15 Life Lessons I Learned At A Kid Cudi Concert

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1. Spending on experiences is always better than buying materials. Quite possibly the truest and most important statement that it’s easy to forget when you walk inside a Target or see the newest iPhone. The moment Cudi walked on stage, it couldn’t have been clearer that everyone in there felt satisfied with their decision to spend on the event.

2. Be bold enough to do something that literally nobody else is doing. As you can see above, Cudi performed in the most legit, magnificent looking spacesuit. It basically looked like an Iron Man, astronaut hybrid and it was pretty epic.

3. Patience is a great thing to have. Lines to enter the venue, lines to get a drink, lines to use the restroom, time spent waiting in between performances – there’s a solid amount of waiting. Cudi performed on an aesthetically pleasing moon set, which took a solid half hour or so to setup after Tyler, the Creator’s routine.

4. There is great, overwhelming power in numbers. During Tyler, the Creator’s performance prior to Cudi, he instructed fans to disregard security and get as close as possible to the stage. Just moments earlier I had seen multiple flashlight wielding “security” guards nitpicking at people, but when the masses made their way up front, there was no respecting of “authority.”

5. Drunk people are either extremely friendly & kind or angry and aggressive. One will offer to buy you a beer; the next might offer you a knuckle sandwich.

6. Layers should be non-existent at concerts. With high amounts of dancing and body heat, there are no reasons for you to wear multiple tops, regardless of temperature.

7. Appreciate your supporters. Most of us don’t have fans aside from the ones on our ceilings, but we have people who encourage us and those individuals are deserving of gratitude. Multiple times, Cudi spoke to the crowd about his appreciation for them, and everyone seemed thrilled to be acknowledged.

8. You’re only as old as you feel. I saw a teenage swag kid who was too cool to stand or move, but I also saw a gray-haired, no-younger-than-50 year old dude who was singing along and raging like someone held him at gunpoint and told him to pop-and-lock for his life. Stare at the ass of the fan standing in front of you, or let loose and enjoy the show. Seems like an easy decision here.

9. Pictures = Cool. Videos = Awesome. Putting down your phone and not worrying about snapping a good shot or holding still to record = PRICELESS. Don’t forget to enjoy the actual experience without focusing too much on documenting it on social media.

SIDE NOTE: ALWAYS take video over still images. Why? Because you take screenshots of the clip and have the best of both words.

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10. Friends, real friends who’ve been along for the journey should be cherished. At one point Cudi brought out his buddy/rapper featured on a lot of his music, King Chip, bestowing the spotlight upon him.

11. Vertical videos are inexcusable. I regret to inform you that at one point I caught myself filming vertically and felt terrible for my crimes against YouTube humanity.

12. People change, artists evolve, and you can get aboard or be left behind. Cudi’s music has never been one-dimensional. He’s not a rapper — hell, he’s his own genre, really. Whose fault is it that you don’t know the jams from Indicud? Yours, because Man On The Moon is great, but he’s got to make more brilliance that doesn’t sound exactly the same. That’s how it should be for life. Why keep doing the same things for years, being content with repetition?

13. Don’t forget your roots. On the contrary of the previous point, Cudi performed several of his early hits – the ones that got him to that very stage.

14. Leave the people wanting more. Chants of “ENCORE” upon Cudi’s exit indicated that he successfully left the crowd wanting more, which is not to say that he didn’t already provide us with plenty.

15. Sometimes you have to be aggressive and TAKE the things you want in life. I learned this because the post concert traffic is hectic and you won’t so much as back out of your parking space without forcing your way out. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

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