Since my freshman year, it’s been one of my goals to attend a concert at the Neptune Theater. As a grunge, punk, rock, and metal lover, I was partially attracted to the city for its music scene, and I have been more than lucky to attend some amazing shows during my 3-and-a-half-ish years at the University of Washington. But it’s my senior year–the last quarter of my senior year, mind you–so if the Neptune is going to happen, then it’s got to happen now.
I had debated purchasing a ticket for an artist I didn’t know simply to experience the venue and, possibly, find a new artist to follow. So, I hopped onto the Seattle Theater Group website, scrolling through dates, only to stumble across something I can only describe as “meant to be.” A nu metalcore band from the United Kingdom that I already loved was coming to Seattle in November. To the Neptune. I almost immediately rushed to purchase tickets, mentally picked out my concert outfit, and started telling everyone that I was finally going to see a show at the Neptune.
Then, the day was upon me. I was finally going to see a show at the Neptune and see Loathe for the first time.Â
(One of my favorite bands, Sleep Token, covered one of Loathe’s most popular songs, “Is It Really You?,” which is how I discovered Loathe, just so you know.)
Doors opened at 7–I think I got there around 6:45–and the show started at 8 with two opening bands. The crowd was already brimming with energy, and the floor almost immediately split into a mosh pit.Â
Let me just throw in here, I love a mosh pit, I love the pit, in general, but sometimes, it feels like men will use a mosh pit as an excuse to be violent towards women. I mean, I was on the outside and ended the night with multiple bruises from men grabbing at me and throwing other men into me. Like I said, I love a mosh pit, but mosh etiquette exists for a reason.
Anyway, as Loathe took to the stage, the small space transformed into a stadium with their presence. Metal does that; it brings any space alive. Of course, this was partially aided by the fact that, since the venue is smaller than many I have been to, the people there were “true” fans, the types that could scream every word and name the next song within a second of it starting. All of this to say, was that I experienced yet another amazing concert, surrounded by what the lead singer of Loathe, Kadeem France, called “our people,” aka, also “my” people.
Once the show ended, I took a moment to properly take in the theater. Stained glass decorated the walls of the venue. The second floor and lobby area seemed like that of an old playhouse, or a “theater,” after all, it is the Neptune Theater. Everything was a regal, deep blue for the Roman God of the Sea, which had a calming presence, one I much appreciated when climbing down from the high of a live metal show.
For any and all University fi Washington students, whether you’re a fan of live music or not, you should definitely make seeing a show at the Neptune a goal of your own. No matter who you see, it will be an amazing experience.