Earplugs at concerts back in the day

A few years ago, while attending the Montreal Jazz Festival, my wife & I joined our son at a Trombone Shorty concert in one of the clubs, and the music was so loud, you couldn't hear anything.  You could see that the singer was singing into the microphone, but you couldn't hear any vocals, you could see the horns playing, but it was too loud to hear them, etc.  The waiter brought over a pair of ear plugs which attenuated the volume enough, so we could make out some of the singing and instruments.

That's become one of my "pet peeves", that so many sound reinforcement people have the volume up higher than the room can accomodate.

Dear Schubert. Good for you. You're my Dad's age. Keep well.

I'm 85 and have been to over 2,000 concerts in last 60 years and have near-perfect hearing without using anything .
Of course they were all Classical  Music outings .

I always protected my ears but now at 66 years old, I have no hearing in one ear. Age more than abuse did the deed.

Hopefully we will be able to attend concerts again in the not to distant future. In my early years I did not bring earplugs but after walking out of one painfully loud rock concert I always brought them going forward.

I never did a BIG concert without them..

Smaller venues, and a good sound man, I’d pull the plugs. Most folks know it, but opening your mouth and jaw position, really help with HIGHER SPL.. There is a point, it’s to loud. The plug go back in, I walk away... I have no problem putting my fingers in my ears, and walking out..

Journey, early 80s, I just walked out with half the folks there, Winterland.

It was WAY to loud...

OP, It has paid me big time in my later years. I have good hearing, also.. 16K. + I have some sensitivity, nothing like I use to.. Had my heart fixed, that helped in the 2-3k range. I NEVER see my chest pumpin' or ears poppin', any more.. Good stuff..

Regards

I wish. Been there. The ringing in the ears and stench of cigarette smoke the next morning. But I didn’t stand in front of speakers either. Been using the metal ones at gigs for 20 years and they help. Many indoor gigs are too loud.

I started shoving tissue in my ears 25 years or so ago at concerts.  Then about 20 years ago I had forgot some at a Heart concert at Universal Studios.  Huge mistake not running to the toilet and grabbing some TP and shoving it in.  Huge.  Loudest thing I was ever at.  I always put tissue in after that but the affect/damage had been done that night.  For the last few years I have been using Etymotic ear plugs.  They work fine and after about 20-30 mins of the show I basically don't care that they are in.  
-John

There are a number of high-fidelity ear plugs on the market these days that reduce the dB's to safe levels but also apply filtering so you don't get as much of that "muffled" sound like with traditional foam plugs..

I was a regular earplug wearer but I removed them for exceptional performances and when I needed a change of pace from the muffled, low-fi, AM radio tone they'd subject me with.

Went to a Cloud Cult (amazing band) concert with my daughter a couple years ago. Crammed my earplugs all the way in for that one. Good God it was loud! Actually moved my stomach. My daughter's a shrink, but not smart enough to bring her own pair...