When I was a teenager, live music was consistently part of my day-to-day. I don’t say that to boast, but merely, it’s a fact. I can thank my Dad for sharing his love of music with me, and for chaperoning me to the 930 Club in high school until I was old enough to go alone with friends.
Although we lived a decent car or metro ride from D.C., I often went to shows on a school night, simply because that’s when the artists (and typically the openers, too) I wanted to see were playing. You name them: Taking Back Sunday, Michelle Branch, Pat McGee Band, The Early November. Put simply, my parents allowed me to do this. I was always a disciplined kid* so this didn’t impact my ability to juggle school assignments and the like.
Fast forward many years, and live music quietly took a back seat. Maybe one concert a year. Maybe none. For years I compiled spreadsheet after spreadsheet of shows that I never went to. I’d mark down dates on a calendar that never came to fruition.
But in 2022, that all changed. Maybe it was the cancer diagnosis or the dates on the calendar actually worked out. I've tried to prioritize live music again because it makes me feel so alive.
It transports me back to my younger self, screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs, jumping up and down, and smiling from ear to ear.
If there is something your younger self loved that made you feel THAT good, do you still do it? And if you don't, why?
So the three concerts in five days...
On Friday, July 10, Justin and I were out in Denver at Red Rocks for The Avett Brothers. This was my second time at the Rock and it was just as magical as the first (The Revivalists, June 10, 2022). This is an experience you MUST have.
When we returned on Sunday, I had a reminder on my calendar (old habits die hard) that Tyler Childers was playing at Wrigley. The opener was Jon Batiste. I wasn’t as tired as I thought from the travel day, so I bought tickets at 6:15 p.m. and Justin drove me to the field. Don’t be afraid of going to a show alone!
Then, on Tuesday, my sister flew in from Tampa; she’s the biggest fan of Noah Kahan (and I give her full credit that she has loved his music before he got big big). The kicker? Sold out—for months. She came anyway. We scored tickets at 7:36 p.m. before the resale market shut down. This was such a core memory with my sister. And Noah was incredible.
Somehow, I was magically in bed by 11:30 p.m. each of those nights. My 38-year old self is proud for that fact. And for re-prioritizing music as an adult? My 16-year-old self would be so proud.
*I know, what’s changed, right?
