Concert Take 2

The John Mellencamp concert on Sunday night was a bust. Thankfully, I had seen him once before, so if I never see him live again, I'm still satisfied.

This time of year in AZ is known as "monsoon season," when major storms seemingly form out of nowhere. We had a doozy in Phoenix, and it shut down the concert for about an hour. My partner and I decided not to stay, and the next day we read that he finished the show. Good for the diehards who stuck it out.

We have another concert this evening: Lionel Richie with special guests Earth, Wind, and Fire. I have not seen either band before. Thankfully, this one is indoors, so weather be damned.

I have been more cautious and prudent about attending live concerts because of the persistent tinnitus that has plagued me for several years. I have used standard earplugs before, but frankly, they suck. They block out so much of the music that the concert is not enjoyable. Thankfully, we have better options. At the Mellencamp concert, I did a trial run with a pair of Eargasm earplugs that purport to reduce the decibel level while preserving as much fidelity as possible. So far, I give them a thumbs up, although the acoustics will be different in an indoor arena. Let's hope tonight's concert goes off without a hitch and we can dance on the ceiling all night long.