In my 17 years of living, I have been to a dozen concerts, preparing for them by shoving socks in my platform shoes to ensure that I can see while standing in the pit. So far, Claire Cottrill’s Charm Tour has topped all of the concerts I’ve been to so far, but not for the reason you may think.
In my opinion, waiting in line to enter the venue for a concert is one of the best parts about going to see artists live. Like the saying, “It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey,” waiting in the queue is such a fun experience. It is such a surreal feeling being around so many people with similar interests as you, all coming to see one person. Although the line to get into the concert wrapped around the entire building and my friend and I found ourselves at the end of the line 30 minutes before doors opened, we did not let that bring our spirits down at all.
My friend and I do not see each other often because we go to separate schools, so concerts are always a time when we both come together and listen to the music we love. This concert happened on September 15th, which was right around the time when my friend and I were getting to know our teachers and adjusting to our new classes. In the hour we were waiting in line, we talked about some classes we thought were difficult and some we were so thankful for. By the end of the conversation, we had our tickets scanned and were finally in the dark but inviting Webster Hall.
After scurrying around the pit to find the best view possible, my friend found a place close to the right of the stage, and it was not too cramped either. An aspect of concerts that is non-negotiable for me is getting a comfortable hoodie from the merchandise stand. Right before the opener came on, since I knew my friend was fine with me leaving for a few minutes, I left the pit and went looking for the merchandise stand.
When I joined the line for merchandise, I couldn’t help but overhear the person in front of me talking to his friend. He seemed to be around 20 years old and was talking about his journey as a first-year student in medical school. In my mind, medical school seemed like a full-time job. When he was talking about his school days, all I could envision was a consuming journey filled with sleepless nights and hours upon hours of studying, leaving no room for anything fun. Only talking about schoolwork for a brief minute, he switched gears and started talking to his friend about both of the activities they like to do for fun. This conversation between two complete strangers, one of whom I previously couldn’t believe had the time for an outing like a concert on a Sunday night, was my reminder that school is not the only thing happening in one’s life outside of the months of July and August.
As a student in LPS, I know how easy it is to lock yourself inside and only study and finish assignments. Of course, I do not have the same workload as somebody in medical school, but I can definitely relate to staying up late and finishing work that was due the same day at the dreaded time of 11:59. Although isolating oneself may seem like an efficient way to get work done, it is compromising one of the most, in my opinion, important things about life: going on new journeys and experiencing different things.
In my life, concerts serve as an outlet for me to step away from everything going on in life and just enjoy live music, and maybe overhear a conversation from a stranger who’s not that different from me.
