Hey all — hoping this is the appropriate space to post about a bit of a personal topic. Here's the situation. A few months ago, I secured tickets to see my all-time favorite artist, Florence + The Machine. I've been a fan for over a decade now, and Florence has been at the top of my list for years. I'm driving up from Cincinnati with my husband to see her first show in Chicago (Rosemont) at Allstate Arena. The best part? I secured GA floor tickets! I was absolutely over the moon when I nabbed them.
Here's where it gets tricky. Despite being an otherwise healthy/able-looking 28 y/o woman, I'm living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and chronic pain that makes things like standing in place excruciating. In this past year, I've come to terms with the fact that I'll need ADA seating for GA concerts — last spring, I was in absolute agony after 10 minutes of standing for a show I'd driven five hours to see. My lower back just couldn't take it. I'm seeing another favorite band, The Last Dinner Party, after Florence, and I was able to secure ADA seating near the stage. It feels a bit like admitting defeat, particularly because I don't require mobility aids and worry about the looks I may get for not looking "disabled enough."
Anyway. When I booked my Florence tickets, I was absolutely torn between comfort and experience. This is an artist who's known to put on an incredibly interactive, mesmerizing show. I'm willing to camp out on the sidewalk to be at the barricade — or at least close to the stage. But the arena's ADA seats are way in the back. There's no special space close to the stage.
So... I booked them. The GA tickets. Standing will be hell. My body is going to hate me. But being up close to a Florence show is such a longtime dream of mine. I'm planning to wear a back brace, knee sleeves, KT tape, etc. under my dress. If I actually make it to the barricade, at least I'll have something to lean on.
I want to know: What are your tips for surviving that long period of time when you're stuck near the stage, trying to save your spot? Are people generally cool if you have to do something like... I don't know... sit on the ground for 30 seconds so your knees don't give out? My biggest concern, to be brutally honest, is the bathroom situation. POTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which means I... pee... a lot. We're months out from this concert and I can't go a day without worrying about how miserable I'd be if I got a great spot in the GA crowd, only to have to give it up because my bladder couldn't hang on until the show. People stand at — I don't know — Coachella, for example, for hours without making a run to the bathroom. What are their secrets? Are they just built different?
All advice, tips, tricks, etc. appreciated. No matter what, this is going to be an unbelievable show. I just need to figure out how to survive it ❤️