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Envision having a open night. You feel energized, eager for new things, and looking to break from your regular habits of post-work slumping. The world is your oyster! Do you opt for a) seeing live music or b) being with a partner? The response, as frequently the case with such kinds of questions, is clearly: “It varies.” Reasonable people could understandably ask: what is the show? Who is the partner? Will it be expected to be satisfying?

Few would select a intense rock concert if the alternative was a dream date with a favorite star. But adjust either end of the comparison, and it turns more complicated. In the case of the 40,000 people presented with this choice by a live event company, no such clarification was provided – and the result emerged decisively and strongly preferring concerts.

Research Findings Reveal Unexpected Preferences

An international report, polling thousands of participants from 18 and 54 in different nations, found that concerts currently stand as the most popular pastime, ranking above sports, movies and – absolutely – sexual intercourse. Given the choice to a single form of enjoyment for the rest of their lives, 39% of respondents selected gigs, versus film attendance (17%) and sports events (14%). They were also more than twice as likely to prefer seeing their favourite artist on stage (70%) over sexual activity (30%).

You appear hopeful of being delightfully amazed – and quite often you could wind up with another person's locks in your mouth

Factors and Reflections

Naturally it's expected that a marketing research carried out for a live event company might conclude so overwhelmingly in favour of concerts – and, in the freewheeling spirit of a would-you-rather, if your top performer is, say a legendary singer, it's understandable why seeing him could prevail instead of a ordinary encounter. Yet this two-option scenario between concerts or sex, plainly ridiculous even if it seems, is interesting to reflect on given the odd moment we face with these two aspects.

The Transformation of Gig Attendance

In recent years, live music participation has grown beyond a communal experience but a intense competition. Major promoters duly point out that arena crowds has “grown significantly year-over-year”, and festivals get booked up more rapidly than previously. Just obtaining tickets now needs military-level planning, rapid-fire response times and deep finances (or a high spending capacity). Even if you’re successful, that alone won't do to simply turn up and watch the performance. Nowadays exists an assumption, at least among concertgoers, that you can boost your return on investment by going multiple times (including overseas trips), studying the performance lineup beforehand and memorizing the cues to hit and calls-and-responses developed through previous crowds.

Numerous fans describe being scarred by their attendance at major tours: what felt like a choreographed performance of huge audiences, where some individuals arrived unfamiliar with the protocol. That 18-month tour, producing huge revenue, was proof of the lengths to which attendees will push to feel part of a cultural moment and watch their preferred performer play, though the live sound seems increasingly less important than the spectacle.

The State of Modern Intimacy

Intimacy, on the other hand – an affordable and available enjoyment – faces challenging circumstances. Per modern research, approximately 25% of individuals were intimate in an average week, while nearly 30% were sexually inactive. Elsewhere, current statistics revealed that more than 25% of people admitted to avoiding sex even once in the last twelve months, rising from smaller percentages in the past. In these areas, the change has been linked to decreased encounters with younger generations. Compare this with the industry driving growth for stadium extravaganzas and the cutthroat competition for admissions. Certainly it’s not as simple as a straightforward choice between both alternatives – “do you prefer experience a popular event often, or stay celibate?” – but it might be an signal of which is perceived as the more dependable pleasure.

Interesting Comparisons

Sex and live music are more comparable than one may assume. Each symbolizes the activation of a connection, a real-world test of expectations or potential that could have built only in your head. You come with a basic expectation of the probable outcome, but hopeful of being delightfully amazed – and whether it proves satisfying or frustrating depends very much on how your vibe and expectations correspond with partners. Regularly you’ll end up with another person's locks in your mouth, and later be hanging out for a smoke and personal space on your own. Similarly for each, substances and drinks can sometimes improve or reduce the situation (but certainly help the worst occasions easier to weather).

Seeking Harmony

The magic to both gigs and sex hinges on finding that hard-to-find balance between familiarity and novelty, consistency and change, challenge and comfort. Certainly it happens only rarely – but it’s the memory of successful moments, the understanding that it’s possible, that drives us to give it another shot: to {