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For those of you who always “forget” your earplugs when you head out to the club, Don’t Lose The Music is a handy guide to protecting your ears at concerts, and it’s also running a contest for aspiring designers to create an earplug that will appeal to the kids. (The ice cream cone-looking ones on the contest page itself are my personal pick, but I’m a sucker for anything that protects my ears and reminds me of delicious treats.) [Don't Lose The Music via brooklynvegan]
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I love ear plugs, personally I hear the music much clearer when it’s not blasting my face at 200db at a club or live show. I cannot, however do it when I am VJ’ing in the club and at times I’ve had to throttle when my ears started to ring. I often wonder how the big DJs of the world put up with the noise when trying to mix.
I really do always forget. I keep a package of drugstore plugs in the same spot on my bureau where I keep concert tix, and yet I remember to take the damn things to about 5-10% of the shows I go to. Honestly, I’d pay for plugs at a show if they were, like, the cost of coat check (a buck or two); but I’m not gonna pay $5 to $10 at the merch table for them. (I know, “your hearing is worth more than that,” etc. — but I’m a cheapskate.)
I’ve never understood why people think wearing earplugs is somehow lame. Without them, everything but the low end becomes this ear-drum scraping squall of noise at all but the most perfectly mixed shows in the most perfect acoustic spaces.
With ear plugs in, you still get the physical feeling of being in the presence of LOUD SOUND while still getting to hear finer details.
I’m to the point now, where I even wear them at quiet shows. Grizzly Bear, or Jose Gonzalez, for example aren’t loud enough to really require earplugs. But you know what I can’t hear when I’ve got mine in at those shows? The crowd chatter. I’m cool with people talking and all, but it’s much nicer when I’m able to focus on the music without the extra layer of random voices.
Using proper ear/headphones that isolate you, or cancel outside sound when walking around with your iPod is maybe even more important than earplugs at shows though. Turning up your iPod to compensate for city traffic just seems stupid when a decent pair of Shure or Etymotic earphones are so cheap, and not only cut out a reasonable (but not dangerous) amount of background noise, but eliminate the need to crank your mp3 player.
I guess what I’m saying is: People who glamorize being deaf by 30 are stupid.
@sparkletone: Amen on all that.
I didn’t take my plugs to sxsw, and now my left ear seriously hurts. Bummer for me.
@sparkletone: Umm, if you have specific Shure/Etymotic recommendations they’d be much appreciated. Because I don’t have $300 for Bose and I nearly cried at Best Buy last weekend looking for decent options. Thanks.