falling in love (all over again) with music

Last Thursday night, I booked it out of the office and risked life and limb by taking the red line to Maryland to catch a ride up to Baltimore to see one of my favorite bands. Dedication: I has it.

I received two tickets from the man on my birthday to see The Airborne Toxic Event at the Rams Head Live in Baltimore, and it was totally unexpected. I love "experience" gifts -- memories last longer than material things. Anywho, we headed up to Baltimore in insane DC rush hour traffic, ready for a good time. 

We got Baltimore, paid an obscene amount of money for parking, made a pit stop at Panera, raced to the venue and took in the scene. It was a massive space, with about three tiers overlooking the stage and a "pit" floor right in front of the stage. We sidled our way to front (as you do) and took our spots for the evening. There were a bunch of teenagers with Xs on their hands, moms and mom-aged women, and a few twenty-somethings. It was a strange mix, to say the least.

First up was The Drowning Men from Oceanside, CA. I looked at their gruff appearance (only the lead singer was without any facial hair) and to be honest, I didn't expect much. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I heard them play and realized they were actually pretty awesome! I picked out a couple influences, but what stuck out was the early 20th century Southern feel (think, the movie "O' Brother Where Art Thou"). They were super original and I was happy to have learned about this band. They are also really nice guys; I got a high-five from Gabe (keyboards & vocals) on the floor later on in the night!

Next came the other featured band, Mona, from Nashville. I had never heard of them before, but to be touring with T.A.T.E., you have to be good.
This band BLEW MY MIND. 

Never before have I been so excited by music, let alone every single song a band has played. Nick, the lead guitarist/vocalist, made me feel like I was seeing a legend in the making. His voice was strong and spot-on, and his tone was just perfection. The band meshed seamlessly and played so well together. I am almost at a loss for words when it comes to describing this band -- I dorkily screamed and smiled and said "THEY ARE SO GOOD" over and over when they were playing.

Next up was the band we were there to see: The Airborne Toxic Event.

I had seen them live at a free concert in Boston a few years ago (The Bravery was also there), and knew I had to see them again. Mikel (vocalist, guitarist) engaged the audience like a good book, while simultaneously sounding exactly like he does on their records. At one point, he climbed up onto some stage equipment that most definitely was not supposed to be climbed on. Mikel got stuck and had to climb off on the second floor/tier. It was amusing, but also very cool. He walked back to the stage from the back of the audience and climbed right on up. I wish I could be a rock star.

They also had to play their most popular song, "Sometime Around Midnight," which came out during my senior year of college and make me super nostalgic.

So, basically, I fell in love with a new band that night. I fell in love with live shows. I also fell in love with music (again). Somehow, along my path from high school to adulthood, I lost my passion for real music. Sure, I listen to music on my iPod and jam along to whatever comes on the radio, but there is something uniquely special about the music-derived euphoria a good live show and album can create.

It as also helpful to have this good looking guy next to me:

New Year's Resolution (made in November... naturally): go to more live shows and discover new acts.