Disclaimer: I'm old.
My first concert was with my mom back when I was 12 or 13. Poison at the small local hockey arena. It sounded like shit and I didn't love it.
But the pull of seeing my favorite bands in person was too great. A few years later, friends and I went to see Guns N Roses on the Illusion tour - our first without parents. And it fucking ruled.
Ever since then, I've been an avid lover of live music. Sometimes it does still sound like shit. With or without earplugs, I always had trouble with voices at shows though. Always muffled sounding to me and it's just something I've accepted. I did get a pair of Loops Experience (I think that's what they're called) plugs a while back and those work pretty well.
The draw of live music for me is being in a crowd with a bunch of other people enjoying and appreciating art happening live. Mistakes and improvs happen. New songs and covers can be played. If I want clarity, fidelity, and perfect performance, I have my CDs. But if I want community and just a little of the unknown, I'm going to a show.