On November 13, 2015 the Eagles of Death Metal played Le Bataclan, a Paris venue, for their excited fans. 3 gunmen began their attack by opening fire, and taking innocent people hostage. 130 people lost their lives.
On May 22, 2017 Ariana Grande finished her show, and thousands of young people prepared to exit the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. As parents waited for their children, and joyous people began to exit the arena, a bomb went off. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack that left many injured. 22 people lost their lives.
On October 1, 2017 Jason Aldean was performing at the Route 41 Harvest festival in Las Vegas. From a 32nd floor window in a resort across from the street of the event gun shots from a automatic weapon, hundreds were left injured. 50+ people lost their lives.
First learning of the Manchester bombing hurt on a personal level. We hear stories of innocent people being lost to senseless acts of terrorism in the most unexpected places, schools, clubs, sidewalks. As a concert goer myself, and a fan of Ariana Grande, it was desperate moment of helplessness to hear about the bombing.
I recently attended Harry Styles’ Radio City Hall show in New York. As he came to a pause in his setlist he spoke to the crowd saying, “My job for the next hour and a little bit is to entertain you. Please sing, dance, and do whatever it is that will make you happy.” And so we did.
People should not walk in fear down the sidewalk, children should not go to school afraid and traumatized, friends shouldn’t feel unsafe at a club, or concert. It is disheartening that we cannot feel completely safe in any location.
Concerts are a place to release your stress, to feel one with the crowd, to sing and dance as loud and hard as you can while the musician you love dances, and prances on the stage. Concerts are a place where you go to feel like you belong, even when it might not fully feel that way in day to day life. Musicians are a support system for people, they are a light, a comfort net that mends your troubles, even if only for a moment. To have that attacked by terrorists who feel they have the right to take any life at all is astonishing.
Changes must be made, and I hope with all my heart that this will all, one day, be issues of the past.
We think of, and honor all those who have lost their lives in such heinous acts of terror.
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