Concert #1
Trivia: it is kind of humiliating to admit that this is the first concert that I have watched live, inside a concert venue, with a live crowd. It’s a coming of age experience, I suppose. I’m trying to think that age 25 is not yet too late to experience the kind of thing I should have had in highschool. Being a late bloomer may be a lame excuse. But its still a valid excuse, right? :)
I came across Switchfoot in high school back in 2003. And I know one can never remember Switchfoot without bringing back the tearjerking moments of the movie, A Walk To Remember (the band sang most of the movie’s soundtrack). It was a fond high school memory of me and my friends inside the movie theater crying our hearts out when Mandy Moore and Shane West exchanged vows shortly before Mandy Moore’s untimely demise in the movie.
Me and my best friend have so much heart for Switchfoot because it reminded us of high school. So when we learned about them coming back to Manila for a concert, there were really no second thoughts. We immediately bought tickets and made sure to free our schedules on April 30.
So there, it was Switchfoot Live in Manila last April 30.
Being first-timers, we were discreetly observing how a concert gets done, just so we may know what to do in the next concert to watch. We were hushing to each other of the things that we couldn’t help but notice. Here they go:
1. ON TIME. You never really have to be too early when going to a concert. The time you have to allot waiting in line is directly proportional to the level of popularity of the artist that you’re going to watch. If its Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift or whoever the kids nowadays are emulating, then there may be a dire need to be half-a-day earlier. But if it’s a band that the kids of 2003 have loved to pieces, then you won’t really need to fuss about not getting a good seat. Their flunked popularity will surely give you a decent seat no matter what time you arrive at the venue. [special thanks to ate vienna who debriefed me about this:) ]
2. RESEARCH. When you go to a concert, make sure that you are quite familiar with the artist. And when I say familiarity, it should be on a fan-level. The more fan you are, the better. Why? Because for you to be able to ensure surefire fun, you should know their songs that well, so you could hum along, or better yet, sing along. During the Switchfoot concert, we were caught open-mouthed discovering how much everyone else was singing along with the band’s songs. Switchfoot was singing Chinese to me all night long until they sang the songs that I know, that’s how alienating the experience is if you don’t know the songs.
3. BE ALIVE. One vital component when watching a concert is PARTICIPATION. This may be kinda funny but really, there will be moments when you will need to shout your heart out and sing along like there’s no tomorrow. You will automatically shout your heart out just by the natural high you feel when you hear them dish out your favorite song. I was contemplating about hating the concert until Switchfoot sang “Learning to Breathe”and “Dare You To Move”. And hearing them sing these songs live was just larger than life. And that’s not even an exaggeration.
4. FEEL AT HOME. Concerts define a certain generation. Since these artists have made their mark in a particular era, it is automatic that their gigs also turn into fellowships of the people belonging to that era. Switchfoot was popular when we were in highschool. And even before the concert itself, while waiting in line, my best friend and I just felt so at home. It was like highschool in 2003. The people we were in line with wore the same fashion style we have. No one was wearing Vans shoes. The boys were not in their skinny jeans. No one was wearing their hats sideways and over the top. It was really an event that made us realize that we all grew up on the same era.
So we were really first timers, and I just hope the people we were around with didn’t notice our inexperience. Its just nice to watch a band that you’ve never really outgrown loving. Switchfoot is no longer making a big scene so their concerts are already considered rare, almost once in a lifetime events. I’m just psyched that before they disband or plainly fade away in the music scene, I was able to watch them perform live :)
