want to start out with the best of intentions, thinking, "There's no way to explain this experience in words, but I want my child to see what I get so happy and uplifted and excited about!".....and then have it devolve into an experience that overwhelms and even maybe scares the child. But having said that, it's also been my experience that concertgoers are very considerate of children in these settings, and kind. As for a bonding experience with your child, well, few things transcend a connection through music, which itself transcends any verbal description. I'm closer to all three of my kids because of the music we've shared, and I don't think I've ever regretted taking any of them to a show. Do try to get up front, because if they can't see and are surrounded by a much-taller crowd, that can be daunting. And as Chris pointed out, being a parent takes total priority over you as a concertgoer. (Chris! I remember poor Sarah at Cain's....she just started looking pale and queasy....you were smart to get her straight out into the fresh night air! Tell her I send a ) And, having said the above, I might as well cop to the fact that when Alissa, then 8, saw her first concert at the Wiltern...Wilco of course...and as the band launched into an incredible encore set, she looked up at me and said, "I gotta pee!" My response was pure bad-mother: I hissed at her, "Well, that's why we used the restroom at the break. Hold it!" Once the encore ended, we raced for the restroom, and the long ladies' line took one look at her squirmy desperation, and sent her ahead of the whole line, straight into a stall. Lesson learned: easy on the liquids for the little ones, during a concert! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I think taking kids to shows is perfectly acceptable. I've been taking my daughter to various shows since she was tiny. It just depends on the show and the venue. When she was little, she went to most outdoor shows that we went to. As she grew up, I started taking her to indoor ones. When she was 6 she went to her first Wilco show, but it was her 30th concert. She's 9 now, and if we are at a concert, she's right there with us rockin' out. We still have to hold her up to see, which can be exhausting, but that's a small price to pay to watch the awe spread over her face when she's watching her idols onstage.I love this post. My youngest is 18 now, but started going to shows with me when she was 8 or so. One of her best concert experiences was seeing Wilco and getting to meet and talk with Nels. My only rule was/is no Phish shows until they are out of high school. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fatheadfred Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 here is the thing, 50% of the crowd will be there not to listen to the music, but to drink beer, smoke pot and be general asses. Clint: What did you just say? Mike: What? Clint: Just now, man. When you walked past, what'd you say? Mike: About what? Clint: You said, "Someone's tokin' some reefer." Mike: No, I meant somewhere I smell some pot, you know? It was just an observation. Clint: Oh, an observation, huh? Well who the hell are you, man? Isaac fucking Newton? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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