Earplugs for a concert?

On Monday I went to The Big Pink's concert at Club Down Under. They were amazing, British, and of course hip as well as everything I expected, but this blog post isn't about them. A Place to Bury Strangers, the opening band, is what inspired this blog post. They blew me away (really, their show literally felt like I was surrounded by a never ending explosion of light and sound). The instant I walked in I was attacked by noise with indistinct melodies even if I focused hard enough. I was surrounded by strobe lights so fast it made everything look as if it was shaking. I liked it, but it was too loud and jarring. Then a friend of mine tapped me on the shoulder releasing me from my trance to hand me a pair of earplugs. I remembered reading a live show review about the band. The critic noted that it was extremely loud and he preferred ear plugs when listening to them, but I figured he was just another old, grumpy music critic who thought the kids today were all hopped up on drugs and MTV. After putting in the ear plugs I realized my assumptions were wrong. The music took on a completely new shape and noise turned into carefully timed notes of reverb and snare hits. It was an amazing change from noisy clutter to sonic glory. This is a band you must see; no it won't change your life, but it will without a doubt enhance it.