“Loving a band with all your heart is something you only understand when it happens to you. On the surface, others can see it as a petty obsession, but they’ll just never know the feeling of putting so much faith into a few people on the other side of the world. It’s hard to explain it to them, the listening to song after song on repeat, the waits for new albums, the excitement and surreal sensation when you finally see them live. They don’t understand why the lyric booklets give you a sense of comfort, or why you paste photos of them all over your bedroom walls. And they can’t understand why one band could matter to you so much. And you think to yourself, ‘because they saved my life’ but you say nothing, they wouldn’t understand.”
- Alex Gaskarth.
The validity behind this statement that Alex Gaskarth offers is so strong it's ridiculous. Loving a band with all your heart is something truly special and to be able to experience that is a feeling unlike any other in the world. This holds true for anyone who loves a band with their whole being, as many of my friends can attest to. For me, that band is All Time Low, and the impact they've had on my life is so huge that I had to address it at some point.
I discovered All Time Low in the summer of 2009 thanks to a friend of mine. We were on an away trip with camp to Club Getaway and were sitting on the dock by the lake, talking about the music we listen to. Somehow they came up and I figured that I would probably like them since our taste is so similar, so I decided to look them up when I got home. That one encounter changed my life forever and in some way I'll be forever indebted to her for introducing me to them.
Since then, this one band has played such a huge part in my life. I've seen them 8 times since discovering them, and somehow it always feels as if it's the first time. These 4 guys from Baltimore and their music have been there for me through every hardship I've faced in the last 7 years and are so much of the reason why I've been able to power through them. They've helped me discover personal strength I didn't know I had, which is something that I'll never take for granted.
In addition to all the emotional things, this band has introduced me to people that I never would've met otherwise. These wonderful people live in multiple states around the country and are now some of my best friends, and I'm so thankful for them and their friendship. Even from hundreds of miles away they've been able to pick me up when I'm down and send love my way when I needed it most, which is such a special privilege to have.
Their shows make me feel alive in ways that I didn't know were possible. Their lyrics speak to me in special ways, hit home on numerous personal experiences that I've had in the past, remind me I'm not alone, and help me power through my struggles.
There's definitely people out there that don't understand how or why a single band means so much to me. They don't understand why I've seen them so many times, and why I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. They don't understand how people hundreds of miles away that I've only seen in person once or twice, could possibly be some of my best friends. There's so much they don't understand, but I wouldn't trade that for the world, because this band, and my band has given me so many feelings and experiences that I never would have had without them. All that I've gained from this band is so special to me and will always be held close to my heart.
So what's the truth behind loving a band with all your heart? The truth behind loving a band with all your heart is that it's one of the most special feelings in the world. It can help lift you up when nothing else seems to work, and it teaches you how to love unconditionally. It shows you the true value of hard work, that nothing worth having ever comes easy, and that if you really put your mind to it, you can achieve anything. So if people don't understand, so be it. I love "my band" with all my heart, am extremely dedicated to them, and nothing will ever take away how special that is to me.
