It’s a Tuesday at 1:43 a.m. and I have sold out another arena on my world tour.
“I don’t think y’all understand how much this shit means to me,” I mouth, panning my audience of two frog Squishmallows. I’m lip syncing the introductory lines of J. Cole’s “Love Yourz” from his Forest Hills Drive Tour, live from Fayetteville, North Carolina, like they’re my own. “Man, I’m back home and y’all just sat through my whole fuckin’ entire album and shit that’s fuckin’ crazy, thank y’all for doing that shit, man.”
My phone is connected to my Sony GTK-KB5 speaker, the second most expensive back-to-school item that I purchased going into my freshman year of college (beat out only by my laptop). I’m using my hairbrush as a microphone, even though I should really use it to brush my own hair, which has been loosely thrown up into a messy bun.
The fact of the matter is that I’ve never been to J. Cole’s hometown in North Carolina, let alone North Carolina itself. But in my gray sweatpants and high school track sweatshirt, I’m there. About once every three months for the past two years, usually at an egregious hour, I suddenly remember I have a Spotify playlist comprised of live performances of some of my favorite songs. And what a revelation that is.
It’s no secret that music itself has mood-boosting benefits, but according to one study by O2 and Patrick Fagan, an expert in behavioral science and Associate Lecturer at Goldsmith’s University, live music has its own set of perks. According to their research, people’s “wellbeing increased by 21% from just 20 minutes of gig-time, compared to just 10% for yoga and only 7% for dog-walking.” Other benefits included increased self-worth (25%) and mental stimulation (75%).
While this study looked into live music in the context of concerts, not people listening to live music on their own, there’s definitely some overlap between the two types of listening experiences that studio-recorded tracks are unable to offer: artists sharing anecdotes, the occasional solos, crowds cheering. It can’t replicate an in-person shared experience, but there’s a certain rawness to the tracks that makes them special.
What does my setlist look like? It varies depending on the night and the city, but I’ll let you in on five of my staples.
- “Robbers” by The 1975 (Live from the 02, London 16.12.16)
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My 13-year-old self and 22-year-old self are both screaming.
- “When You Were Young” by The Killers (Live From The Royal Albert Hall, 2009)
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This song is particularly nostalgic to me because of Guitar Hero III, and it sounds way better without the constant interruption of missed notes. As a whole, there are a lot of gems on this album.
- “Last Kiss” by Taylor Swift (Speak Now World Tour Live 2011)
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Sing it with me: SO I’LL WATCH YOUR LIFE IN PICTURES LIKE I USED TO WATCH YOU SLEEP AND I’LL FEEL YOU FORGET ME LIKE I USED TO FEEL YOU BREATHE.
- “Iris” by the goo goo dolls (the audience is this way, live)
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In my mind, I’m driving my car at night on the highway during a moderate rain shower.
- “In My Place” by Coldplay (Live in Buenos Aires, 2018)
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It just makes my heart feel full.
If your favorite artist isn’t touring right now (or if you weren’t able to snag tickets), there’s no shame in putting on a show of your own. Over time, it might even boost your mood.
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