It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Fall festival lineup announcement time is here. Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest, among others, have been flooding my feed with temptation for the last couple of weeks, if not months. As excited as I am about the possibility of new shows and seeing some of my long awaited favorites perform as an avid concert goer, I am also terrified. Even though the last few weeks I’ve managed to be excited about upcoming trips and upcoming shows, that doesn’t negate the fear that is now in my heart when it comes to these large gatherings. After everything that has happened at shows recently, from Paris to Manchester, it really has me questioning my passion for live music. As an avid concert goer, I’ve been around a lot of annoying and potentially dangerous situations, but I don’t think I’ve ever feared for my life. Since the moment I discovered the live music scene, concerts have provided a place of comfort and security and I know that this is the reality for a lot of us. Whether it’s the small local show, a huge outdoor festival, or an indoor stadium concert, concerts are a place for a group of fans to come together and listen to the music that makes them feel most at ease.
However, recent events have taken that feeling of security and comfort away. I don’t think I’ll ever feel OK at any show, no matter how big or small, again. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop going. Life is risky and it comes with all these unexpected tragedies and disasters that are meant to cause fear that makes us stop in our tracks. These acts of terror and violence are meant to call for a change in the way we do our daily lives and routines, but I don’t think I can be scared of the unknown at the expense of something I love.These bands, these concerts, these groups of fans are a lot of the reason that I'm still here. This means that letting the fear of the unknown stop me from continuing to go to shows and enjoying my life to the fullest would be doing a disservice to myself. We only have one life to live and there are so many things in this world that are meant to cause us harm and take away our sense of comfort, but I refuse to accept that this is one thing I lose because of other people's actions. Music is an act of protest in so many places and we just have to keep choosing to use it as an act of peace in the face of things and people that just want to instill fear.
