Everyone needs to go to a rock concert at least once in their lives.

Everyone.

Why? Rock concerts are some of the most welcoming environments you'll ever encounter-- especially here in 2017 where it can feel like nobody is safe outside their homes. Let me explain:

When I was 17 and 18, fresh out of high school with zero responsibilities and virtually no bills, I was a concert junkie. I went to at least one a month, sometimes one or two a week, and saw a wide variety of bands, from the techno vibes of Phantogram, to the sad girl^TM pop sounds of Lana Del Rey, all the way to my all time favorite Jersey-native punk band, Gaslight Anthem. I've seen so many different artists, and, in turn, so many different crowds. I always try to make it a point to meet someone new at every show I go to, and the people I've met at rock concerts have, without a doubt, been the friendliest.

I managed to make it out to two concerts in the past week-- something I haven't done in two years. The first was Green Day at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA on St. Patrick's Day. Opening for Green Day was Against Me!, 15-year-old punk-wannabe me's favorite band, fronted by Laura Jane Grace, trans-rights activist and top five of my favorite musicians of the Twenty-First Century.

The atmosphere was everything you'd expect from a true punk show; heavy guitars, drum solos, lyrics with an underlying political message, and an ongoing plea for love, compassion, and equality. This may come as a surprise to some people-- many people are under the impression that the punk scene is filled with a bunch of drunk teenage anarchists, but that's not the case. Punk rock began as a protest genre, protesting the "mainstream" arena rock and disco scenes of the 1970's. The genre's fans often sported crazy hair, piercings, and tattoos-- claiming their body and their appearance as their own, resisting the need to conform to societal norms. As it's developed, the punk genre has continued to be a form of protest, calling on all to practice and encourage human compassion and acceptance of others regardless of appearance, gender, race, and religion.

This call for compassion and acceptance was at the forefront of the Against Me!/Green Day concert, with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong taking several breaks during interludes of songs to spread the message of "No racism, no sexism, no homophobia." The most prominent memory I have of these interludes was at one point, fairly early on in the show, where all the lights went out but one spotlight being directed by Billie Joe. As he spoke, a fan in the balcony displayed the transgender flag, and they held the spotlight on it for part of his speech.

After the show was over, there was a general atmosphere of excitement and companionship in the crowd as we all filed out into the cold March evening. Everyone was engulfed by the feeling of amazement that we had just witnessed such a talented musical act, and that we belonged here. Everyone was smiling, talking to each other-- there was even one guy giving out high fives to people (and I high-fived him on two separate occasions because why not?)

Less than a week later, I found myself at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA to see Chris Farren, lead singer of the bands Fake Problems and Antarctigo Vespucci, play on a solo tour with local band Cowboy Boy, and katie ellen, the new musical project of former Chumped members Anika Pyle and Dan Frelly. The venue was much smaller than the DCU Center, and, in turn, was much more intimate. I stood toward the right of the stage, a few rows back near the merch tables where the bands hung out and sold their merchandise between sets.

I mostly kept to myself and my friend who'd gone with me here, not making any new friends, but that didn't mean the crowd was any less welcoming than at Green Day-- or any other rock show I've been to. Every act that went on stage expressed their gratitude for their fellow musicians, their tour manager/photographer Emily, and for the crowd for coming out to hear the art they've worked so hard on.

During Chris's set, he talked about how he felt like a "weirdo" most times, but he was glad to be in a room of fellow weirdos. That was the feeling in the air as people danced along to his unique, electronically backed alternative songs-- we were all a bunch of weirdos, but we felt welcomed and accepted. A few days after the show in Cambridge, at the end of his short tour with katie ellen, Chris took to Instagram to once again thank everyone involved in the tour, and to express how much he loved being "on tour and in rooms full of other weirdos."

While Green Day, Against Me!, and Chris Farren have different musical styles–Green Day and Against Me! being more heavy punk and Chris's solo work being more electronic–both shows had the same amount of admiration and acceptance making its way from the stage to the crowd. People felt comfortable here, surrounded by people with similar music tastes and different backgrounds.

I've never experienced this feeling at a pop concert. I've never experienced this feeling anywhere, really... except for at a rock show. People feel safe. People feel accepted. People feel at home.