By OLIVIA BURGER
a&l editor
When I was 8, I went to my first music concert at the Crawford County Fair with my grandmother to see Clay Aiken. Wow, that’s even more tragic when I write it out.
Anyway, needless to say my first concert experience was unlike most considering the fan base consisted of mostly middle- aged, “American Idol”-crazed women.
My second concert experience was also at the lovely Crawford County Fair and it featured the breakout stars from “High School Musical,” Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu.
My 11-year-old self was living it up in my bedazzled cheetah print fedora holding up a glitter homemade sign that said, “What time is it? CONCERT TIME!”
My mom might have made my sister and I leave before Hudgens had time to sing the masterpiece that is “Sneakernight,” but I definitely dominated that concert.
I can’t remember what the first REAL concert I went to was, but I probably should figure it out or make something new up because telling people that my first concert was a washed-up “American Idol” or a child Disney star duo isn’t very impressive, although it is comical.
Since these simpler times concerts have become a part of my lifestyle.
I don’t know at what point going to concerts became my “thing” but over the past year or two it has consumed my life and my bank account.
The only two things I will always justify spending money on is food and concert tickets — probably because they are the only two things that consistently make me happy and never disappoint. But I digress.
I think one of the main reasons I’ve become addicted to concerts is because of the people in my life.
I’m lucky enough to have two amazing, basic emo friends who have influenced me musically, and share with me the exact same taste in weird, millennial trash.
Sharing artists and songs and moments tied to music with them is just a beautiful thing.
And not to mention that live music itself is simply a gift.
Just to be in a venue surrounded by a bunch of people that you don’t know, bopping to your favorite music and dancing with your best friends is the best feeling ever and gives you that cliché “I love life and living and being alive” feeling.
There’s no better feeling than hearing a song you love and overplay live for the first time, stripped from the typical recorded sound with raw instruments and vocals.
Basically live music is the best and I highly recommend going to see any artist you love live, no matter what the distance or cost is.
One day I’ll probably be forcing my kids to listen to the 2010’s alternative channel like I listen to the “‘80s on 8” every single time I’m in the car with my parents — assuming radio still exists.
While the way we listen to music, artists and genres will change, I’d like to imagine that live music will be something that doesn’t stray too far from its roots in the future.
Although people of different times and backgrounds differ in music taste, live music is still a universal language that brings people together to celebrate life.
While this life is uncertain and seemingly a mess at times, it would be completely and utterly pointless without music, and a world without it is a world I don’t want to live in.
OLIVIA BURGER
