A ringing festival weekend, a sound-engineer friend with a tiny case in his pocket, and the one piece of concert gear I now refuse to leave home without.
I wore Eargasm high-fidelity earplugs to every show for a full Bay Area festival season. Here is what changed, what I still hear, and what I wish someone had handed me at fifty instead of sixty.
Two popular filter pairs and a season of loud Bay Area bills later, here is how Eargasm and Loop actually compare for the person standing at the rail, not the one on stage.
From stopping the next-morning ring to hearing vocals the way the artist meant, these are ten reasons a good pair of concert earplugs now never leaves my bag.
A ringing festival weekend, a sound-engineer friend with a tiny case in his pocket, and the one piece of concert gear I now refuse to leave home without.
A practical, audience-side guide to choosing high fidelity earplugs and wearing them right, so you can keep hearing the shows you love into your 70s.
I have taken Eargasm earplugs to a full Bay Area season of clubs, sheds and festivals. Here is the version nobody puts on the box, the fit, the fiddling, what still gets through, and who should not buy them.
I am Heidi, I am sixty, and I have carried this clear crossbody to every gate in the Bay Area for a year. Here is what a real season of security lines taught me about it.
Two of the most popular clear stadium bags, side by side after a full season of Shoreline, Levi's and festival gates. USPECLARE wins the value; CLUCI wins on finish. Here is the honest split.
From skipping the pat-down shuffle to keeping your wristbands close, here are ten reasons a clear approved bag changes how you enter every venue.
We had driven an hour for a good spot at the rail, and then the whole plan came apart in a security line that was nobody's fault but my friend's bag.
A room-by-room packing guide so that clear bag that was supposed to speed you through the gate actually does. No pat-down shuffle, no locker fee, no standing in the cold while you re-shuffle.
The warts-and-all version. I have carried the USPECLARE clear messenger to real gates for two seasons, and this is what actually happened to the zippers, the strap and the clear window no staged photo will show you.
Six months of amphitheatre and bleacher shows with the SPORT BEATS folding stadium seat. What the back support actually does after hour three, and what gets annoying.
Two padded folding seats compared after a full Bay Area festival season of amphitheaters, lawn shows and county bleachers. One of them carries my 60-year-old back through an encore, and one is lighter in the bag.
A season of Bay Area amphitheatres taught me that the music was never the hard part. It was the cold metal bench under me for three hours. Here is why a padded stadium seat with a real back changed every show.
A three-hour set on a bare, cold amphitheatre bench was the night I finally understood why nobody waits till the encore to stand up.
A practical, Heidi-tested way to pick a folding stadium seat that holds you, folds small, gets past the gate, and keeps your back happy through the encore.
The listing says the back support is real and the seat stays put on a bleacher. After a full summer at Shoreline, the Greek, the big arena steps and two grassy festival slopes, here is what actually holds up and what nobody tells you.
A long-term review of the CACOE phone lanyard after a full season of Bay Area shows, a drizzly festival weekend, packed crowds, and exactly zero dropped phones.
A phone that stays out of your hands and one that carries everything else too, compared on the show day you actually live.
From the crowd that should not push to the happy dance and the camera shot you almost missed, ten honest reasons a phone lanyard has earned a permanent spot on my show day.
A crowded exit, one near-miss with my phone, and the simple fix I have clipped on every show since.
Five quiet steps so your phone is always with you and out of your hands when the lights go down. No swinging weight, no sticker on the glass, no fumbling for the camera at the best moment.
A real, warts-and-all look at the CACOE phone lanyard after a season of seated shows, packed festivals, one drizzle, and one long baking afternoon. What holds, what swings, and who should leave it in the cart.
After a full season of big arena and amphitheater seats, here is how the occer 12x25 compact binoculars held up, where they shine, and when they come up short.
Two small binoculars, a lawn seat, and a stage that used to feel like a postage stamp. Here is which one earns its spot in your show tote.
I buy the cheap seats so I can afford more shows. A small pair of binoculars in my purse brought the band back to me, and I have not been to a big venue without them since.
A far row at a big Bay Area amphitheater, a band that looked like tiny figures, and a small pair of occer binoculars that brought the whole show back to me.
Magnification, weight, light and a small case. A practical, plain-spoken guide to picking compact binoculars for big arenas and amphitheaters, so you finally see the faces you came to see.
A warts and all look at the occer 12x25 compact binoculars, including how they really settle against your eye at a big venue, the 12x learning curve that never makes it onto the box, and who should spend their money elsewhere.
I wore Eargasm high-fidelity earplugs to every show for a full Bay Area festival season. Here is what changed, what I still hear, and what I wish someone had handed me at fifty instead of sixty.
I have taken Eargasm earplugs to a full Bay Area season of clubs, sheds and festivals. Here is the version nobody puts on the box, the fit, the fiddling, what still gets through, and who should not buy them.
I am Heidi, I am sixty, and I have carried this clear crossbody to every gate in the Bay Area for a year. Here is what a real season of security lines taught me about it.
The warts-and-all version. I have carried the USPECLARE clear messenger to real gates for two seasons, and this is what actually happened to the zippers, the strap and the clear window no staged photo will show you.
Six months of amphitheatre and bleacher shows with the SPORT BEATS folding stadium seat. What the back support actually does after hour three, and what gets annoying.
The listing says the back support is real and the seat stays put on a bleacher. After a full summer at Shoreline, the Greek, the big arena steps and two grassy festival slopes, here is what actually holds up and what nobody tells you.
A long-term review of the CACOE phone lanyard after a full season of Bay Area shows, a drizzly festival weekend, packed crowds, and exactly zero dropped phones.
A real, warts-and-all look at the CACOE phone lanyard after a season of seated shows, packed festivals, one drizzle, and one long baking afternoon. What holds, what swings, and who should leave it in the cart.
After a full season of big arena and amphitheater seats, here is how the occer 12x25 compact binoculars held up, where they shine, and when they come up short.
A warts and all look at the occer 12x25 compact binoculars, including how they really settle against your eye at a big venue, the 12x learning curve that never makes it onto the box, and who should spend their money elsewhere.
