With all of the live streaming capability available in the world today, the need to physically attend events is gradually decreasing. Why would you pay money to see a concert if you can simply watch the live video stream for free?

I asked myself the same question before eventually purchasing tickets to see Chicano artist CUCO in San Francisco. CUCO is one of my favorite artists and it seemed that it would be rude to pass up the chance to see him live, especially considering that it was only in San Francisco.

After a two hour car ride to the city, my parents dropped me off near the back of the line of people, about a block away from the venue. As soon as I stepped into that mass of humanity, I began to get an understanding of what makes concerts so great: the energy. All of the people gathered in that line were there for the same reason and were blatantly ecstatic to be where they were.

When CUCO starting performing, I couldn’t help but take it all in and smile. The entire crowd was singing along to his songs and swaying in unison. It was quite a sight to behold. This is why you should pay the price for tickets rather than streaming an event online.

Of course you still have the chance to enjoy the performer’s music when you stream it, but there is no way that you could possibly feel all of the energy and ecstasy that you can when going live. Standing in the middle of that crowd and watching an artist put their all into the songs that you enjoy listening to so much is a feeling that simply cannot be matched.

If you ever have the opportunity to see one of your favorite artists perform in a city near you, take that opportunity. You won’t regret it.