Beyond the glitz and glam of Broadway, where all the Southern Belles and tourists bustle for the latest pair of cowboy boots from Big Time Boot, are the little secrets. Every city has its “little secrets.” Little secret treasures that adorn the city with a rustic, classic feel. Little secret coffee shops that offer an intimate location for the perfect date. Little secret boutiques that offer the perfect finds for your best friend’s birthday.
In the corners of Nashville, hidden in Marathon Village, Marathon Music Works is Music City’s newest little secret. On Monday night, I slipped through the pouring rain into this petite, hidden venue to see Passion Pit. Passion Pit is a hit electro-pop band that emerged as one of the best revealed “little secrets” in 2009, when they released their debut album “Chunk of Change.” Since the release of their album, the music phenomenon began to dominate stages of musical festivals around the United States. America’s hipster culture began to indulge in the best electronic music the industry had to offer. In fact, Passion Pit was a pivotal band in the development of the electronic music fad.
My experience at Marathon Music Works was mind blowing. I have seen Passion Pit before at Lollapalooza, a huge summer music festival in Chicago, however my experience on Monday night was incomparable. The intimacy of the small venue allowed me to move my way to the front of the crowd in order to reach out to the hands of the band members: Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist, Zander Singh , Jeff Apruzzese, and Nate Donmoyer.
I felt the sensations of the band, almost as if I was a part of the performance. I was close enough to the microphone to actually feel like the lead singer. I could feel the adrenaline of the performers rush into me as I jumped, swayed, and praised. The crowd synchronized, just as the music that kept the venue alive. When Passion Pit concluded the show with “Little Secrets,” a euphoric numbness swept the crowd and lifted it into a different world. For the first time in my life, I was no longer just a fan- in fact, I was part of the band. I was in union with America’s biggest “Little Secret.”