There are few things that I enjoy more than going to a concert, it's part of my identity. Growing up in Florida, I spent many nights camping for tickets behind the record shop. There, I’d sit on a blanket with a friend and a few fellow die-harders till the clerks arrived and unlocked the doors in the morning. I camped out for Rolling Stones, Rush, Van Halen, Tom Petty and so many more. I continued this way through college – Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, and Lollapalooza. One of those nights, while camping out under a bridge for Pearl Jam tickets, I met one of my best friends.
That’s the thing, we’re all under this magical spell of music, anything can happen. A kinship and comradery is forged before even entering the venue just by gathering together. Inside the venue, the people around you are your friends, your allies, your soulmates. I’ve had strangers pick me up so I can see a glimpse of the stage, lift me up so I can go crowd surfing, pull me up after I’ve dropped down to the ground, and protect me from any moshing that attempted to sweep me away. In a world where, very often, it’s so easy to feel alone, these people are your people. These people are my people.
In the wake of the tragedy in Paris this weekend, I've been lost in the news, reading about the victims, their friends and families. I am devastated to hear about people who were embracing life, expressing gratitude, joy and love, only to be so callously snuffed out. I am especially heartbroken about the people at the Bataclan. Those people were my people.
In the outside world, maybe the some of the concert-goers at the Bataclan were awkward, scared or timid, but inside the venue, moving in unison, they were alive, happy and free. Every nerve ending pulsing with excitement, thrilled at the sound, embracing the magic of the night. My heart breaks that such a joyous moment turned so ugly, so deadly, so absolutely devastating.
To my fallen Bataclan concert-going brothers and sisters, may you rest in peace. And to my concert-going brothers and sisters beyond, may you continue to seek those unifying moments of comradery and joy, may you continue to seek out the magical spell of music.