I attended a concert this last weekend.
It was the band Underøath.
Another great band was there, Caspian, who opened the show.
Underøath has been, and will always be, one of my all time favorite bands.
They broke up about 3 years ago, but recently got back together and are currently doing a Rebirth tour.
We attended their show here in Boise.
My best friend and his lovely wife flew into town to visit my lovely wife and I, as well as, see this show with us.
Ryan and I were each other's best men and have been best friends since high school.
We have also been in a band together.
Underøath was a band that helped to forge the bond we still have to this day, and they have influenced our music for as long as I can remember.
Recently, in my current band (TREBUCHET), I have been struggling with some doubt and fear.
I want so badly to be a part of the scene my band is trying to be in and I love making music, but I also love playing it more.
I want to make a difference through it.
I could do it in another genre, but I have come to realize that the emotions I want people to relate to, and that I need to express, cannot sufficiently be executed outside the genre TREBUCHET is in.
Perhaps this is because my musical interest began in this scene, but no matter the reason; it is where I belong, and I will not be giving up any time soon.
Something that has helped me come to this conclusion was the recent Underøath concert I attended with my good friends and band mates, past and present.
It was a glorious experience.
Caspian played, and we had a wonderful time.
It was an excellent start to what would be an unforgettable night.
Just before Underøath came on, the fire alarm went off in the venue and we all had to evacuate.
This would have been a bummer, but I got to high five the keyboardist from Underøath on my way out.
AWESOME!
Once things were resolved, we got back into place, as best as we could, as we anticipated the return of our favorite band, who we all thought were dead and gone for good.
The beginning of their set was awesome!
Their plan was to play through their first two albums, front to back.
So much glorious nostalgia.
I stood there jumping with my guitarists, past and present, but I also watched as the other vocalist in my band (Lane) ran into what we all call a 'pit'.
The 'pit' is a mass of people going crazy with, and throwing their bodies at, each other.
It is incredible!
Slowly, a strong desire began to brew within me.
I had not been a part of a pit much in the past shows I'd been to, because I had always strived to be up front near the band, or I would end up standing there rocking on and enjoying the music.
That wasn't going to suffice anymore.
If I was going to be up front at this show, I needed to become one with the pit.
I needed to traverse the chaos by embracing the chaos.
So I did..
I ran full steam into the active pit.
Everyone was so sweaty, so I, with ease, slid right up to the front. (After slipping and falling in sweat, that is.)
The atmosphere, once up front, was so electric.
It is something I will never forget.
This experience, amongst the chaos, reminded me of why I am so passionate about this type of music I love so much.
It is so very hard to replicate the energy I felt.
I truly belong there.
But I also dream to create that kind of atmosphere on stage.
The stage can be seen as a plateau.
I had lost sight of what I most greatly desired because of doubt and fear.
It took me entering the chaotic pit, in order to look forward to playing from the plateau.