Many people do not understand why I go to so many concerts, or why I have a deep connection with my favorite bands. Music has always been a piece of my being, as I have gotten older it has turned into something greater. Now the majority of my money goes to seeing my favorite bands live.
Ever since the Alternative Press Tour 2010, all I have wanted to do is go to concerts. I used to go to only a handful a year. Now I go to about 20 or 30 a year. Going to concerts is the one thing I fully want to experience over and over again because I am genuinely happy in those moments. Hearing lyrics live that I have built a deep connection with brings me a sense of comfort and joy. Concerts are the place where I create most of my happiest memories, and my greatest friendships. Concerts became my escape, the place I could just forget about everything hard for a while and feel relieved.
I remember going to my first concert, The Jonas Brothers (don’t judge), with my mom a summer during middle school. At that age, they meant everything to me and seeing them live changed everything. I never listened to their songs the same. Now when I listen to them, all those great memories with my mom come back. Ever since then I wanted to recreate memories like that with my other favorite bands.
I also found All Time Low, my all-time favorite band, that same summer. My whole life transformed when I found them on MySpace. As a band, All Time Low has created an escape for themselves and their fans, along with a sense of community. During their concert, the people surrounding me all have the same love and happiness for both their songs, and the band as people. When I see All Time Low live, all of my troubles fade away the minute they start to play. I can be free, even if it is only for an hour. They taught me that it is okay to be yourself and that you do not have to be okay all the time. Honestly, they are the reason that I have kept moving forward during my hardest times in life.
I am about to finish my second year of college and actually have an idea of what I want to do with my life now. I know I want to work in the music industry in some capacity, whether I am going on tour or owning my own concert venue. Having my passion as part of my career is all I can ask for to stay truly happy.