back in the day when you concentrated on the experience
Back in the day when I went to a lot of concerts, there weren't even light shows. Lights lit the stage, they turned them up or down, moved them a little, maybe if you were lucky, there was the occasional colored lights. There were no special effects, no lasers, no mirrors, no background projections, just musicians and instruments.
And people performed. They didn't dance, they didn't wear expensive costumes, there were no shows, it was all spontaneous not rehearsed and the band was not hidden. Everyone carried their weight.
You went there for the music and little else. There was no "show," per se, so you either carried the performance with your talent and great music, or you were out of business.
Oh yeah, you could walk in the day of the show and get a good seat for $4.50.