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V.com weekend vote: When you have an evening concert, do you eat your meal before or after?

September 17, 2011 at 1:57 AM

The concert season is getting into gear, which means evening concerts for performers. One important way to prepare is to eat well, but everyone has different habits and rituals that work for them. Some eat a nice hearty meal before a performance, others would prefer to have a little snack and wait until 10:30 to actually have dinner. Or, then again, on a musician's schedule, you might just get up late, have a meal at noon, one before the concert, and another after! When do you eat your big meal, before or after an evening performance?

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I try to avoid having a heavy meal just before a concert and try to time them to occur about 3 hours before a concert with a light snack an hour before the down-beat.  If it is an evening concert, I'll have another light snack afterwards.  For afternoon concerts, I go for a regular dinner.

 While touring with Barrage, we always ate a small meal before shows so we'd have the energy to bounce around the stage. Then, post-show, we'd usually go get more food -- either a meal or at least a snack. I guess it's lucky we were exercising on stage so that our eating schedule didn't catch up with us :-)

 Both! Usually by the time you've gotten dressed and at the venue and performed its been a few hours! :) 

Playing violin takes a lot of energy and I just can't do it with out being fed.  Several hours later it's time for a well earned dessert.

 I can't vote as my choice is not there :(

 Both, which explains my waist line.  ;)

 

Keeping hydrated is most important - getting a leg/hand cramp is not an option. I usually go to the bathroom at least twice right before my show starts. A big lunch is good. No dinner, then Powerade Zero and sushi at the afterparty...

 If it was an orchestra concert, I would eat before, because I wouldn't be that nervous.  If it was a solo concert, I would wait to eat until afterwards because I wouldn't want to feel sick to my stomach.

 After passing out before a concert because I didn't eat enough, I now each BEFORE a concert! :)

 After passing out before a concert because I didn't eat enough, I now each BEFORE a concert! :)