I'm a future Villager and I go to a lot of concerts. My wife and I always have a pair of ear plugs with us. They make acoustic ear plugs specifically for concerts and you can get a nice pair for about $40. They let certain frequencies in more than others so you get a better audio listening experience from them than you would with foam. Sometimes we wear them, sometimes not. Sometimes I'll just wear one for an ear that faces a speaker tower, or I'll wear them only partially in if the music isn't super load or is just bass heavy.
If you're going to be around a lot of live music, keep a set with you (or in my case my wife's purse).
We were just down there for another visit with my parents last weekend and got to see the Hooligans at Brownwood. One of my biggest concerns about getting to the Villages too early is my different taste in music than what I've seen at the squares. When I saw the Hooligans and the ginormous crowd completely digging the music I love, I just grinned and grinned and grinned.
Can't wait to get there!