saturday (fun.)

 

the new fun. cd has not left my car cd player since it was released a couple months ago... so needless to say, i was pretty excited about going to one of their shows last night.  i had a pretty good feeling it would be a great show, and i wasn't disappointed in any way. 

i had a perfect view the entire time. how rare is that? and everyone around me was dancing & singing (even to the songs from their first album aim & ignite from 2009, so they obviously weren’t there just to hear “we are young”). it was the greatest atmosphere you could ask for at a pop concert. nate, the lead singer, is so dynamic. during a song called "take your time," there is a natural pause and the crowd began to cheer... and the cheers continued & continued to the point where he was standing at the microphone with his hands on his head, a faint smile on his face, and tears welling in his eyes. i watched this as i clapped my hands above my head for him, his music, his band, his dream, believing so intently in what it means to him. he attempted to continue the song after a moment, but the cheering & clapping never wavered, so he continued to stand there watching the crowd, as if he were in disbelief that this was his life on this stage with fans giving it up for him.  i’m not sure that i have ever witnessed a musician lose themselves like that on stage before. most of the bands i see come across so guarded on stage, like “rock stars” who portray a certain persona, or the act of performing is so rote that such vulnerability never has a chance of bursting through the music.

i have been a fan of my favorite band for fifteen years and have seen them 27 times in concert, but over those years & years of concerts i don’t think i have ever seen that type of emotion come across from them on stage, that vulnerable humility. even when they trip over guitar cords, forget lyrics, or play practical jokes on each other or their backup musicians. so to witness that from nate took this show to the next level for me.  it’s awesome to see that from musicians because you know they have just as much respect for you & for that moment & the position they’re in.

i know so many people who can wrap words around the feeling that music brings to their hearts more eloquently than i can, but i had to try to find some words to attach to the meaning that this band and this concert had for me last night, as it's been on my mind all day. i hope you will check out their tour dates and see them in a city near you during the next couple months!  have you been to any great concerts lately?  i would love to hear about it!