I always wear earplugs. I saw The Replacements in the eighties and stood in front of the left speaker for the whole show. It took a week for my hearing to return back to normal and it really freaked me out. I've used earplugs faithfully ever since. Funny thing is that I'm so used to wearing them at live shows that I find it uncomfortable not to. I always have a pair in the car, some in my bag, and also stash 'em in jackets.

Those ETY plugs look cool, that's probably why folks comment on them, I know I'd ask you where you got them.

Five years ago I got some custom molded earplugs with interchangeable "attenuators" that cut out, anywhere from 5 to 20db depending on which one you put in. They cost around $100 at the UW Speech & Hearing science lab and they're one of the best music related purchases I've ever made..

I should wear my earplug more often. The only time I definitely do is during band practice. Here at the bar, I either tough it out or sit on the other side after the sound is adjusted. I already have tinnitus, which actually kicked in waaay back in 1996. Sometimes, I'm surprised I can hear at all. Ears suck.

JJ

After one concert (Harvey Danger) where my left ear drum had a high pitching sound along with just hurting after not wearing plugs for one of the bands I've started to really wear them.

Used to just wear them for the occasional loud, in-closed concert.

I never used to wear them. But when my ear doc told me my ear drum is so paper thin that anything can cause a tear, I figured now would be a good time! Mine are hot pink! So I always get comments. I really wanna spend the money to get the musician's ears. I seem to have a problem hearing people right next to me when I have them in. But better to ignore my friends for a couple hours than go deaf!

I wear them when I remember to bring them, which isn't often enough. A lot of clubs sell them too, in fact I forgot them last night at the Thermals and bought some at the bar.

I will admit that sometimes, when it's a song I really love, I'll take them out, just for that song. Am I the only weirdo that does that?

music sounds better if you don't wear earplugs. even the etymotic ones muffle the sound a little. i got mine from earlove.net, they're the same thing as the etymotics, but the case has hearts on it and they don't charge shipping.

I use wads of toilet paper.

I bought a bag of 30 or so cheap ear plugs and have them in nearly every jacket. If on the offchance I don't have them, though, I resort to wads of toilet paper.

#6 - You're not the only weirdo who does that. I also do it for a couple select bands I dig so much, I can't really stand to wear plugs for their sets.

Donte, that link doesn't work for me - is it just me? I want to know what you have.

Link doesn't work for me, either.

Toilet paper doesn't really help, but it does have the unexpected bonus of making those who stuff it in their ears look foolish.

I have the same ones, and am always bummed when I forget them. What I don't get is the people I play music with who don't wear them. I am sad for their ears.

I started wearing them in high school (many moons ago) because the ringing in my ears would get so bad I couldn't sleep. If I forget to bring some I'll go with toilet paper, and I wholeheartedly disagree that TP doesn't help. In some instances I've found it to be better than ear plugs.

I wear them every time (unless I forget them).

A better question is why do clubs feel like they need to jack the total volume up to 11? You could probably turn it down halfway and still be too loud for most people. I get it: It's a rock-and-roll show. But being loud is only part of what makes a band rock.

#14: I agree that clubs are often too loud in general, but it's not always their fault. Many bands either can't or won't control their stage volume ("my guitar tone is crap unless I'm turned up to at least...") and the sound guy can do little else but crank the vocals up in the house enough to compete. I'm a drummer, and some of us even play too loud in general, forcing the rest of the band to crank up. It's a delicate balance and a helluva lot of bands can't pull it off. You're right on that more volume does not equal more rock.

I used to wear the expensive custom fitted earplugs described above, but have lately been using a brand called Hearos - they make several kinds, but I got the ones that cost about 20 bucks. They do a decent job of not cutting out all the high end, and they're relatively comfortable. I don't wear them religiously when I play, but I should... My cousin was a rock critic for many years, and he can't even go to shows anymore b/c his tinnitus is so bad that he can't enjoy it.

@2 - I probably got the same earplugs. About a year ago I got tinnitus really bad for about 3 months after recording. I went in to the doc and found out I have 50% hearing loss in one ear. Probably due to playing/going to shows without hearing protection over the years. I wear these religiously now.

I have the same Etymotic earplugs. I've had a few people ask me about them. I wear them to every show, unless I forget. If that happens, I spend $1 and get a set of foamies.

I don't know if I just have shitty hearing or what, but I can't make out a goddamn thing when I listen to live music without earplugs. It's all just a muddy slosh of tinnitus.

i have the custom fit ones with the interchangable attenuators, and i have to agree, it's one of the best purchases i've ever made. i got mine from an audiologist, they were about 300 buck when it was all said and done, and they're the shit. they have a pretty flat frequency response, and it's almost like not wearing earplugs at all.

90 percent of the people you see not wearing earplugs at shows won't be attending shows in 10 years anyway because they'll be old and lame. the amount of damage they do to their hearing in that time won't be enough to justify wearing big, goofy orange earplugs. the other 10 percent will wise up somewhere down the road, probably after they develop some heavy-duty ringing.

the ringing you hear after a show is basically traumatazation to your hearing at that specific frequency. anytime you hear ringing in your ears, it means damage is being done. the good thing about it is that the ringing is only temporary-- after a few years your ears lose the ability to hear sounds at those specific frequencies, and the squealing symphony you hear when you're trying to fall asleep will go away. i hear musicians say all the time that they don't have ringing in their ears because they've gotten used to it. the truth is, is that they've widdled away the ability to comprehend those frequencies.

I was wearing earplugs at our last Yakima show, and some girl asked me "Why are you wearing those?" I replied "Earplugs? Why am I wearing earplugs?" She nodded. I said "I don't know, to protect me hearing". She looked baffled and said "Okay" in a very annoyed tone.

I used to not wear earplugs.. but I can't stand the ringing that it causes, it drives me crazy. I wear earplugs at every show we play, every show I go to, and at every practice. It has helped me to hear certain things I never would have heard without them

after years of not wearing them, i started to develop intermittent tinnitus. certain tones still cause my ears to ring.

the cheap foam ones work ok (sometimes made things sound a little fuzzy), but i finally got the custom molded ones. as others have said, they do a blanket cut of decibels but you don't feel like you're missing anything.

puget sound hearing aid & audiology is a couple blocks north of the roosevelt whole foods. if you don't wear earplugs, you'll probably end up there, anyway :)

I've been playing in rock bands for years, and never go without my earplugs. I wouldn't call myself a health nut, per se, but I even sport my custom plugs in noisy bars and restaurants. Music is a huge part of my life, and I don't want to have to give it up a few years down the road because I was careless with my hearing.

I have heard every argument against using some sort of hearing protection, from "they're uncomfortable" to" it changes the sounds too much." To the former, I argue that you can find comfortable earplugs through trial and error with the cheap foam version, to the more expensive custom plugs (mine were $150). Also, it's way more comfortable than having a permanent ringing in your ears. To the latter: you can find comfortable earplugs like the aforementioned ETYs that will essentially lower the sound by reducing the dBs across the board, rather than blocking sound altogether like most foam plugs tend to.

I got my custom earplugs from Northwest Face (206.525.2525 / www.nwface.com). At the very least, they will give you a free audio exam to check for hearing loss.

Greg M has a very good point. Most of the people you see at shows only go to shows for a few years during their late teens and early 20s. After that they fixate on the music of their youth and listen to that for the next 60 years.

It's the hard-core music lovers that still go to shows in their 30s and 40s (damn, did I feel old at that Thermals show, but still had a good time) that really need protection.

To protect your hearing and avoid unsightly Frankenstein ear, cut a regular ear plug in half and use a part in each ear. The fit is better and they won't clash with your outfit.