Bringing 8 Year Old to show...

KF283313

Hey There. My son really wants to go w/ me to the upcoming tour-- back in 2009 during the last tour I told him that when he was eight he could come along with me, but that being 5 was too young. Well, now he's 8 (9th bday coming around time of show). I think he can handle it, not opting for General Admission and will definitely have earplugs for him... I'm just curious how many have brought young kids, your experiences and anything else I should be aware of-- advice and whatnot. He is stoked-- but I know not all fellow adults agree that it's the wisest of decisions (and a piece of me does agree as well, but I know he'll love it). Just want to hear what you guys might have to say! Thanks!

apkirkland

I was kind of thinking of taking my 10 yr. old nephew to the Spokane show for his Christmas present. He loves 80's & early 90's rock (Nirvana, ACDC, Soundgarden, PJ) and he's an amazing guitar player who has never been to a rock concert. I'd make sure to get a ticket for his Dad (my BIL) too so if he hated it, I wouldn't have to leave with him . My husband and I both put in for Spokane tix and that's what I was thinking of doing with the extra tix if we both won the lottery. Would love to hear what you folks have to say about bringing kiddos to the show.... :corn:

BennyLaRue

I haven't done it. It really depends on the kid, I'd imagine. Is he the kind of kid that can be in a crowd without being intimidated or nervous?

Also consider the venue. If the floor isn't sloped and people will be standing - how much will he see?

F_Rhoderick

Hey, I took my 10yr old daughter to the Missoula show last Septemeber. She did fine and we wer ein reserve seating. My only adivce is to make the show about your child. Don't get bummed if they want to take a break and get some space outside of the concert. The guys tend to play long shows and kiddos get tired after awhile. Of course, having a few favorite songs always helps. My daughter thought Indifferncew at the end was so cool. Getting interviewed and hearing herself on PJ radio helped too. It can be a great experience just temper your expectations. Have fun! With any luck we will be in Spokane too!

encompassing trip

Probably not a bad idea to bring an iPad or something to play games on if he/she isn't into the show.

KF283313

Thanks-- I'd hate to think of leaving the show to give him a breather!! I would of course if I had too- but I'd rather pee my pants than run to the bathroom during a PJ show regularly! I will definitely adjust my expectations to the threshold of an almost 9 year old. I would be so bummed if he decided he's had it before it's over!! But that's why I plan on going to another night or two (Brooklyn, Philly) that week-- so I can get the true true experience once, and not just the kid one. However, I am really excited to share this with him and I do expect him to be able to hang! It'll be a school night too~ yikes! Think he'll be missing the next day.

elwayvedder

I brought my then 8 year old son to a show back in 2008. Ear plugs are a must!
We were 11th row so that helped him stay involved. He got tired a little before the 2nd encore and spent the last few songs sitting but he was rocking out for at least the 90 minutes of the show.
I say life is short and if your child enjoys PJ, bring them. 30 years from now, they will say they went and saw PJ and you never know when this band comes back again. It could be another 4 years. If that
-EV

JaneNY

My baby was 8 going on 9 when she went to her first PJ show with me, at State College in 2003. She is now 19 and will be going with me to London. She has been my faithful PJ concert buddy over the years. Every child is different, and has a different maturity level. I can't speak for your child, but it worked well for us, and we have so many happy memories of going to shows together and sharing funny and thrilling moments. Going to PJ shows kept us close at times when relationships get tough (early teens for example). My baby has always been entranced by music, and is actually now an Opera/Music Education double major in college. She has been singing since she was about 3, so taking her to shows fit in with her DNA I think.

GiventoBrian

I will be doing the same thing. Promised my daughter I would take her to see PJ next time they came through. Not sure how it will go and will have to mentally prepare myself for missing part of the show if necessary. She also has Celiac Disease, but I see that Wrigley has some gluten free options. Ear Plugs are definitely a good idea. Plan on bribing her with a t-shirt Plus I reserved a parking spot to make things easier for the both of us. Willing to walk/suffer if it's just me or another adult, but this is way past her bedtime...

KM228407

It really depends on the kid. I bought my 9yr old to the Hyde Park show 3 years ago, just to try and bring her into my world but half way she got really grumpy and started claiming she was bored.
But now when we talk about it she says how great it was and wants to come again. Who knows....

donnaruhl

I took my Son when he was five to see P.J
First of all he wanted to wear his Halloween Costume.I said O.K.
Back then the Ten Club offered you as a member, good seats.
Three songs into the show,I looked down and saw my Son's mask pointing up at me.
He was sound asleep,and slept through the whole Concert. As I was leaving with him
holstered over my shoulder,P.J. came out for a third encore.And they proceeded to play
of course. Yellow Ledbetter.I stopped dead in my tracks.And debated on whether to go
back or not.But his dead weight was to much for me.I will be taking him with me in
November to Oakland. He is now 19.All three of my kids have experienced P.J. with me.

anderskenhall

I brought my daughter to go see Eddie solo in Santa Barbara last summer. I think she was 12. it was her first concert. she liked everything except for the smell of people smoking weed. I agree it depends on the kid but my daughter loved it. she did know a few songs which helps a lot. there were a few other kids around. everyone seemed cool that she was there. everyone seemed cool in general at that show. I thought people might be bummed that I was "wasting" a seat on a kid who couldn't possibly appreciate it as much as a long time fan, but don't underestimate how cool PJ fans are in general.

DM189985

Brought my son to his first show in 2005 when he was 7, floor row 12 and it was great. He got tired and sat down for the end of the show but he has now seen them 6 times and its a lot of fun to be able to go with him. Ear plugs for sure!

KF283313

Thanks you guys~ I really am excited to have my first born son attend a show w/ me!! He really does love PJ and I will be sure to school him on even more songs of theirs-- will have to put them on his iPod so he can study up. He's been looking forward to this for the past 4 years. I appreciate hearing all your stories and as I suspected, they are all so positive and reassuring it makes me feel good about having him join me. It's a special bond. I can NOT wait to see PJ again!!! Last show I saw was, in my opinion, the best one EVER... MSG May 21, 2010. Seriously, the Betterman singalong from that show cannot be beat. Gives me chills to listen to it even still to this day! The entire show of course was incredible... I was also at Philly on 10/30 and Halloween of 2009... One lucky girl I must say. :P I can't wait to experience that with my big little boy. :-D

Thanks again for all your feedback, I love reading them!

GiventoBrian

Daughter really enjoyed the show despite the many challenges (she almost passed out in the Merch line, but some helpful fan gave her a bottle of water). So many people came up and told her how cool it was that she was there and were very positive. Having great seats helped as well (Section R row 1). I had to carry her out during Life Wasted Reprise, but that song sucks anyway Best thing about it is that she said she would go again with me.

bootlegger10

KF283313 wrote:

Thanks-- I'd hate to think of leaving the show to give him a breather!! I would of course if I had too- but I'd rather pee my pants than run to the bathroom during a PJ show regularly! I will definitely adjust my expectations to the threshold of an almost 9 year old. I would be so bummed if he decided he's had it before it's over!! But that's why I plan on going to another night or two (Brooklyn, Philly) that week-- so I can get the true true experience once, and not just the kid one. However, I am really excited to share this with him and I do expect him to be able to hang! It'll be a school night too~ yikes! Think he'll be missing the next day.

You can miss a song to go to the bathroom. It's okay. They play a lot of songs.

JaneNY

KF283313 wrote:

Thanks you guys~ I really am excited to have my first born son attend a show w/ me!! He really does love PJ and I will be sure to school him on even more songs of theirs-- will have to put them on his iPod so he can study up.

Just let it happen organically. If you have to 'school' him, and put it on his ipod so he can 'study up', then it sounds like its something you want to happen, rather than something he is choosing. Just play it when you guys are in the car. We used to have so many road trips in the summer because my husband worked in another town 3 hours away and we'd play whatever we felt like when we were going over for the weekend, (not only PJ) but PJ was very often it, and Yield in particular was almost always in rotation on the way to Burlington VT. At this age, they are very young and no matter how much you think he loves PJ, he will probably also love some horrible thing in 5-7 years, (mine went through a Jonas bros phase).

As to missing school, in middle school it got where when she asked for homework ahead from the teacher to take with her, she would sometimes be asked 'pearl jam show?'. Missing a day here and there for a life experience isn't a big deal IMO as long as they are doing well.

front spacer

My wife and I took our 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son to Wrigley for their first PJ show! We were prepared with headphones, iPad stocked with games, and plenty of cash for hot dogs, ice cream, and coke to help keep them up waaaay past their bedtime. It was a magical night...my daughter kept up with and surpassed most of the deadbeats around us! As the rain delay hit, we knew there was no way we were leaving! After the show resumed, preceeded by another round of snacks, my son would switch back and forth between losing his mind and playing air guitar with Mike on Evenflow, to playing the new Turbo racing game. It was the perfect mix and I feel that as good parents we were prepared for anything that happened.

I loved the looks and comments we received from countless faithful, "First PJ show? Right on!"

It was one for the ages! I'm glad I was there to share the night with my wife! And I'm glad I was able to share it with my two crazy kids!

donnaruhl

I wrote earlier about my five year old and his costume,
But my other Son and I went to see another Halloween Show
At Shoreline.He was Twelve at the time. We bought two huge Pumpkins.
We hollowed them out,and stenciled out the Cool-Aide Man as the faces.
We put Top Hat's on them,and wore them on our heads."Smashing Pumpkins"
There were all kinds of people who posed for pictures with us.
I brought a big bag of candy,and tossed it out to the folks on the green.
We had pretty good seats,so it was hard to wear the Pumpkins,as we
would have blocked the people behind us. When it got dark,we put Glow Sticks inside
them to make them light up. Great frigg'in time...

Red Mosqito

front spacer wrote:

My wife and I took our 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son to Wrigley for their first PJ show! We were prepared with headphones, iPad stocked with games, and plenty of cash for hot dogs, ice cream, and coke to help keep them up waaaay past their bedtime. It was a magical night...my daughter kept up with and surpassed most of the deadbeats around us! As the rain delay hit, we knew there was no way we were leaving! After the show resumed, preceeded by another round of snacks, my son would switch back and forth between losing his mind and playing air guitar with Mike on Evenflow, to playing the new Turbo racing game. It was the perfect mix and I feel that as good parents we were prepared for anything that happened.

I loved the looks and comments we received from countless faithful, "First PJ show? Right on!"

It was one for the ages! I'm glad I was there to share the night with my wife! And I'm glad I was able to share it with my two crazy kids!

Cool story Front Spacer!!! My wife and I took our 6 1/2 yr old daughter to the Wrigley show and we all had a great time! Everyone around us in the lower reserved section were totally cool with her and making sure she knew just how lucky she was to have Wrigley be her first ever show! She was a champ and stood in the down pouring rain with her Dad and she loved every minute of it! Just having her their standing on the chair next to me with her arm around me while we both rocked out will forever be etched into my memory. A priceless moment for sure!

I wish I could report that she made it all the way to the end but by the time 1am hit the wife figured it was best to take her back to the hotel so she could get some sleep even though she wanted to stay. So during Even Flow I walked them out and hailed them a cab back to the hotel and marched my ass right back into Wrigley for the remainder of the show!

Good times had by all!

RM

Tuolumne Mama

My son was around that age when I started taking him. He toured with the group a few years later and absolutely loves the experience. He's made many friends and got to see a lot of places. Some kids really love the vibe but I know others that weren't too enthused about it. Only way to find out is to try it. Good luck and hope it turns out as incredible as my son's was.

ldent42

My mom took me to my first concert when i was around 6 or 7.... had absolutely no effect on me AT ALL.....

I think it's cool to have kids rocking out a show. Unless they're on someone's shoulders and blocking my view, of course

Dr. Matt

KF283313 wrote:

.. I'm just curious how many have brought young kids, your experiences and anything else I should be aware of-- advice and whatnot.

At the Chicago show on Friday some guy had his newborn/toddler (looked < 6 months old) there....all the way until 2 am. My buddy, who is a father of two and a great dad, was a bit surprised/concerned to see such a youngster at a show. But, I did see some kids around the 8 to 10 yr old range at the show and they were having a blast....even after the 2.5 hour rain delay.

jerseygenx

I'm always thinking at what age will I bring them to the first show? So great OP! I've been hesitant, b/c not sure he can handle it, he'll be 9 in August. And when I saw the Foo Fighters @ The Borgata in AC, Dave Grohl basically called a guy the worst Dad ever for bringing his 6 year old to the show. He pulled the kid up on stage, gave him a seat, and ear phones.... made the Dad stay in the pit. And said he tried to not say F*CK so much.

Honestly I'm more worried about other concert goers than anything else!

curmudgeoness

We took our boys when they were 9 and 11. Earplugs, as everyone has said, are essential (I wear them, too!). I would not take them with GA tickets, but with seats everything was great.

We had no problems with people sitting near us. Some were considerate enough to ask before igniting their non-tobacco products. We did not raise a fuss about it, as smoking is just something to be expected at a show. My older son has a thing about smoke, so we prepped him beforehand, told him most everyone would be smoking something, and if that was going to be a problem for him he should stay home. In the end, he handled things very well.

This topic comes up every tour as far as I can tell. The short answer is: it depends on the kid, and always bring earplugs. I never would have brought my older son to a PJ show at eight or nine, but at eleven he was ready, and his younger brother was ready at nine.

vitalogist77

This was my experience, it worked out pretty well:

http://www.guerrillacandy.com/2009/09/2 ... er-forget/

KF283313

Very cool to hear!! My son is too big for me to carry though (72 pounds) -- so he better not pass out! So cool to hear everyone's stories -- that Chicago show must've been rough going so late!! That def would have been a challenge w/ the kids! He can bring his iPod in case he needs something else to entertain him during and we'll have seats... I can't wait! Less than 3 months!! I will def warn him about the funny smelling smoke...... :? I am certain he will LOVE the intensity of the whole scene. Hopefully no drunk guys spill beer on us- that truly is my only real concern!

KF283313

vitalogist77 wrote:

This was my experience, it worked out pretty well:

http://www.guerrillacandy.com/2009/09/2 ... er-forget/

I remember reading this article back during 2009 tour!! My son was 5 then and was bummed he couldn't go with us (and that my husband and I had to leave Halloween early for the Spectrum show!!~ Little bit of guilt there , but Halloween was on a Saturday that year so we did get a decent amount of trick or treating in before we left!). I told him that when he was 8 I'd bring him to a show-- this probably is what inspired me to want to take him! Very very cool story! Thanks for sharing again!

Flyingw

I took my kids to their first PJ show Sept 11 2011 Toronto. They were 12 and 9. I would say they enjoyed most of it,but did want to leave early. I missed most of the last song...Too bad it was RITFW with Uncle Neil! Oh well, I pretend I was there when I listen to the bootleg.

Have fun with it. How cool would it have been if our parents took us to see Led Zep (insert favourite band that you never saw here).

jpequ

Please post your results after the show.

I'm taking my son who will be just shy of 7 by then to calgary and vancouver ( or rather, he's taking me with his 10C tickets).

My bacsk-up plan is to have somebody near-by that is not attending the show who is willing to meet me at the door to take him to the hotel to put him to bed.

Virginia is for Jammers

My sons first show was Made in America, he was 3 years old and was on my shoulders the entire time throwing his hands in the air. When the boys starting playing Spin the a Black Circle, my son Brady starting singing the chorus at the top of his lungs. Ill never forget the way many of the people looked around us that had no idea what song PJ was playing as they were not there to see PJ.

I will say this I bring Child ear buds, which work great and I brought my iPhone loaded with games. My son never asked for the iPhone once and loved the show. Still talks about it today, when I purchased my tickets for the upcoming shows Brady who will be 4 asked which ones is he going to. So Brady will be attending 2 for this upcoming tour.

When I was little my father took me to a ton of concerts, something that ill never forget. Involving your child into things you love is something I think is key to have a great relationship with your children.

....on a side note, my son made me take the MIA poster from the show and put it in his room as he says "it's show, it's his poster", got to love kids