When I was younger, I absolutely loved concerts. The energy of the crowd as the performers emerged on stage; people dancing and scream singing the lyrics to each song; and seeing the way an artist performs a certain song, how they change it up. I loved concerts, and I loved the feelings that came with them.
But as I got older, I learned the trials and pains of dealing with anxiety. I have intense anxiety when it comes to being in a crowd. I had a hard time going to any place with a crowd, including the concerts I used to love so much.
I still deal with that anxiety, but I recently went to see one of my favorite bands, and it made me remember why I loved going to concerts so much. I thought I’d share some of the highlights with you, how it fueled my creativity, and even a few revelations I ended up having regarding my anxiety.
A bit about the band and venue
Before I begin, I should probably give some information on the band. Some people have no idea who these guys are- which I honestly have a hard time believing, they are fantastic.
Young The Giant is a band made up of five guys, and their sound is alternative with some indie rock vibes. The members consist of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar as well), Payam Doostzadeh (bass guitar), and Francois Comtois (drums). They formed in Irvine, California, and have released four studio albums: Young The Giant, Mind Over Matter, Home Of The Strange, and the latest, Mirror Master. Some of their most popular or well know songs include Apartment, Cough Syrup, Amerika, and Oblivion. If you haven’t heard any of their music yet, stop whatever you are doing and look up these guys asap. You’ll thank me later.
We saw them at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Ampitheatre, which is one of my favorite venues. It is an outdoor venue, but it’s pretty low-key and typically has a good energy from the crowd.
First act and getting situated
We arrived at the venue right as the first opening act was taking the stage. We ended up using this time to use the restroom, grab a t shirt and water, and then find our seats. I could tell from the beginning that this was going to have a good feel to it. It had a low key vibe, and it made me feel more at ease. The weather was perfect- it had just rained not too far from the venue, so it wasn’t too humid or hot. It was a perfect day for a concert, with a great energy and vibe in the venue. I mean, what more could you ask for?
As much as I needed to take that time to get settled, I wish I had stuck around to see more of the first opener, Coin. I had never heard of this band before, but they were really good.
They also interacted with the crowd well. They were so polite, actually, and were thankful to be there. I love it when bands are like that, they realize that being able to do this is something they should be grateful they get to do, and I am so glad that they get too. The bands that are grateful and glad to get to perform usually put on a better show- and that was definitely the case here. I am definitely looking up their music, because I loved what I heard and have a huge amount of respect for these guys now.
Fitz And The Tantrums
So if you haven’t heard of Fitz And The Tantrums, they are a funk-pop band, and definitely have an indie sound to them. I had heard some of their music before, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting them to be that great live. I always pictured them as more of a studio band.
But boy was I wrong.
They were amazing live. The band had such chemistry together, and really engaged with the crowd. They sounded ten times better live (not that they don’t sound great on the albums), and completely exceeded my expectations. I was completely surprised- but in the best way possible. They played songs that I knew: Out Of My League, HandClap, 12346, and new stuff as well. After just half of their set, they had most of the crowd dancing along, and I’d say the whole crowd before they finished. I was impressed and am now trying to listen to more of their stuff, because they are amazing. (Side note: as I was writing this, a Fitz And The Tantrums song came up on my playlist). If you like indie bands and saxophones, go look them up. They are pretty amazing!
Young The Giant
Okay, so now the main event. I love these guys so much; their lyrics and music resonate with me. Tightrope is one of my favorite songs that they have released, because of the feeling and situation it describes. And it’s also really upbeat and fun to dance to.
I had really high hopes for these guys, and was anxiously waiting for them to take the stage. But I couldn’t have imagined that they would be as good as they were.
We had a bet to see which song they would open with (Heat Of The Summer or Simplify), but all of us ended up being wrong. They opened with Oblivion, and it just got better from there.
They started off with a newer song, but they ended up playing most of their older stuff overall. Sameer is an amazing frontman, and although he didn’t talk much, he really worked the stage and the crowd. My dad used the word “professional” to describe them, and he could not have said it better. They didn’t curse (except for a word or two in the song), they didn’t have to shock anyone, and they knew what their fans would like. They played a lot of the fan favorites, and I appreciated that as a fan. I really wasn’t expecting them to play some of the songs that they did, especially since 1) they weren’t from the latest album, and 2) most of them weren’t singles.
For example, they played Titus Was Born. That’s another one of my favorite songs, but it’s not a single, and doesn’t pick up until the end of the song. I would never think that they would play that song- but they did. And when they came back out for an encore, they played each song that we wanted them to play- my friend loved their song Superpostiton, and they came back out and played it. They also played Tightrope, and I was ecstatic. I was so happy that they played my song, and then followed with one of my dad’s favorites, Silvertongue. It was a great show, with great weather and great people.
What I Took Away From This Concert
So, I mentioned earlier that I learned some things from this experience. For one, my love of seeing concerts was ignited a bit, as I was able to last the whole show despite my anxiety with crowds. I learned to face that fear a bit, and that there are things I can do to curb that anxiety. I’ve learned that there are certain venues I prefer, and that if I want to see a band or artist, it needs to be at those venues.
I learned that people are often kinder than you think they’ll be, as most crowds can be anything but kind. At the right location, you often will find the right people to aid in the experience- a friendly staff, generally nicer people around you, and people who will respect your space. And that last point is crucial. As someone who deals with low vision and night blindness, having people who won’t stop right in front of you or make a big deal about your situation, that’s a big deal. The people around me were respectful of the fact that I genuinely could not see them, and allowed me to have room to get around. And the few times that I accidentally bumped into someone, they weren’t rude, and didn’t make a big deal out of it.
Now, not every experience is the same, but I am so glad that I was able to have a great time and a great crowd to go with it. It also inspired my creativity, as any great performance should. I’m trying to learn the songs that they played on guitar, and it has inspired my writing. A lot of their music has the feel of the novel I’m working on, which will one day be finished.
All in all, it was a great show, and I would recommend seeing them to anyone who has the opportunity.
Have you been to any good concerts lately? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time š
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