How much rock is too much?

When listening to one of Chico’s obnoxiously loud rock bands in one of Chico’s small venues, your ears are likely to take an epic beating. While the ringing sensation will usually subside shortly after a show, the damage done to the 30,000 tiny hair cells in your inner ear can be permanent, leading to irreparable hearing loss. As a general rule of thumb, doctors recommend a listener wear ear protection for any noise reaching or exceeding 85 decibels. For those of you who don’t bring a decibel meter to concerts, any rock band with a live drum kit and electronic amplification will usually exceed 85 decibels by a healthy margin. So if you want to continue enjoying loud music well into old age, don’t abuse your eardrums. At risk of looking like a big dork, bring some ear plugs next time you head out to a metal show. Your ears will thank you.