My middle school heart just about stopped when, on September 9th, 2016 at 8 PM, I saw now-brunette teen heartthrob Jesse McCartney in concert! I am usually not one for concerts. Brushing up against sweaty people I do not know, hooting and hollering until my throat hurts and having the bass pulse against my ear drums until I'm sure I've lost my hearing are things that aren't up my alley, to say the least. But I couldn't resist when that beautiful soul came to my campus last week.
Here are nine things I've learned from that experience!
1. Queueing for a concert an hour and a half early still won't get you front row.
I thought I was making a smart move by lining up at the stage an hour and a half before the show was scheduled to start. Nope! The girls in the front row were there an hour previous. If only if I didn't have classes!
2. Always pee before you line up.
I personally didn't make this mistake, but one of the fans in the front did and ended up losing her spot. You snooze, you lose!
3. Backpacks make great buffers.
I don't know if this makes me a jerk or innovative. Since I'm a commuter, I always have my backpack with me. I didn't want it getting crushed under the footsteps of careless concert goers, so I kept it on. What I realized later was that no one could get uncomfortably close to me since I had my bag on! Me: 1, Everybody Else: 0.
4. Opening acts introduce you to great music.
I've never heard of Never Shout Never, but they actually have some amazing songs! *goes to buy every record ever*
5. Wear ear plugs if you value your hearing.
Despite being warned about this a few days beforehand, I still forgot-- and the ringing in my ears reminded me hours later. Please, please, please wear headphones when going to hear live music. Especially if you plan on being in the front row, a.k.a where the speakers are!
Think about it. Those speakers are trying to get the music to the back of the crowd. And you have your head right next to them, getting that at full-force. Ouch!
6. People push. Hard.
I may have showed-up an hour and a half early, but there were people who were twenty minutes late thinking that they could elbow their way to the front row. Sorry, not going to happen! Me and my backpack are fine just where we are, thanks.
7. Live music beats recorded music, by a long shot.
I may or may not have pre-gammed Jesse McCartney's music the entire week before the show... but if I had, it wouldn't have held a light to the sound of his music performed live. Feeling the bass rattle in my chest and the effect of the in-person performance was almost too much to take in all at once.
8. Jesse McCartney still has an amazing voice.
He may have aged a bit, now rocking the stage at 29-years-old, but he's still a heartthrob, even if he's no longer a teen. I could say more, but I think the hundreds of students who came out to watch him perform on Friday night says enough for how much we all still love Jesse!
9. He still loves "Beautiful Soul" as much as we do.
Cheekily, Jesse left the stage at the "end" of his show, only to come back amid a thunderous chant of "Jesse!" and ask his crowd "Did I forget something?" After we screamed in response, that yes, he had, the familiar notes of "Beautiful Soul" beat through the speakers. It was like I was in middle school again. It was perfect.
