Slipknot. Megadeth. Guns n’ Roses. The… Eagles? If there’s one thing these bands all have in common, it’s rescheduled tour dates that are hitting arenas and amphitheaters just in time for summer. After a staggering 15 months off the road, bands & fans alike are frothing at the mouth for a taste of live rock n’ roll at their favorite local venues. It’s been so long since we’ve pregamed in a parking lot that we’ve actually forgotten some of our other favorite parts of the live music experience besides the show itself. But fortunately, sitting on a Ticketmaster presale queue for an hour helped jog our memories:

07) That one tall person standing directly in front of you.

06) Sticky feet from spilled beer. And that liquid velcro-y sound your shoes make with every step. Who knew a $13 Bud Light could also be used as adhesive?

05) Eyeballing the merch booth and trying to justify dropping $40 when you already have four shirts from the band. But not one from this tour!

04) Steering clear of that one kid who’s too drunk already, and is totally going to puke on everyone around him. Hopefully, his friends are here to carry him home.

03) Roadies trying to show off their chops during soundcheck. Everyone can play the pentatonic scale, dude. That girl in the front row isn’t impressed, and neither is her boyfriend.

02) Watching the entire show through the phone screen of the asshat filming in front of you. Nevermind, we’ll never, ever miss that.

01) Random bruises discovered the next morning. I wasn’t even in the pit! Did a crowd-surfer fall on me? Did someone have bricks in their pockets? How the hell did I get bashed up at an all-seated show?

 

Metal Insider can’t wait to see everyone back in the pit this summer!