For the love of live music

Its' nothing, they explain it's like a diesel train
Better not be there when it rolls over
And when that train rolls in, you won't know where it's been
You gotta try to see a little further
They love each other, Lord you can see it's true
Lord you can see it's true, Lord you can see it's true
-Grateful Dead


525 days. That’s how long I went without being in a dark music venue, surrounded by the smells of spilled beer, too much cologne, and my heart thumping in time to the bass level. Throughout the pandemic, every single person on this planet has suffered some sort of loss; family members, friends, connection, jobs...the list goes on. In times of great loss, we often seek comfort from the things we love most. For me, that love has always been live music. With the world beginning to open up (and precautions in place to ensure safety to staff and guests), it was time to break my 525 day streak. The show? Everyone’s Dead at Ardmore Music Hall. 

After stumbling to show both my COVID vaccine card and ID at the door while a man checked my fanny pack, my ticket was scanned and I walked into the venue. Overwhelmed by the amount of actions that happened in under a minute, a woman grabbed my focus with a “welcome back” as I entered the hall. Sliding my sunglasses off my face, mask up, my eyes readjusted to the space. The smell of patchouli wafted through my mask, and I stared out at the sea of tie dye and concert goers of all ages. It was 7:40, and frankly forgetting what time concerts start, I took a walk around before grabbing a beer from the bar. It was impossible to not notice the eyes that peered out above everyone’s masks, full of both excitement and a subtle “does this feel weird to you, too?” kind of vibe. 
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20 minutes later, the crowd hushed briefly before filling the air with applause as the band came on stage. As I held my beer in my hand with my back pressed up against the bar ledge, my body felt heavy as the band started playing. It was the feeling described in romance novels, when the woman finally realizes she’s madly in love with some man, and her beloved appears in front of her. It was a swelling of the heart triggered but the sudden, all encompassing feeling of being near what you love most. It was the feeling of returning to my love, live music.