I've cried at quite a few concerts, but the youtube video linked to in this post is a concert I was at a couple of years ago...wow that feels a lot longer...and Death Cab for Cutie closed this song with an orchestral rendition of what is, to me, their most emotional and perfect song.
Even listening to the album of Transatlanticism gives me chills whenever the guitar kicks in and for the last few minutes of the song. Seriously though, this live version, oh my god the string section adds so many layers to this song. It's incredible.
How about you? When and why?
I once went to a concert with my future wife to see Rufus Wainwright. Upon walking in I saw my ex-girlfriend and her date. I wasn't yet over that relationship even though I was starting a very important new one. During the concert I enjoyed the company of my future wife very much and was glad that it was her at the show with me. That said, I had listened to Rufus's album Poses many times with my ex. In fact, for a good while we had sex to it regularly. Those songs were charged with emotion. It was a confusing show. What made me buy those tickets? What made my ex buy those tickets? Was it both our way of saying "I'm over this?" Well, regardless of the "why" I ended up crying during Poses, the song.
Sex to Rufus Wainwright? Damn, dude. That's intense. I would feel so incredible uncomfortable in the situation you just described. That'd make an excellent #askhubski question, don't you think? "What was your way of saying 'I'm over this?'" for...anything really.What made me buy those tickets? What made my ex buy those tickets? Was it both our way of saying "I'm over this?"
After spending 5 formative years with someone, can you ever really be "over" them? They've become a part of you forever, no?
I...don't know. My longest relationship is a little less than half that amount of time, and I don't think enough time has passed for me to have a good answer to that question.After spending 5 formative years with someone, can you ever really be "over" them? They've become a part of you forever, no?
The first time music has ever made me literally cry was last week, actually. I went to see this band Lucius and it was incredible. The whole set gave me chills, and then towards the end they brought out Jeff Tweedy as a special guest and played "Jesus etc." I wish i could have taken a video but, alas, i was too busy crying. I don't know why that particular song at that particular show was the first to make me cry... I guess it had a lot to do with other things going on in my life and the vulnerable emotional state i was in when i got there. Jeff got on stage and just tore my insides to pieces - in the best way possible, of course. Everyone in the crowd sang along at first, but then we all had this unspoken understanding that we should be silent and soak in every bit of the performance that we could. It was great.
I don't go to concerts anymore. I'm probably too old, too crusty, too grumpy. I really dislike people singing along. I dislike drunk people singing along even more. (disclaimer - obviously some songs are meant to be sung along with - at the band's request- but otherwise STFU). The off-tempo "clapping along" that inevitably happens (4:10 in this video) drives me crazy. I don't smoke weed by choice - and going to concerts now basically means smoking weed whether you like it or not. That's not to mention the ticket price, the parking, the waiting in line, the disrespectful folks who hold a phone up in front of you the whole time… At one point at a Raidohead concert at Red Rocks a dozen years ago I thought - "This sounds so much better on the hi-fi at home. I could buy almost their whole collection on vinyl for the cost of this ticket ". And at that moment - concerts kinda died for me. Despite knowing my distaste for concerts, my wife bought a pair of tickets for Broken Social Scene on their tour a few years ago. It was possibly the best concert I've ever been to. They were the opening band at a small venue in town, so only a few other "fans" were there. None of them were drunk yet. Just 50-100 people there to bathe in the music and have a good time. The set was super electric. Toward the end - when Charles Spearin flung his guitar behind him and some one literally threw him a trumpet as the horns section entered stage right - I got that rush you only get when you're 5 feet away from musical genius and they're sweating and giving everything they have- as if pouring their souls into the show. As I howled and screamed and applauded at the end of that song I glanced over at my wife and she was looking at me as if to say "I'm so happy that you're happy". That's when it broke loose. tears of joy. tears of elation. tears of gratitude for my wife. We didn't stay for the main act - I had listened to some of their stuff trying to get excited about it, but it didn't speak to me. Thinking we would save a few bucks on babysitters, we walked out of the venue and made our way to our car. Because of some traffic and weird one-way streets, I ended up turning down the alley next to the venue. As we pulled through I noticed a few of the band members out having a smoke. We stopped and chatted them up and thanked them for the great show. They couldn't believe we weren't staying for the next act - to which I replied "we gotta get home to the kids. you know how it is." The lead singer looked at the ground, took a loooong drag from his smoke, then with a knowing glance, looked me in the eye, and said "yes… yes I do". This was the last show on the road. I could feel his longing for home. I teared up a little as we drove off. What a night. So much energy. So much emotion. Such a human exchange to cap it off. I've all but decided to end my concert going days with that experience - I like to think that was as good as it gets. I still occasionally go to local shows, but I don't do the stadium or amphitheater shows anymore. Maybe I'm just too cheap.
That is an awesome story. I'm glad it was a good experience meeting Broken Social Scene after their set, I've met a few bands and been very disappointed with how they were outside of a stage. Your last bit is spot on, I've only gone to one large show over the last couple of years. Typical show has less than 300 people at it, any large show is typically a no-deal, because it's expensive and there's a lot of people that go just for the fashion aspect of it.
Oh god that whole album. Everything from the title to the cover art was everything I thought I wanted to be and feel sophomore year of high school.
I need you so much closer..
As far as concerts I saw coldplay during their X&y album tour. Anyone who's seen them will know about the yellow balls at the end of yellow. It was a truly spiritual experience with everyone there in the stadium feeling it together.
Yeah. Death Cab brings something strong and powerful back, for sure. edit: now i'm on a death cab for cutie kick all day and it's not like i didn't need today to get any more sentimental, nostalgic, and pseudo-romantic, but we have definitely taken this to like a 7. on a scale of 1- 5.
Seriously, it's like I'm suddenly in a movie like Wicker Park or something.
While I was playing this piece, this movement. The heartbreak is too much, especially after having played everything that came before it. I sometimes think it's hard to listen to classical music without being emotionally jaded. Hearing film music, or things that came after this (such as the Barber Adagio, which i prefer in its original form - the second movement of his string quartet )It can be hard to remember that when this piece was written, no one had heard ANYTHING like it. Listening to music with an open heart is sure to bring out all sorts of emotions.
When I saw Regina Carter perform this song: Here: The entire symphony center was lit with blue light and the music filled the space so beautifully. I couldn't help but feel a rush of energy consume my body and release through tears.
Bob Dylan playing "Tangled Up in Blue" about two or three years ago. I didn't cry, but It was the most emotional a concert has ever rendered me. I know everyone is gonna say Dylan sucks now, but he's always been a personal favorite and to see him in front of me was amazing.
I have friend obsessed with Dylan and is going into Portland to see him perform this weekend. Did you hear about his [book])http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/every-bob-dylan-lyric-ever-to-fill-13-pound-960-page-book-20141008)?
System of a Down - Soundwave 2012 - Melbourne, Australia. We flew from Sydney -> Melbourne at 6:30am. We arrived at the house where people had been partying all night at 8:30am. I had 2 shots and 2 beers in me by 9:30. We walked at the festival at 11:30...we stopped at a bar on the way. I don't remember much of the bar time. Or that photo. We got to the festival and they only served mid strength beer (basically, like 3% alcohol..very hard to get drunk off of but very easy to get dehydrated / hungover on). It was hotter than hell, humid as fuck, and poured rain on and off all day. System went on a 10pm. I was absolutely miserable, hungover, full shakes, hot, cold, dry heaving on my muddy feet, in the stands, thinking about how amazing System is but how I was too miserable to enjoy it. That's the first time I cried. I always cry when I'm sick like that. I hate being sick like that. I dozed off into hangover la-la land during Revenga. I remember singing the lyrics in my head but being so asleep at the same time. My friend woke me up and said, "We're going in the pit." The pit seemed so... far... away. You had to go through the initial crowd, through this walled off area, and into the pit. It wasn't just open. I chugged the rest of a Jack Daniels Slushie and we were off - we ran through the crowd, the mud, not giving a fuck who we ran into. I was basically being dragged/carried in between my two guy friends. We almost made it into the pit of the pit. It was really violent and crowded. I threw up the rest of my Jack Daniels slushie at one point. By this point I wasn't even disgusted at being sick like I normally am. Usually I'm in a nest in the bathroom crying and taking showers. I really hate throwing up. I knew that I was going to regret not being able to enjoy System - I didn't want these guys to not enjoy it because they were babysitting me. I had also accepted that I was going to die and had come to terms with my death. No use in crying about it. As we were standing at the edge of the pit, trying to figure out how to escape the utterly violent, thrashing madness, the mood completely shifted. They started playing Lonely Day. The circle pit of elbows stopped. The first line the song, the entire crowd sang. We sang. The pit turned into this swaying, peaceful, overjoyed, mass. It was insane. I still get full blown chills thinking about it. Watching that video brings me back. Holy shit. We basically all just held each other and rocked to the music and looked at each other. That powerful sense of "oh my god...I'm so overwhelmed and happy that I can't even deal with it." You can hear it in the video - the crowds' voice cracks. And I cried again.
I get teary eyed every time I see live music played. Even if it's someone picking up a guitar in whatever social context to play around. It's embarrassing. For whatever reason, I feel music in a very deep part of my core. For live instruments at least. Doesn't happen so much at DJ/electronic concerts.
I saw Death Cab play a few years back, and I think I had my expectations way too high. I had just heard so much about how incredible they are live. I'm a pretty big fan, but the show just didn't do all that much for me. It was fine, just wasn't anything special. It didn't help that the venue was probably also too big and the sound was bouncing around everywhere.