The other night, at the Towne Lounge, I couldn’t spot one person wearing earplugs. Not one. Granted, it wasn’t a Sunn O))) show or anything, but still it was amplified and earplugs were definitely justified.

But before I get on my high horse (it’s a glorious steed), it should be noted that most earplugs totally suck. They muffle the sound, look like a pair of colorful foam blocks crammed deep into your ear canal, and make it impossible to hold a conversation while keeping the plugs intact. Who is going to hear all my witty critiques of the band—from the back of the room, with my arms crossed—if they are stuck with those bulky foam earplugs?

While custom fitted earplugs sure are nice, and probably the most effective, they can be a bit pricey (about $150-200) for the shallow pockets of most show-goers, so after a lot of research—and a glowing recommendation from one of our End Hits bloggers—I discovered Earlove.

Despite the creepy sounding name (I wonder if there is such thing as an Ear Fetish? Let me Google it. Oh dear god.), Earlove caters to the music fan (not the sexual deviant) with low priced plugs ($16, and they come in a sturdy keychain-compatible pouch) that do an excellent job of reducing decibels without ruining sound quality. I can’t say enough good things about them.

The sound level at most concerts and clubs far exceeds safe exposure levels.

Earlove allows you to hear the music clearly but at a lower level, like turning down the volume.

Most concert venues sell foam plugs which lower the volume, but compromise sound quality.

Yeah, what they said. Thanks to Earlove I’ll be able to keep my hearing intact, thus ensuring that I keep this job forever. Get ready for a 60 year old, with pristine hearing, who loves emo bands.