NEW YORK — Kristin Shires knew the sound was intense. Standing in the front row as Misterwives played, the drums and saxophones tearing through the venue’s speakers, she was exactly where she wanted to be. But on the ride home from the Houston show, her ears told a different story.
“The half hour after the show my ears were like, ‘Are we okay?’” Shires, a social media coordinator, told the Associated Press. “There was some ringing going on.”
The experience is common among concertgoers, who often accept temporary ringing or muffled hearing as the price of a good show. But health experts say the cumulative toll of repeated exposure to loud music can cause permanent noise-induced hearing loss — and that a simple preventive measure is gaining traction with younger audiences.
Earplugs, experts say, reduce the volume reaching the ear without muting the experience entirely. By lowering the sound pressure level, they allow listeners to stay closer to speakers and enjoy live music without the damaging after-effects.
The barrier has long been social. Wearing earplugs at a concert can feel like opting out of the communal energy — a visual cue that one is not fully present. That perception is shifting, in part because of newer products designed to look less like industrial safety gear and more like accessories. Some earplugs now feature attached earrings, rhinestones, or metallic finishes that blend with festival wear and night-out attire.
The trend mirrors a broader awareness among millennials and Gen Z about cumulative health risks, including hearing damage from earbuds, personal listening devices, and consistently high-volume environments.
Other performers have helped normalize the practice. Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Taylor Swift have been seen or reported wearing earplugs on stage, where stage monitors and amplifiers push volumes far beyond what is safe for unprotected ears over a full set.
Meaghan Reed, an audiologist, told AP that the key message for concertgoers is that protection does not mean silence. Musicians and sound engineers wear in-ear monitors to hear clearly amid the noise; similar products designed for fans offer the same benefit — clearer sound at safer levels.
For Shires, the ringing was a wake-up call, not a deterrent. She told AP she is now considering earplugs for future shows, hoping to keep the experience intact without the nagging reminder on the drive home.