What place makes us feel as alive and kicking as possible? What place makes us really live inside the moment and not in the periphery of a moment, as an outsider looking in? For some people this is an active rafting holiday in Canada, for others a stroll through the mountains in Norway, for some it’s spending a year on the road, travelling the world. And for some it means going to as many concerts as possible, in their own town or in a city they have never been before, because live music is something magical. From the time you enter a venue until the time you are out, sweaty and happy, the only thing that counts is the moment. That moment filled with music that makes you feel as if someone finally understands you or that makes you dance until you lose your breath. That moment that no one can take away from you.
Sometimes seeing your favorite band or artists play means that you’ll have to travel: Going to Amsterdam, to Paris, Berlin, London or anywhere in the USA where a tour might lead a band and the band might lead you. This means that you will inadvertently encounter a different culture, a different atmosphere, and perhaps even different mindsets. It also means meeting people from various places on earth and making friends. A concert venue can, therefore, be seen as a travel destination, just as much as a sandy beach in Spain or the coliseum in Italy.
In a music venue, time and atmosphere change and there is this scintillating vibe of living to a beat or a melody instead of a clock. Going to a concert of a band that you love means that you get to spend at least 1.5 to 2 hours living completely in the moment. Sometimes, however, the whole day leading up to a concert in the evening can feel as if time does not matter: The connections made because of that one band, the waiting in line, reconnecting with the people you have not seen in a while, and the anticipation of hearing that one song played live can make a person dance to the movement of time instead of walking steadily in its pace.
When you have finally passed security and successfully landed yourself and your friends a good spot, there’s the waiting. And yes, waiting can feel as a total waste of time. However, it can also feel as that time before Christmas when you know that Santa will come round with a lot of presents, but you have to wait an entire night or day for it. The moment of anticipation is part of the whole experience and if the moment lives up to that expectation then Christmas, your birthday, and New Year’s Eve coincide.
The most important realization you get from a music event (next to thinking that the band was really good and that music and/ or lyrics really speak to you, or how you enjoyed really letting go for a while) is that it’s not really about the money or about the amount of time you spend or have. It’s about the here and now. It’s about the moment, just this moment. That moment can last 2 weeks, 5 days, or just 5 minutes but how long it lasts is not really relevant. You can die tomorrow or you can live another 70 years. You can spend it waiting for the moment to come but you can also simply live the moment. In letting go of time you actually spend time living and isn’t that what time is made for? You can take pictures, since pictures say a 1000 words. But pictures are framed, frozen moments. They are merely a residue of life and living your life through pictures is a waste of time, because we only have one life.
‘Time to be alive’ 30 seconds to mars- ‘Do or die’
About the Author: Joyce Vos is an independent writer in the blogging, content writing, and translation field. Creative writing, travelling, and drawing/painting are also things she is passionate about.
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