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Imagine being gifted with a open night. You feel energized, eager for new things, and looking to shake up your regular habits of evening scrolling. Life itself awaits your choice! Would you prefer a) seeing live music or b) being with a partner? The answer, as typically seen with these types of questions, is plainly: “It varies.” Reasonable people could understandably inquire: what kind of the concert? Who's the companion? Could it be going to be enjoyable?

Hardly anyone would pick a heavy metal lineup if the alternative was a dream date with a beloved celebrity. Yet change any part of the equation, and it turns more complicated. In the case of the 40,000 people posed this query through a live event company, no additional context was given – and the result emerged clearly and overwhelmingly preferring live music events.

Study Data Reveal Surprising Preferences

A worldwide report, questioning a large sample ranging from 18 and 54 from 15 markets, found that concerts are now the number one form of entertainment, surpassing games, cinema and – yes – intimacy. Given the choice to only one option of enjoyment permanently, 39% of respondents chose live music, against going to the cinema (17%) and athletic competitions (14%). Participants were over two times as prone to choose attending their preferred performer in concert (70%) instead of intimacy (30%).

You arrive anticipating happily shocked – and regularly you might find with someone else’s hair in your mouth

Context and Considerations

Certainly it's expected that a marketing research conducted for a concert promoter might conclude so heavily in favour of live shows – and, amid the playful mood of a would-you-rather, if your top performer is, such as a legendary singer, one can appreciate why watching him may be chosen over a routine encounter. Yet this either-or decision between live music or sex, clearly absurd though it may be, is fascinating to reflect on considering the strange juncture we face with both.

The Transformation of Concert Culture

In recent years, live music participation has evolved into more than a shared activity but a intense competition. Event companies appropriately highlight that arena crowds has “tripled year-over-year”, and music festivals get booked up quicker than before. Merely acquiring passes now demands detailed strategy, rapid-fire response times and significant funds (or a high spending capacity). Although you succeed, it’s not enough to merely attend and enjoy the show. Nowadays exists an expectation, at least among music enthusiasts, that you can boost your experience quality by attending more than once (potentially going abroad), studying the set list beforehand and memorizing the cues to hit and calls-and-responses created by previous crowds.

Many concertgoers report feeling shaken by their experience at large concerts: what felt like a choreographed performance of huge audiences, in which particular fans turned up unaware of the steps. That 18-month event, earning massive sums, was proof of the degree to which attendees will push to experience a historic occasion and see their favourite artist perform, though the real performance seems increasingly overshadowed by the production.

The Condition of Contemporary Sexuality

Sex, by contrast – an accessible and available enjoyment – faces dire straits. Based on modern research, nearly one in four of people had sex in an regular period, while just under a third were not engaging. In another major country, recent data indicated that over a quarter of individuals said they had not sexual activity even once in the previous year, rising from fewer people in previous decades. In these areas, the trend has been attributed to less sexual activity in youth demographics. Contrast this with the market booming for stadium extravaganzas and the intense rivalry for admissions. Certainly it’s not as simple as a simple decision between either option – “do you prefer attend a huge concert often, or remain abstinent?” – but it’s perhaps an indication of what is viewed as the more reliable pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Intimacy and concerts are closer aligned than you might think. Each symbolizes the commencement of a bond, a practical trial of ideas or promise that may have developed solely in your imagination. You show up with some idea of the probable outcome, but expecting to be happily shocked – and whether it proves enjoyable or disappointing depends very much on how your vibe and expectations correspond with partners. Quite often you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth, and following be waiting around for a break and a moment alone by yourself. Likewise with either, substances and drinks can either enhance or detract from the experience (but certainly help the most unpleasant situations more bearable).

Achieving Equilibrium

The magic to both gigs and sex depends on finding that elusive sweet spot between the known and the new, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Naturally it's uncommon – but it's the remembrance of when they did, the understanding that it’s possible, that inspires us to give it another shot: to {