Is a live concert bearable for us?

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Yes and enjoyable

I went to see deadmau5 and had the time of my life. Here's a video I took:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDHFzqQfi_I[/youtube]

Of course it is. I encourage you to go

I don't think this is something that can be generalized. Some of us would do terribly at concerts. At the same time, I can imagine that there are some aspies out there who are concert-junkies, and go to as many as they can. One aspie I know only likes the loudest heavy metal music he can find (which makes me want to meltdown when subjected to it). I had a job at a venue that did concerts. Some of the softer concerts were quite pleasant; others were almost unbearable--but not JUST because of the noise (because of ALL the added stimulation that comes from the type of crowd that likes to go to those concerts). I had had a few meltdowns at work, and I no longer work there. I would still go to lighter concerts though if I liked the music or singer. It's all up to the person. Louder concerts can be overly stimulating (obviously), but keep in mind that for some us, even concerts by artists that are REALLY well known can be just as overly stimulating because the crowd gets really loud even if the music is not. I found the most enjoyable concerts were by the artists that even people in the audience did not know well (providing their music was pleasant for me as well).

The only concert I've been to was with Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood. It was fun, but I spent the entire time with my hands over my ears not only due to the other fans, but the volume of the music as well. Frankly I'd just as soon listen to their CD's and buy autographed stuff on ebay.

Yep--regardless of the concert, if you are on the spectrum and have sensory issues, it is always a good idea to have a pair of earplugs at a concert, just in case. Whenever I ahve forgotten mine, this is how I too had to spend the concert--not fun!

I've not normally been a gig sort of person, but I've been to two and a half this year. I enjoyed two and had to leave near the beginning of the third. I found them intense experiences. Really emotionally and physically overwhelming. The number of people, all standing so close together, the noise, how people let themselves go, and their behaviour changes so much. I think I find that the hardest, the loss of restraint, and how weird it all is. I panicked in the second one, and in all three I had problems with the noise, but I took ear plugs in the third one and that helped. But music is so important to me, so I think it's worth trying to overcome the fear and stress in order to experience the music played live. I too would rather just stand and watch and absorb the whole experience, and maybe sing badly, people like to dance don't they.

I really love conserts. I have been wondering, maybe it is because loud music makes it easier to only focus on the music, not the many many many thoughts in my head. I actively uses music to consentrate in my daily life (and to drown some of my thougt-layers, I have many different thoughts in my head at the same time, music can dim some of them). It is nice to be able to consentrate on only one thing!

I saw Tori Amos in Dallas a year or two ago and loved it, though I was almost in a trance or asleep most of the time. I've also enjoyed Marketa Irglova and East Village Opera Company, but those are all rather low on the distortion and screaming and high on the classical girl-with-a-piano end of things (though EVOC did have a disco ball come down during a Wagner aria, which was surreal and somehow - unbelievably - tasteful)

another time I was invited to the Trans-Siberian-Orchestra christmas show. lasers and distorted guitar and ugh, it was horrific. it felt more like "Mars Attacks!" than Carol of the Bells. for that one that I had to leave the building and stand in the snow for the hour and half until it was over and we could leave, because it was completely unbearable. I have similar feelings about most kinds of rock. folk music I can deal with, though I prefer to have some personal space and the tavern-ish venues we have around here don't allow that as much, (despite having kind of measly drink menus.)

I absolutely adore things like Bharatnatyam recitals and other high-culture events that I suppose you could label "concerts", but on the rare occasions people drink there, it's expensive wine, and polite applause is the extent of things.

I took another blow to the head the last time I went to one of those things the other night, right on the eye socket. It's dangerous you know!