I have posted a lot about taking kids to classical music performances, but wanted to write about taking kids to pop/rock music concerts and how enjoyable they can be. I know several friends who take their kids to the annual Red Butte Gardens Concert Series where they can enjoy the outdoor amphitheatre and join their parents for the evening.

We took Theo to his first concert when he was 4. We were encouraged to go by our friends who also had young children and said that it would be fun. It helped that we are fans of The Dave Matthews Band, and that the concert was going to be held outdoors at USANA Amphitheatre. It was a great success!

As with a lot of activities I recommend, we bought the cheapest seats so we didn’t feel like we had to invest a lot in the event in case it backfired. These happen to be the general lawn seating at USANA and is perfect for kids!

Theo and his buddies had so much fun running up and down the lawn, having a picnic dinner and occasionally hanging out with their parents to listen to the music. The adults got to enjoy a band they loved, while keeping an eye on their kids and enjoying a nice summer evening. It was great.

Recently, Taylor Swift came to town for her 1989 World Tour and I organized a group of girlfriends to go (just adults). We are all big fans and thought it would be a fun girls night out. It definitely was a lot of fun, but we were all struck by how the event would have been enhanced by taking some of their daughters or younger girls with us. Not so that we could “fit in” to the demographic, but because the entire show seemed geared towards a younger female audience (with Taylor’s proclamations of girl power and the importance of being yourself). I had a friend afterwards tell me that she was hesitant to bring her daughter, but I would wholeheartedly recommend the show for any moms out there who want to bring their girls (and boys!). And if you don’t want to bring them, I’m happy to be a chaperone for any pop concert you don’t want to go to. 🙂