I love concerts. There's simply nothing like the energy of a crowd as the main act gets ready to play. I love the pulse of the music, the bright lights, and simply the sound of live music. Everyone is there for one purpose: to witness something great.
My favorite show has some great quotes about concerts:
"...It's like when you go and see a really great band, live for the first time and, you know, and nobody's saying it, but everybody's thinking it, we have something to believe in again."
"Every song has a CODA, a final movement, whether it fades out or crashes away. Every song ends, is that any reason not to enjoy the music?"
Over the weekend I bought 2 tickets to see Coldplay in concert July 2012. Even though it's over a half-year away, I find myself excited already. It got me reminiscing about all the concerts I've been to and the great memories I've accumulated from each one. I decided to compile my most memorable moments from each concert I've been to. I'm sure I'm missing a few but as I think of more, I'll add to the list (or you can remind me of one we went to together in the comments!).
Nsync. This was my first concert ever. I was 13. It was 2000. Nsync was going on tour. I
had to go! There's no denying I was fully immersed in the boy band craze (and, if I'm being honest with myself, haven't quite grown out of it as of today...). This was their
No Strings Attached tour and me and a friend, Anna, were die-hard Nsync fans. We got our nose bleed tickets for the July 21st show at the (then) First Union Spectrum (now Wells Fargo Center). It didn't matter that once we got there all we could see were little tiny dots on the stage. All that mattered to us was that we were breathing the same air as
Justin Timberlake! Oh. My. God! I do remem
ber my Dad dropping us off and picking us up for that concert. At the time I remember wanting him to drop us off around the corner so no one saw, now I'm surprised he let me go to a concert without parental supervision at 13. My funniest memory of the concert (although at the time was the single most appropriate response to the situation) was hysterically crying when JT came out and sang "This I Promise You." There was no question,
of course he was singing it to me.
Default. This was my first concert with my Dad. I can't remember the exact year but I believe it was around the same time or year of the Nsync concert. The difference here: not only was I not embarrassed to be going to a concert
with my Dad, I felt cool because I knew my Dad had the "inside scoop" to rock music. My Dad was a musician in his 20s and is a wizz on the guitar. I knew this was my Dad's realm, and I loved it. I remember feeling very protected at this concert. Both by my Dad and by the music. I think this was when I truly fell in love with live music (sorry Nsync). It was at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia and, if you've ever been there, you know how intimate the place is. I felt like I was a part of the band, a part of their process. Default has since come and gone, but I'll never forget this concert.
Y100 FEASTival. This was one kick-ass concert! It was 2003 in Camden, NJ and my friend from high school, Stephanie, and I went with her Mom. One poignant memory from our drive there stands out. We were driving there, in traffic, late, and Stephanie and I had to pee really bad. All we had were some water bottles so we took the opportunity to learn how to pee in a small necked water bottle without spilling. I gotta say, I did pretty good. The concert featured 311, The Offspring, Dashboard Confessional, The Used, Smile Empty Soul and Jet. I remember The Offspring kicking some serious ass. I know I crowd surfed quite a few times during their set, particularly during the song "The Kids Aren't Alright." (
Listening to that song now and totally picturing a mosh pit that I want to be in...). I remember jumping up and down a LOT and flailing all about with the rest of the crowd. We had seated tickets, but that didn't stop us from making our way to the pit once the lights went down. 311 also put on a really great set and I've been a fan of theirs ever since.
All American Rejects. This was also at the Theatre of Living Arts on April 1, 2003 (and yes, if you must know, I'm using Google to help me find the dates and years). I went with Stephanie and we waited outside for a while before the concert
started, fully prepared with our punk clothing attire and Converse sneakers. This was another intimate affair, but much more intimate than Default. I remember feeling so smushed at one point that I could hardly breathe. Then again, we were at the
very front of the venue right up against the metal fence that separated us from running up on stage. Two things happened at this concert: 1. The main singer Tyson Ritter sweat right on my head. Literally. He was so close that the sweat dripped from his smoothly singing face right onto my forehead. I thought it was the best thing in the world. 2. One of the band mates threw their water bottle out into the crowd and I caught it. I brought it home with me and my Dad unintentionally threw it out the next day.
Jessica Simpson. This was in 2004 at the outdoor Hershey Park Pavilion. It was July 2nd and a blistering hot day. There were chairs but since it was outdoors, I remember running to the front to snap a few up-close photos of JSimps. I remember thinking
She's so beautiful and I do know that she sung live, so that's always good. I did get quite a few good photos from this concert but, unfortunately, digital cameras weren't popular yet and I only have them in good old fashioned print so you'll have to just take my word for it.
Finch. This band was my absolute favorite through most of high school. I used to listen to their
What It Is to Burn CD every day on the bus ride to and from school with my Discman. I had every lyric memorized. Finch played at the Theater of Living Arts and I went with my best friend Tori and another good friend, Mason. I definitely lost my voice at this concert because I was singing along to every song, every line, every word. I was engrossed in the moment and didn't care that my throat was screaming at me. After they left the stage, I was not satisfied with leaving. Tori, Mason and I asked a bouncer outside if he knew when Finch would be out and he directed us around the back of the venue. We just walked inside a door, up some stairs and hey! there's Finch sitting in their dressing room. I took off my Converse sneaker and threw it to the lead singer, Nate, asking him to sign it. He did, threw it back, and told us we couldn't be up here and needed to leave. We left with no fuss but not before I yelled how much their music had changed me.
Saosin. I trekked once again to the Theater of Living Arts on November 3, 2007 to see Saosin with a dear friend Charlene. This concert was so full of energy and hard-core moshing. One of my all-time favorite songs by them "Voices" was also one of my favorite moments at this concert. Charlene and I had listened to the CD on the way to the concert and I remember hearing the CD version of this song and just itching to hear it live. When that moment came and they played the first few riffs I just went to a place of euphoria. I remember looking up at the ceiling, closing my eyes, and just letting the lyrics and sound wash over me. That was one moment I will
never forget. The feeling I had, knowing that music, or even a single song, can define how I'm feeling. Charlene was such a fun concert buddy and we danced, moshed and scream-sang the night away from start to finish.
Panic at the Disco. This one I also went to with Charlene and it was March 2008 in Philadelphia. It was pure entertainment from start to finish. The set looked like a circus and the costumes and dancers were outrageous. Panic! put on a great set and had me up and out of my seat the entire time. The one rather regrettable memory I have of this concert is accidentally punching Charlene in the face in the midst of my jumping and screaming. Quite the sport, she laughed it off and kept dancing with me. Sorry Char!
Glee. June 8, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center. I went with my friend Sarah and boy did the actors and actresses from Glee put on a show! They did a set of songs from the show and reenacted some scenes as well. There
were lights, costumes, awesome dancing. Oh yeah, and this A Capella group called The Warblers. Needless to say, my and Sarah's fan girl reactions arose full surface on this fine date in Philly. I do know that the concert felt short for the amount of money we paid for our tickets, but it was still a great time and I'm an even bigger fan of the show now. The Glee LIVE concert movie showed in theaters (yes, I saw that too) and is now out on DVD if you'd like to experience what I experienced in a less awesome fashion.
And that's what you missed on GLEE!
Britney. There's a reason this woman has been entertaining for over a decade. She knows how to entertain! My sister Jes graciously went to this con
cert with me even though she's not exactly a fan (though she did know a lot of the words - go Jes!). On August 5, 2011 I finally saw Britney in concert after being a fan since 1998's "Baby One More Time." This was her
Femme Fatale tour and it was quite the spectacle! There were trapeze artists, fireworks, crazy props, and real live singing from Brit Brit herself! Nicki Minaj opened for Britney and she was a mini-concert herself. She sang almost all her songs from
Pink Friday and was good enough that I'd pay to see her individually! My favorites from this concert were Britney singing "Til the World Ends" as her encore, seeing her first come out on the stage singing "Hold it Against Me," and witnessing her infamous dance moves in person.
So those are my highlights of concerts I will always remember and cherish. I am looking forward to adding Coldplay to this list!
Rachel, our Doula, made her arrival to our house by 1PM. I worked through a few contractions at home before we decided to make our walk across the street to the hospital to get checked out. I got a room right away and was given the external monitors to hear that sweet little heartbeat and make sure everything was ok. The nurse then informed me, after an exam, that I was 7-8cm. I was very focused on my Hypnobabies that was playing in my headphones but I do remember hearing that tidbit of information. Whoa..that means I'll be pushing soon. How am I doing this? I'm doing this; I can't believe I'm doing this. The focus in that moment is indescribable and one that I'm sure I'll only fully recall once I'm in the situation again.
