2/9/18 - Haley, Abby, and I walk through the icy air into a small, beige building with dead ivy growing on the walls and cars lined up in front. Unfamiliar faces with thrifted clothes and wide smiles talk with their friends as we enter the small venue, and I watch eyes glance over to me and shift back to their friends as the three of us walk past. I'm not totally sure how this whole concert thing is gonna work out, seeing how the whole room is made up of half filled seats and nothing else, but I guess I'll roll along with it. Abby invited me to go see Joy Again and Rotsam; Artists I had never heard of before. Of course I accepted the invitation though, because to me it sounded like a memory waiting to happen. An indie rock concert in a small venue with a bunch of people I don't know? Sounds like a dream.
And believe me. It was.
The first act came on, named Joy Again, and a young college guy wearing a deep-cut, maroon shirt with a bandana wrapped around his head stood up and asked the band if it's cool to stand up there, they replied saying sure, and I watched wishing I could've had the self confidence to do the same. Two more people stood up and walked down to the stage, dancing to the indie rock tunes. Haley, Abby, and I all looked at each other thinking the same thing, so we all shed our jackets and strut our way down, bobbing our heads to the music. Everyone quickly followed and soon there was a crowd levitating around the stage; The band loving it. For the next half hour we danced our hearts away, smiling at each other and exchanging quick glances with the boys on stage, letting them know we loved their music. A 15 minute intermission passed by and we all sat back down, but when Rostam finally came on, I watched in awe. If you have never heard Rostam's music before, it is beautiful and I would highly recommend listening with an open mind. His use of instruments and the way he phrases his lyrics feel like sitting in a field on summer day watching the clouds go by. It is nostalgia of times I've never even experienced, and that is what I love most. Listening to his music will never match what I was able to watch live, but it's not sad or disappointing, it is the beauty of living in the moment. On stage, Rostam decided to have projections of different things, mostly being moving enviornments like the night sky or driving down an open highway. The combination of this and the music made the room radiate youth, memories spilling out the door.
Leaving a concert of someone I know and love, I always tend to be filled with excitement and adrenaline. When leaving this one I kept that feeling, but something else bloomed, like water lillies in the summer. Over the past few days, I've thought about what it was and finally came to recognize it. It was the sensation of meeting a new friend that you immediately click with. When you laugh a little harder for some reason or smile more because you feel a genuine comfort with them. That's how it feels to blindly enter a concert that your friend recommends. Add it to your bucket list kiddos.
Stay peachy,
Aaron <3
Comments