The Sanctity of Concerts

            Music is an important and integral part of humanity. This form of artistic expression seems to connect deeply to us on many different levels, and has throughout recorded history. So much so that the way in which we regard music often takes on religious proportions. Often the act of listening to music is ritualistic in nature. According to Livingstone, through the use of chanting, rhythms and other mediums, ritual is “symbolic in the most profound sense, for it ‘brings together’ the mind, the body, and the emotions, and at the same time, binds us to a community of shared values” (99). Music acts similarly, using comparable methods of stimulation to achieve this end.

            This phenomenon can often be seen at concerts. While we can all simply whip out our iPod and listen to whatever we want, the ritualistic nature of concerts is something inherently attractive about the experience. By transforming our inhibitions and behaviors, concerts serve as a ritual space that changes our identities. Even further, it speaks to one of the most basic human desires of belonging and being an accepted part of a group or community. Knowing the lyrics and singing along with strangers is a very powerful tool of “belonging”. This is taken to another level at large music festivals, where masses of people flock to the festival areas, often sleeping in tents and creating temporary societies. For example, the original Woodstock music festival in 1969 drew hundreds of thousands of people. While it was a “music festival”, it really was about much more than just music. It represented the “hippy” culture of the time, and provided a space where a community could come together and in a way “worship” their beliefs. For individuals going to that event, it provided a unifying experience that defined who they were, in the same way that religion and ritual does. By joining together and singing ballads of peace and love, the festival turned into a sacred ritual space. This is how concerts, and music as a whole, become both religious and ritualistic.

Music as a Sacred Ritual

Livingstone describes rituals as an “agreed on and formalized pattern of ceremonial movements and verbal expressions carried out in a sacred context”. A ritual is therefore a routine action that acquires a sacred meaning for a group of people. It also acts as a mean of social communication and unity that brings a certain group of people together. Music, just like rituals, acts as a social communicator that establishes and maintains the identity of an individual within a certain group.
In some instances, music plays a guiding role in shaping identities during the rites of passage. Each transition; from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, is accompanied by a change of preference in the kind of music we listen to. As we grow up, our personality evolves along with the our music preference that is influenced by the subculture that we identify ourselves with. That’s the reason 13 year olds listen to One Direction and 50 year olds to U2. Music also underlines the meaning of a certain rite of passage. The difference in melody, form and sentiments expressed by music played at weddings and funerals symbolizes the happiness of the former, and the sadness of the latter. Ritual and music are related because they both shape the values and define the sacred that are expressed by a group of people.

Moshing as Ritual

   One of the defining features of a live punk show is a form of dancing called moshing. Audience members form a circle to push and slam into each other, their aggressive dancing encouraged and potentiated by their favorite punk bands' music. While critics of moshing see it as nothing more than violence, mosh pits actually have strong religious and ritualistic components. Livingstone defines religious rituals as “an agreed-on and formalized pattern of ceremonial movements and verbal expressions carried out in a sacred context.” Mosh pits provide a sacred space for fans to deeply connect with each other and the music. They also provide a space for religious behavior, where secular concerns and the demands of ‘polite’ society melt away.  

There are ritualized components to moshing: the unspoken rules regarding acceptable and unacceptable behavior, the specific time and place it happens, and the reliance on the music. But the mosh pit also allows participants the freedom to e

ngage with the music that is meaningful to them in whatever way they choose. Much like catching the spirit in a Baptist Church, mosh pits are a place of spiritual awakening, a “sacred time and place that is marked by the convergence of music, ritual, and religious experience” (Laderman). Moshing is a complex religious ritual based around music that invigorates and revitalizes participants to face the challenges of their everyday lives.

The Power of Agency

        James C. Livingston defines ritual as existing within two distinct categories – one dealing with the ‘human life cycle” and the other with “fixed points in the yearly calendar” (Livingston, 97). In both definitions of ritual, structure is critical – it can only occur at specific times and in certain places. Its existence depends upon the implementation of boundaries. The rules established in ritual help the individual root him or herself in the sacred realm. Similarly at concerts, individuals experience a transition into another realm. This shift is also assisted by a set of rules. At a concert, everyone knows when to sing along, how to dance, what to wear, and generally adheres to an unspoken code of behavior. Thus, much like religion, structure helps the individual orient him or herself. If an individual did not know how to act, they would not have access to the sense of community nor the transcendent experience that everyone else undergoes. However, despite the seemingly crucial importance of structure at concerts, many individuals fixate on the sense of freedom evoked. How is possible to experience absolute freedom and established order at the same time?

        From EDM to Bruce Springsteen, individuals constantly stress the importance of letting go. Religious individuals also share this feeling during rituals. Both situations present an interesting juxtaposition between order and chaos. Why is the control in ritualistic situations less present than it is in reality? It may just be as simple as the fact that people don’t mind the structure when they are enjoying the overall experience. The emotional connections, sense of community, and transcendence are worth the structure it takes to attain them. Or it may have to do with a sense of control. In our day-to-day lives, the control we experience is usually forced upon us. Society exists as a series of structures and although they can be changed over time, most of us generally have to adhere to whatever rules are laid out. Thus, perhaps man finds freedom in ritualistic experiences like music because he or she can regain agency. They may experience structure but it is a structure that they have selected. Thus, the ability to reclaim agency supplies a sense of freedom even in the face of established structures.