To all the friends I’ve made waiting in line at 7 a.m. when doors don’t open till 6 p.m., or being squished against the barricade with hundreds of other people while screaming along to our favorite songs, this one’s for you.

We were strangers before we got in line, but by the end of the night, it was like we had known each other for years. We found ourselves talking about our lives, our passions, our other favorite bands and so much more. Who knew that in just 12 hours, it could feel like you’ve known someone forever?

When you become friends with someone who loves a band as much as you do - you already have a mutual liking of something, so it’s easier to become friends. When you say that band has been there for you in dark times and how they’ve helped you through all those nights you spent crying alone in your bedroom - they understand. They’ve been there, they know what it’s like and they’ll tell you they’re proud of you for pushing through it.

Usually, you never see that person after the concert and that can be sad, but you can always get their phone number or add them on social media so you can stay in touch. Even though most of the people I have met at concerts live in other parts of the state, or have traveled from other states, I maintain contact with them almost every day.

When you do see them at another concert, it’s like a feeling that I can’t put into words. That person that you never thought you would see again is now standing next to you in line and you’re catching up on what’s happened since the last concert.

Music is universal. It brings people together regardless of race, gender, who they are and where they came from. Music doesn’t care what clothes you wear, how much money you have or what you’ve done in the past. It’s there to unite people, to create friendships, to create memories and to allow people to let go of outside problems, even if it’s just for awhile.

I haven’t seen any of my concert friends in awhile because I’ve been extremely busy and there haven’t been any big concerts that have come through here in awhile, but I do keep in contact with them. It’s exciting to hear about their lives and what they’ve accomplished. I tell them every chance I get how proud of them I am, how glad I am that we met and how much I can’t wait to see them again.

To everyone who is scared to go to concerts by yourself, I’m not going to lie to you, it can be kind of intimidating at first if you don’t know anyone, but I promise you that people at concerts are some of the most beautiful, kind people you’ll ever meet.

If you want to find people who are going to the same concerts as you, Twitter and Instagram are good places to start! You can use hashtags related to the band or artist you are seeing and search through the tags. Fanpages are also another great resource; they are usually easy to find by searching the artist or band you are looking for through Facebook or Instagram as well.