There’s an inexplicable feeling of joy in being surrounded by artists performing music they’re passionate about and equally passionate fans. As lovers of music, both of us found the loss of live music events during the pandemic devastating, though certainly not as much as it was for the artists. Below are our reflections on what having live music events back means to us:
Eloise – In Oct. 2020, I went to a virtual concert to support Sir Chloe, a traditional indie band, even though I didn’t actively listen to them at that point.
After the virtual show, I remember reflecting on live shows I had gone to before the pandemic. I felt oddly nostalgic thinking about venues, something I think I’d taken for granted before.
There really is something indescribable about live music. One year after that virtual show, as the Cat’s Cradle and other local venues reopened, I saw Wavves, an indie rock band, live. Funnily enough, I had tickets to go see them back in 2019, but the show was canceled due to COVID.
It was magical. Being surrounded by fellow music lovers, even for a band that I was last passionate about two years ago, established a feeling of community that I hadn’t felt in two years. Since then, I saw Destroy Boys Nov. 30 at Local 506 with Walker, even though, once again, I haven’t listened to the band since I was 15.
There’s always been a nagging voice in the back of my mind that tells me no one really cares about live shows. I was so worried that Cat’s Cradle or Local 506 would go out of business during the pandemic. It was refreshing to know that they didn’t, and I can only hope that they won’t. The beauty of seeing an artist perform right before my eyes is a sight I never want to forget.
Walker – My 2020 was supposed to be chock-full of concerts. Obviously, this didn’t happen, but throughout isolation I held on to the distant memory of tightly packed venues and echoes of cherished songs.
This summer, when concerts started to be announced, I was ecstatic. Like Eloise, a big chunk of the musicians I listen to no longer tour, but that didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care about who was playing, I just wanted to go to a show.
On a whim, I bought tickets to see Indigo De Souza, a genreless North Carolina-based singer who someone recommended to me. Though I hadn’t really listened to De Souza that much, I was curiously excited to go to a concert for the first time in over 18 months.
When my friend Ana and I entered the Cat’s Cradle, I began to feel more like myself again. The darkness of the venue was comforting, and as soon as De Souza came on stage, an inexplicable feeling passed over me. Hearing these songs about complex love, identity, and coming of age packed full of guitar, danceable energy and pure, unbridled emotion felt like the last piece of a puzzle coming together. De Souza’s angelic voice, combined with the rush of being in a crowd of other people for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I felt whole.
Music was solely personal to me and many others for a year, and the magic of listening to a cherished artist perform in the flesh was lost upon us. I’m grateful for the return of live music, and how lovely it is to be with each other again.
Photo by Eloise Rich/The ECHO
