The year was 2003. I was 13 years old and I had just begged my parents to let me go to my first concert. I had reluctantly asked considering I was positive the answer was going to be no and I wanted it so bad! Lucky for me, I had asked my older cousin to be the chaperone (and ride-giver). He willingly obliged. As I proposed the idea of the concert, my parents were ready to reject my proposal (A rock concert? It’s dangerous! It’s rough! There are crazy people there! And so on and so forth.) Then I mentioned that my cousin would be taking me. The entire atmosphere of the conversation changed. Who knew that all I needed to mention were two magical words? Responsible adult.
So it was settled. My best friend and I were going to the tenth anniversary of Edgefest at the Peoria Sports Complex! The excitement of the impending concert was all that possessed my brain for the next week. I remember waiting in the long line of cars that were pulling into the Sports Complex, and wondering what the day would hold. I was not disappointed. The bands of my youth were better than I dreamed possible. It was only my first concert, but every set I saw seemed to burn itself into my psyche forever. Brand New, The Format, Authority Zero, Rooney, Taking Back Sunday, and Dashboard Confessional. I remember being so close to Brand New, I could see the sweat falling from his hair as the lead singer pranced energetically around the stage. And then, being so far from The Format that I had to stand up on my tip toes just to see the lead singer do his thing on the stage, trying to dance whilst doing so. I left that day covered in grime that was the product of a hundred other people’s sweat including my own, and my hair could be quantified as a horrific sweaty catastrophe. “Hot Mess” could have been my adjective for the day. But I had never felt better.
Ever since that day, music (and concerts) have been a huge part of my life. The adrenaline rush of a live concert and the contagious excitement from all the people gathered is a feeling that is hard to capture elsewhere. The way a song can stay with you through all the wack-a-doodle parts of life is what makes me come back for more. Music can get you through the good and the bad. It can bring people of all different walks together for at least one night of the week. This blog is to let you know about the live music scene that thrives in our city, and also a way to learn a few new songs. Music (of all types) is meant to be shared, and this blog is my way of doing that. So tune in each week as I bring you live picks from the Valley and sounds to tickle your fancy. Feel free to contact me at Gabrielle.Marshall@asu.edu.
