I am a firm believer in everyone practicing and believing whatever they want to believe. With that said, I am an atheist. And after I went to this Jesus Band, in essence, I got converted.
My friend decided it would be a good idea to invite me to a concert by a band called King and Country. A band which is built up of two smoke show Australian brothers who sing Christian music. Their music is like Imagine Dragons or AJR. She had mentioned in brief to me that they sang a few songs that had to do with God. Of course, I didn’t care about that. Most artists, who are Christian, have at least one song about their religion. I assumed they were going to be an artist that people our age would listen to. I showed up at the North Charleston Coliseum dressed like I was ready for the Harry Styles concert. Looking around at the other members of the crowd, I realized that I completely missed the mark.
The entire line was made up of middle-aged and older Southern women dressed in long dresses with puffy sleeves. Of course, I felt like there was a spotlight on me in my revealing bright pink top and checkered jeans. In Washington D.C., where I’ve lived my whole life, this was a typical night outfit for a concert. When my friend told me we were going to a concert, I dressed like I would on a normal basis. I even dared to ask my friend if there was going to be a mosh pit on the way to the concert.
King and Country came onto the small stage, and the entire place went electric. The two brothers started the show on a platform hung in the air by chains. Their performance was phenomenal that I can not deny. Their energy was high and contagious. The panel lights coordinated with every song, flashing colors with the beat. Although, as the set went on it became clear to me that the “few Christain songs” was the whole damn concert. And the crowd was loving it. To my surprise, audience members lifted their hands to the sky in prayer. With certain songs, people were so moved so by their performance. The two old guys next to us grunted in agreement with the music. Every few minutes I’d hear a loud “true” and “amen”. Never in my life had I been in a religious setting like this before. I’d been to church a handful of times in my life, but the church I was a part of was never as passionate as this. The feeling in the room entranced me. But at the same time, I felt alienated from everyone because I couldn’t understand it. This community of people who are fans of King and Country was like a whole new culture that I didn’t know how to handle. Somehow it left me in a sort of limbo, where I appreciated the religion, but didn’t feel it within myself.
Needless to say, I never let my friend hear the end of it for my discomfort at the concert. I have been yelling at her about it to this day. Even though I joke and complain, I discovered something new. I don’t want to convert and take part myself but, it’s important that I got to be a part of something new and experience it.