What is the biggest difference between the two following scenarios?
Scenario One: You are laying in bed in your dorm room, trying to sleep but failing miserably. You are worried about a chemistry test in the morning. To try to help you sleep, you put in your ear buds and set your smartphone's music player to Shuffle. You skip the first song that comes on - too energetic. The next song is just plain depressing, certainly not what you are looking for. And Song #3: eek! Finally, you find the perfect song, and you listen to it all the way through in its entirety. Immersed in the music, you find the song's album and listen to it, start to finish. You begin to learn the lyrics to certain songs, mouthing them to yourself (your roommate might think you are crazy). You think about the lyrics and wonder why the artist wrote about that particular subject. You reflect on your own life, wondering if there are parts interesting enough to put into a popular song. With these thoughts and song lyrics floating around your head, you at last, drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Scenario Two: You are waiting in line outside the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans with your best friend. You were both worried about traffic, so you arrived in New Orleans four hours before the start of the show. Now you wait outside the doors, impatient, but you are at the front of the line (though it really does not matter, since this show has assigned seating). You notice the other fans around you and what they are wearing. Some are wearing the same t-shirts, you see several of the 2002 Lateralus tour shirts on some of the older fans. You see a massive portrait tattoo of the lead singer on a fan's back. Impressive dedication. When the doors at last open, you take the stairs instead of the escalator, savoring every moment you are spending in the building. Finding your assigned seat is easy. Containing your excitement when the lights in the stadium dim is not. The opener is unique, so you are definitely paying attention. The next act is even weirder, incorporating trippy visuals, drawling vocals and dissonant instrumentation. At last, the main act comes on, and you scream so hard your throat feels like it might rip apart. You know the word to every song and you sing along with Maynard as he hides in the shadows on stage, instead letting the insane lights and visuals take precedence in the show.
Both scenarios are, in my opinion, some of the best you can experience. One of the best reasons to enjoy life is because of all the music we have to listen to, and every way of listening to it is great: iPod, vinyl, car, stadium. However, I encourage you all, even though money is tight, to save up and buy those concert tickets you have been dying to get. Even though listening to flawless studio-quality tracks on your phone is nice, there is nothing quite as thrilling as seeing the same song performed live. It will be extremely noisy, and not every venue has the best high-end audio equipment. You might cringe because of feedback or because the drums are louder than the guitars. The performers will swear and possibly mess up lyrics, but you will be surrounded by a million amps of energy in different forms, fellow fans and audio and lights and good vibes. You won't just hear the music, you will feel the music. You will hear it echo in your very bones well into the next day.
I implore you all. For 2016, save up your money and go to your dream concert. Do it because life is empty without music, and it should be experienced in the fullest.
