A Concert With Earplugs?

I have always thought that anyone who wears earplugs at a concert was getting old, so either I am getting old or Achmed has taken over a little more than I thought.

Tonight I went to see The Tragically Hip for the 6th time; it practically makes me a groupie. In fact, the only bad that I have seen more (if you don’t count bar acts) is Blue Rodeo, although they are technically tied now until the end of July when I will see them for the 7th time.

Anyway, I am not trying to brag about how many concerts I have seen, but I appreciate live music and trying to get my point across. This show was a little different than any other one I have ever been at… I wore earplugs! It seems that I have become somewhat anal in protecting the remaining hearing that I still possess.

In the beginning of the show, when I stuffed those little orange, foam bullets into my ears, I couldn’t hear a thing and all I could think was what a waste of $75 (for the ticket, not the earplugs)! Within a minute or two, my hearing adjusted to actually be quite in tune with what was going on around me and I could hear everything that the band said and played along with being able to hear the people I was with talking… well, shouting actually, but they would have had to shout anyway.

Now I sit here thinking, “I have been to a lot of concerts in my life and that assault on my ears has probably been pretty destructive… these ear plug things are not a bad idea!” All that time that I thought people were nuts for drowning out the noise at a concert with earplugs, and now I am one of those nuts.

But you know, my ears are not ringing now (ok, that is kind of a lie, the Achmed ear is always ringing, but the good ear is not ringing as well now) and I heard everything just fine at the concert. I think I have discovered a new concert accessory and I might even put a pair in all of my jeans… just in case I accidentally come across a concert… I need to be prepared.

I am starting to think that this whole Achmed thing is having more positive effects on my lifestyle than negative ones!

From Achmed and Me… Live Life!