The lights are back on, the music stops, and you suddenly have to switch back to the real world. Yikes! Your ears are still ringing, but that weird sound of silence is cut short by the announcer: “The next show starts in two hours, please remain patient.”

What on Earth are you going to do till then? You’re still a bit tipsy, but you’re desperately craving some action. You can’t relax and drop down for a nap. Instead, you need something that’ll keep the buzz alive for another two hours.

Not sure what to do? Well, we have four activities that’ll keep you alive and kicking till the lights go out and the next performers storm the main stage.

Card Games

Yep, good old card games to the rescue! If you’re going with your buddies, just bring some playing cards and have a blast. The setup takes mere minutes and you’ll effectively kill the time between shows in an enjoyable way.

If you’re alone, you can play solitaire free online, with just a few taps on your phone. There are many other options out there, such as poker or good old blackjack. Granted, these have somewhat of a learning curve. But, since you have 2 hours to kill, learning any of these shouldn’t really be an issue.

If you’re more of a gamer, there’s Hearthstone and even Gwent (toss a coin to your Witcher), which mix card games with hardcore gaming. But these games have an even steeper learning curve, so only go down this route if you’re already familiar with their core mechanics.

Video Games

Let’s face it, smartphone games aren’t what they used to be. They’re packed with microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics that make gameplay an outright chore. I can’t really recommend any free-to-play smartphone games. It’s the sad truth.

However, with the rise of handheld gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, you can kill the time between shows with fully-fledged video games.

When I’m in such a situation, I usually play action-packed titles on my Steam Deck, such as Hades, Curse of the Dead Gods, and Hollow Knight. But, regardless of your console of choice, be it Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, the possibilities here are endless.

Podcasts

Let’s not forget about Podcasts. After all, music fans are already comfortable listening to stuff for prolonged periods of time, which makes podcasts the perfect fit.

If you’re not really a podcast kind of person and you don’t know where to find them, Spotify is your friend. From Joe Rogan and Theo Von’s controversial topics, to Smosh, Bobby Lee, and pretty much everything in between, Spotify podcasts make for a fine way to kill a few hours.

 

Music

Is there a better way to kill time between music shows than with even more music? I mean, if your phone is charged up and your headphones have a good audio isolation system, you might as well continue listening to your favorite artists and keep that buzz from flying away.

In fact, you might as well listen to the artist you’re waiting for. It’s called “building up hype” and it works like a charm. You should definitely give it a try!

The Wrap-Up

So yeah, if you have an hour or two to kill and you’re not sure how, playing video games, enjoying card games on your phone, or just listening to some music or your favorite podcast will do the trick.

Just remember to plan the bathroom break a bit in advance so you don’t miss the opening song.

Rock on!