Written By: Katie Bresnahan
Throughout the decades, music and teen angst have developed an interesting dynamic. Rock and roll brings to mind the image of sneaking out late at night to hang out with friends or a boyfriend, dark makeup, breaking rules, bending laws and maybe a pair of leather pants. What is it about loud guitars and fast drums that stirs up this deep rebellious attitude in so many people? It’s one of the many many mysteries of music.
A band that has always stirred up my angst towards the world is the 1975. I’m not sure whether its the fact that their British or that they’re openly sad that made their music so appealing to me in high school, but I was and still am a FAN.
I first went to see them was in 2016, which after so many albums and singles seems like a lifetime ago. While I loved and still love the music, that wasn’t the most prominent memory of the evening. What I’ll always remember of that concert is who I was with.
After a tumultuous junior year of high school, I had two friendships that were based on our shared love of the 1975. When we heard they were coming to Boston, we immediately bought tickets and began planning how we were going to get there, where we were going to sleep after and if we were going to make it to class on time the next day, seeing as the concert was on a Wednesday night. We left a few hours early on the day of the concert so that we could get a good spot in the general admission line. While we waited, I remember getting to know these two girls, while also getting to know the people around us in line seeing as we had brought chips and salsa as a snack. We talked about fan theories, song lyric meanings, people’s outfits that we saw as they walked by, etc. Even when we were inside the venue, everyone was more open and willing to get to know random people. If we’re all at the same concert, we must have more in common than just a similar music taste, right? Live music is such an interesting phenomenon. After lots of screaming, singing, dancing and laughing, the three of us collapsed in our hotel at 2 am and were up and on the road again at 5 am in order to get to school on time.
Recognizing the same spirit in others is such a comfort. You can rest assured that you’re not the only one feeling like you do. You can know in your heart that those standing around you at a concert have or are feeling the same way as you.
So, my advice to you that you did not ask for is if you are going to a concert anytime soon, maybe bring chips and salsa.
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