All of a sudden, the lights begin to dim. The crowd around you begins to cheer and scream. Anticipation fills your body; you know you only have minutes, or seconds to wait. Then, the first few notes echo through the air and you can see them and hear them. This is it, the moment you have been dreaming of since you first fell in love with that song. You begin to jump up and down, and sing along, losing yourself in the rhythm and lyrics. These are the moments you never forget, this feeling, this experience, this absolute bliss.

Those are the feelings that any music fan knows if they have ever seen their favorite band live in concert. To you, and to every diehard fan in the crowd, it is not just a concert, but a life altering experience. It’s a moment in which time seems to stop or slow down, and the only things that matter are you, the band, and their music.

I still remember the first time I saw my favorite band in concert. Back in sixth grade, my 12-year-old self was obsessed with Bon Jovi. I spent hours upon hours listening to my favorite Bon Jovi songs and memorizing the words. Every family road trip included either "Living on a Prayer", or "Wanted Dead or Alive", which, much to my brother’s dismay, I would sing at the top of my lungs. I always dreamed of seeing them in concert, and finally, my dreams came true. When Bon Jovi went on tour near us, my parents bought tickets and took me and my older brother to see them. I was in heaven. I was always jealous of my older brother, who my parents had already taken to see concerts before, but now it was my turn, and we were seeing the band whose lyrics were permanently etched into my brain. It was a dream comes true.

I still remember getting ready for the concert that night, playing my favorite Bon Jovi CD while I brushed my hair and put on my "Have a Nice Day" T-shirt. After a quick train ride, we were there. I was literally rocking back and forth in my seat, unable to sit still from my excitement. This was it, my moment. The lights went out, they hit the stage, and Jon Bon Jovi’s voice filled the venue. I still remember singing along to every song, and staring nonstop at the stage, afraid that if I looked away, even for a second, they would disappear. It was an eye-opening, unforgettable experience for me. Hearing their lyrics live made the words more powerful to me, and each note seemed magical. I never felt so alive before that moment, so connected to something. It was a turning point for me, the moment when I truly fell in love with music, and the connections it has in my life.

Since then, I have been lucky enough to have that experience over and over again. As I’ve grown older, my music interests have changed slightly, and I’ve been able to see other bands perform. But, no matter how many concerts I see, the magic of hearing those words, feeling the power behind the band’s message, and soaking in the atmosphere, never gets old. It is one of those unique experiences that you can never forget, and you would never give up.