If you missed the big concert headliner this past summer, don’t worry. They may be coming to a theater near you.

“Concert films more or less went away. Isn’t it about time that some newer artists from the worlds of pop, rock, and hip-hop began to crack and even dominate the [concert film] list?” wrote Owen Gleiberman in an October 2009article for Entertainment Weekly. “I would love to see more high-profile big-event concert films make a comeback in our era.”

Concert films have been increasing in popularity. The last trend of concert movies released to theaters was in the late 80s and early 90s, according to http://boxofficemojo.com. A few more were released in the early 2000s, but the current rising trend kicked off with U2 3D in 2008.

Emily Winkler, sophomore, could not attend Justin Bieber’s concert in Chicago,but she was able to see his 3D movie. Winkler saw Justin Bieber: Never Say Never and enjoyed the film when it was in theaters.

“I think it’s a good idea to make concert films so the ‘concert’ experience is available to a wider audience,” Winkler said.

Like Winkler, Tori Stephen, freshman, is an avid Bieber fan and liked Bieber’s concert movie enough to buy the DVD when it was released.

“When I went to go see [Never Say Never] in the theater, people were screaming, singing and dancing in the aisles, so it felt like a real concert,” Stephen said. “Plus, you got to see bonus features in between the performances, like interviews and what it was like when he was on tour.”

To fill time, concert films have interviews, backstage tours, skits, and practical jokes. But the extras can feel contrived.

“In the Jonas Brothers movie, the Brothers were being chased by this mob of screaming girls,” Lindsay Romalo, junior, said. “They had to run down the street and had to go over parked taxi cabs, just to escape the screaming fans. It was pretty hard to believe.”

Different concert films include different fillers depending on the demographic the singer/group appeals to.

“I saw the U2 films. They had good interviews with the band where they talked about their music and the history of their group,” Jake Gadomski, junior, said. “I just hope they’ll stop making Disney and [pre-teen] movies, because they’re kind of stupid.” 

The majority of the films out lately about performers like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, and even Glee 3D are trying to appeal to the pre-teen demographic.

“I mean, as much as I respect the awesome purchasing power of 12-year-old girls, if Miley Cyrus can top that list, then why not…well, a great many other people,” wrote Gleiberman.

Gleiberman also says that other singers and bands such as Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyoncé or Kanye West should make concert films. He believes there should be more of a genre choice for concert movies.

Livi Seller, senior, is an avid concert attendee but she cares about venues and music, not about movies.

“I hope they start making alternative and indie band concert films for the theaters. Then I’d go see them. The [pre-teen] ones are dumb, and I think they take away from an actual concert experience,” Seller said.

If this concert film trend continues, film companies may want to think about appealing to a wider audience. No company has yet to produce a theater length concert film in the genres of alternative, metal, electronic, hip-hop, rap, or country. If there was more variety, the companies could possibly bring more concert goers to see bands they enjoy in a comfy chair in their local movie theater.