...That's What She Said

You missed the first best concert of 2007. I haven't felt the energy of the crowd pulse through my veins with such powerful force since seeing Wilco two years ago... and even that might not have topped this show. I've been to a lot of great concerts in my life so far and I've yet to be truly disappointed, so I think you can take this new claim of mine pretty seriously. The Austin City Limits Music Festival last September was amazing on many levels just having so much music available, but it lacked the die-hard fan base of many local shows. Even The Format who cheered me up and started a chain of fun adventures last spring cannot compare to the overall feeling from this recent event. I could write five thousand words of praise easily within my lunch break today, but my typing still might not convey the spiritual uplifting of last night's show. For not having been as familiar with the Silversun Pickups as I would have liked, they set the tone for what was to come. It may have also helped that perhaps their number one fan squished her way next to me in the front row and screamed like a true 16 year old girl the entire time. Next, Ok Go ROCKED the house... you can tell that they have fun with what they do and the lead singer, Damian, has no trouble telling personal stories between songs. He shared a toast with us marking the one year anniversary of his first time waking up in a jail cell after being "escorted" by the Orlando police for signing autographs on Disney property. He also leaped from the stage to the railing of the front row and back again with ease and interacted with the crowd in a way that few front men can pull off without coming across as full of themselves. When you drive in rush hour traffic for an hour and then stake your claim up front after waiting in line for another hour or two, you want the band to talk to you instead of just giving you a live version of their album and walking off stage with no more then a barely audible "thank you" at the end. Ok Go actually performs... they give the audience a show worth more then the ticket price. Then after a near nauseating moment of bass and strobing red lights, Snow Patrol emerged from the darkness of the stage. I purchased tickets for this event with the mindset that they were a mellow band and that I shouldn't expect much from them. To my delight, they nearly blew the roof off the Hardrock Live. I'm not sure I have the words to express how incredible the next 90 minutes were, but I have a new love for Snow Patrol that wasn't there before. Gary sings with such passion and expression that it's nearly impossible not to cry. Both he and the lead guitarist spend most of the show genuinely smiling at their fans. More then once, Gary stopped singing to let the crowd fill in the words... and in the absence of Martha Wainwright, he pulled a female volunteer from the crowd to fill in on Set Fire to the Third Bar. He boasted that Orlando had provided him with the best vocalist thus far on their tour and thanked us for our sunshine and expressed how lucky he was to be doing what he was doing. I think that if I had to pick one word to encompass this entire night, it would be: personal. The musicians were not paid entertainers and we were not fans... we were all friends, sharing our common bond of music, all singing the same words. It was so very beautiful and once again, live music proved to be exactly what I needed after several weeks of stressful life. There may be a few bands that do not make it down here to Florida... but considering that I've got another four local concerts lined up through the end of April, I have to admit that I'm a pretty lucky girl. Few things can match the awe I feel when I look back at a crowd of hundreds behind me, all waving arms, holding up lights and moving their lips in synch with my own. Regardless of what unfortunate trials I may face in the coming weeks, music will be there as my escape and reminder of the bigger picture in life... as it always has been and as it always will be. It always reels me back in when I start to feel a bit disconnected... and I am thankful for that.