A note to those who follow this blog (all three of you...hahaha...): I haven't gotten to post much lately because life has been busy with school and work, but I've been doing a lot of writing and learning and I look forward to sharing with you all once things slow down a bit. The following post is non-traditional for this blog, but I thought it might still be appreciated by some. It was an assignment for school. I didn't write it about any one single event, more like a combination of a few, but at the end, I've posted a short video clip of a concert I was at recently. Hope you enjoy! And if you don't, please stay tuned, as I will be back to the "normal" programming soon.
The odor of hundreds of sweaty bodies packed in tighter than slaves below a ship deck combines with the sudden rise in temperature the moment I enter. The electricity, excitement and adrenaline surround me like a current, drawing me deeper in. As I squeeze and push my way through the people, the only lights I see are those from cell phone screens, glow sticks and an occasional camera flash from off to the side.
I am now in the center of the mosh pit, but can’t get any further, as people have stopped letting me through, so I stand still and watch the crowd while trying to absorb the moment. I realize we are not simply in the mosh pit, we are the mosh pit, and soon we will be one.
We will shout as one.
We will jump as one.
We will pump our fists as one.
We will most likely get bloody noses, bruised limbs and crushed toes as one, although, I’m not so much looking forward to that part.
As the music begins with a sudden bang from the sound system and the band appears on stage, we go crazier than Times Square at midnight, January 1.
The base is so loud, I feel more than hear it, and the vibrations pound through my body so aggressively I wonder if my heart rhythm will change to match them. As the band performs one of my favorite songs—the one I sing along with in my car with the volume turned up so high people glare at me at red lights—I scream the lyrics along with the rest of the crowd, not caring that I won’t have a voice come morning.
By the time the show is over, I am exhausted and energized at the same time. This high will probably last a few days until I crash and my friends wonder what’s wrong with me. Some wonder why I “waste” so much money on concerts.
My response?
Some people do drugs.
I do music.
