Concert-going is, in my opinion, the most important factor in a listener's experience. The bright lights, the buzzing energy, the deafening sound, the $9 beer - they're all pieces that complete your like or dislike for a band.

However, there's a component of the live show that people frequently overlook: the opening act. Okay kids, story time.

As I've mentioned before, one of the first concerts I attended was No Doubt in 1997. I couldn't wait to see my biggest crush, Gwen Stefani, live onstage. I couldn't care less about the opening acts. I wanted to see the band I bought tickets for.

As a consequence of having this event planned by my father, we showed up at the concert about 20 minutes before anyone took the stage. Even he hadn't heard of the opening acts, but by-golly, if we paid good money for our tickets, we were going to see every ounce of entertainment we deserve.

The Vandals took the stage, and being that the show was 13 years ago, I don't even remember seeing them. It was what happened when they finished that blew me away: Cake walked up like a gaggle of truckers from Sacramento.

I was drawn in. Sure, once they played "The Distance" I realized that I had heard them before, but they put on an amazing live show. Their music was completely original and their onstage presence was incredibly interactive and entertaining.

I went out and bought Fashion Nugget that week. Since then, I've purchased every album (some on collector's-edition vinyl) and seen them live twice more. Cake is one of my favorite bands these days, all because my dad made me go to a concert earlier than I would have gone on my own.

The opening act has a history of being overlooked. We've all regarded opening acts as an opportunity to find our seats, great bathroom break time, or a chance to make a beer run. Maybe it's time we open our minds and -- in the words of my father -- get our money's worth.

Music I've found with this method:

• Silversun Pickups
• Eisley
• Incubus
• Cartel
• The Honorary Title

The first method of discovering music that I’d like to share with you is a bit of a crapshoot. In order to discover really great music that others aren’t familiar with, you have to be comfortable listening to a lot of terrible music.

That’s not to say that listening to terrible music is necessarily a terrible experience. You can learn a lot from listening to types of music that you’re not accustomed to listening to. A great example of this is how I grew up with music teachers telling me how great classical music is and having Beethoven and Mozart shoved down my throat. It wasn’t until I was 20 and decided to sit down and listen to Gustav Holst that I really learned to appreciate the genre. Now I hear Beethoven and Mozart as the amazing artists that they are - baffling me every time I listen to their work.

How did I discover Gustav Holst?

An image from “Family Matters” that’s burned into my brain is of the Winslow family’s trip to Vegas. Steve Urkel takes off his glasses, closes his eyes, and uses his frames as a magnet, guiding him to the slot machine that will win him the jackpot.

I’ve stolen this method to blindly discover new artists at the music store. I call it “Record Shop Roulette.” When I walk in, I simply pick a spot in the store. This method is most easily employed at a shop that I’ve never been in, as I won’t know what genre occupies each part of the store. 

Ignoring the signage or the part of the alphabet, I thrust my hand into the pile and pick up a CD. If it’s something that I’ve come across before, I put it back and try again - this time in a different part of the store. Gustav Holst? I’ll give it a try.

Granted, I’ve made my way through some deplorable music on the way - Chingy, Fefe Dobson, Ill Niño to name a few - but as you’ll see below, Record Shop Roulette has led me to some of my favorite music to listen to.

Music I've found with this method:

• Taking Back Sunday
• The Strokes
• Bright Eyes
• Snow Patrol
• Ratatat

One of our many goals at AudioADD is to help you as a reader come across new music that you wouldn't have otherwise heard. Something that I'd like to share with you is the ways in which I come across music. 

Co-founding a music-interest website has certain pressures. Not only am I expected to be familiar with the music that other people listen to, but I'm also required to have a repertoire of undiscovered, hidden gems up my sleeve - a way to enlighten a reader by surprising them with that "How have I not heard this already?" feeling.

To fulfill these expectations, there must be implicit methodology. If I'm going to be considered the master of my passion, I must have a plan of attack.

Over the next several weeks, I will be providing you a window into the world of how I uncover new artists in a series of posts called "AudioDiscovery". My hope is that you'll learn some of these methods and ultimately share your findings with me. In truth, there is a lot of garbage out there, and the more sifters we have, the more gold we'll find!

I hope you have as much fun reading as I do writing. Please keep your comments coming along the way, and feel free to email me if you have something to share. I want to know how YOU discover music, and I hope we find something new together!