Music is a big part of our lives; it surrounds us
everywhere we go and is sometimes more important to us than we realize. We were
brought up listening to music from birth. Our first smile and giggle harmonized
along to the Barney theme song, singing along to the karaoke version of
"Hey Jude" at your best friend's 9th birthday party, and stealing
your dads Pink Floyd album trying to grasp your first real idea of what music
actually is.
We were raised in a generation of limitless
genres, bands and albums all at our leisurely grasp. We have thousands of songs
and artists to choose from, yet we gravitate to certain ones, and continually
replay them until their words are forever tattooed in our minds. Sometimes we
feel like music was made just for us specifically.
Life experiences can connect us to a band, artist
or song and because of this we feel a unique bond to a band that we feel no one
else can ever understand. As fans, going to see our favourite band, especially
for the first time, is a liberating experience. We hold out our heart with open
hands and trust our favourite bands to make them feel welcome. When this trust
is broken, so is the heart.
There is nothing worse than being dissatisfied by
a band you held so dear to your heart. It could be for many reasons, like maybe
they were rude to you; maybe their mix was bad, maybe they were boring? But the
worst, the absolute worst, is when a band gives off the vibe that they don't
want to be there.
I feel as though this is mostly the case for
bands who have either sold themselves out and are now playing music they do not
enjoy, they are having personal or band related issues, or having been playing
for far too long and are 'over it'. Regardless of whatever it may be, I think
there is no excuse. There are thousands, millions, billions, of musicians who
would give their first born child to have that opportunity. I hold more respect
for bands that captivate their audience with eye contact, interest, energy and involvement.
The reason for writing this post is because my
life has forever been changed by a band I saw live. This band captivated ever
part of me. Every inch of my body was dedicated to the pure sound of their instruments.
My ears pulsed to every drum beat, my eyes were glued to the lead singer and my
body felt light and effortless in the airwaves.
This band was called 'Against Me!'
Against Me! is a punk rock band from Florida.
However, what's interesting and extremely riveting about this band is their
lead singer, Laura Jane Grace. Laura came out as a transgender in 2012 and
after which, the band released an amazing album called 'Transgender Dysphoria
Blues'.
Watching Laura on stage was one of the most
honest and inviting performances I have ever seen. You could see the love in
her eyes as her dedicated fans moshed the Commodore Ballroom. If someone landed
in my line of sight, I found myself leaning to the side just to watch her. She
was so captivating in the sense that she sang and performed with a smile. Her
eyes glistened as she examined everyone in the audience. She would yell
"you're awesome" as someone crowd surfed by her in the first row. The
true content and happiness for who she was and what she did showed in the bands
performance.
However, it was not just Laura who brought the
energy. The whole band played with amazing skill. The bass player was right by
her side, emulating a glowing smile and nodding his head to every bass line he
played. The drummer played his heart out, and you could not miss it. The energy
and overall passion from this band made the night memorable for every human
being in that building.
After the show, feeling high on music, a small
group gathered in the back alley of the Commodore. With an old acoustic guitar
in hand, a dedicated fan began to play and sing an Against Me! song, with
everyone joining along. With rain drenching our heads, and our music high
slowly becoming a buzz, we thought Laura would never emerge out of the back
door. But, just before we gave up hope, this casual being calmly walks up to
the group, all alone.
It's Laura herself.
Out in the cold, cigarette in hand and smiling at
her dedicated fan base. With every ounce of honesty and happiness she shook our
hands, wanted to learn our names, signed body parts and took pictures.
This. This is what music is.
Finding a band that can connect with you in every
way, is a band you should never take for granted. The importance of stage
charisma, as well as personal charisma is something that can never be taught.
It has to come from the heart. After all, we don’t want no "Rock and Roll
BullSh*t"!
xo
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