You stand there for a century, breathing in the body odor and carbon dioxide generated by a thousand poorly-groomed strangers. You spend $4 on warm water. Your back and feet are infuriated with you, trying to speak reason, "We're getting too old for this." But you won't listen. The stranger next to you uses more cuss words in a single sentence than you've ever used in your life, probably. They spill their beer on your shoe. No apology, not even eye contact. Just an elbow in your ribs later as icing on the cake.
You begin to wonder, Why am I here again?
But then, at long last, it begins. And for a few hours, nothing else matters in the world.
There's nothing like the turmoil of protesting and very annoyed thoughts getting totally swept away when a show finally starts. I experienced that once or twice this summer too. It's so great!
ReplyDeleteI really like the photos with your posts, such a nice glimpse into the world behind the words. This reminded me of a concert I went to, probably the only one of its kind, and I too felt these feelings. There were so many people, standing so close in the dark, all the different voices made me feel uneasy until the music started and everyone became hypnotized.
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i love that this feels so 'in between' like pre-thought, concept, followed by an afterthought. it is very human and lovely and my favorite line is '$4 on warm water' it has a glow to it! -c
ReplyDeleteThis sounds exactly like my experience when I went to see the Decemberists earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteThe Golden Days
http://herestothegoldendays.blogspot.com
Yes, this, all of it. I went to far too many concerts this summer (12+) and most of them were GA. There were times I wanted to give up and go sit down in the back, but as soon as the band came on-- well, that changed everything.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a concert in my life, but it's definitely on my bucket list.
ReplyDeletethis is so beautifully illustrated - I love it:)
ReplyDeleteMhmm.
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