Though COVID is far from over, new developments in medical care have made fun outings possible again. Through the different COVID vaccines, we are able to do things that didn’t seem possible a year ago. The major one for me? Concerts.
It’s felt like ages since I was singing my heart out to live music. Jamming out to my favorite bands in my room is cathartic, but I crave the experience of seeing those bands in person. There’s nothing that makes you feel as alive as a concert. For some reason, I barely went to concerts in high school. Now that I look back on it, I completely regret not taking advantage of living in a city where many musical tours make stops. In a way, I feel like I’m now trying to make up for lost time.
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a Mt. Joy concert in Columbus. My two roommates and I bought the tickets on a whim the Monday before the concert, which took place on a Friday. Someone at our school was selling the tickets and so we jumped on that opportunity. I’m ridiculously glad we did, because the concert was amazing. I would call myself a casual fan of Mt. Joy, there are definitely other bands I listen to more. But being able to see them live absolutely made me a bigger fan. Their performance was flawless and it was so cool to see all their hardcore fans screaming along to the music. The concert was outside and the weather was perfect; it was an amazing night to say the least.
I was invited to a second concert last week. A little indie folk band called The 502s performed in the back of a Columbus bar. This was a band that I had never even heard of, but I accepted the invitation nevertheless. I was an avid listener of folk and indie music in high school; although my music taste has shifted more to alt rock, I still like those other genres. I’ll admit that I was a little nervous going to the concert with absolutely no prior knowledge of the band but just like with Mt. Joy, I had an amazing time. The 502s performed with such vivacious energy and passionate gusto that I couldn’t help but love every second of their performance. Attending that concert made me nostalgic for the music I listened to in high school, but it also made me so ridiculously happy.
In November, I’ll be attending a Happy Fits concert in (surprise surprise) Columbus, which I am endlessly excited for. The Happy Fits is a band that me and one of my best friends love. We haven’t been to a concert together before and I’m glad it’s this one that we’ll be attending. Unlike Mt. Joy and The 502s, The Happy Fits is a band that I’m an avid fan of. I have a wishlist of songs that I hope they’ll play. Although this is a concert I’ve been looking forward to all summer, I don’t know if it’ll satisfy my concert fever.
I’m on a concert kick right now, and I don’t know when it will stop. Once I got a taste of live music again, I remembered what I had been missing. I think this is what a lot of people are feeling right now as their favorite bands begin their fall and spring tours. After a year of seclusion and isolation, there’s nothing like live music to bring people together again.