If all had gone as planned, right now I would be packing up my car in preparation for driving to Minnesota for the first time in my life. Instead, I’ve made the executive call to stay here in Iowa, cozy in bed, recovering from an INTENSE week of student journalism. The gig was going to be (Sandy) Alex G and Tomberlin, two artists I’ve written about in previous posts.
It’s unusual for me to be “responsible” like this, but I’ve gotten my fair share of traveling to concerts alone recently. And in all honesty, it’s my favorite way to see live music.
Last weekend I drove 7 hours from Des Moines, Iowa to St Louis, Missouri. The drive is meant to only last five and a half, but of course I had to pull over for a nap along the way. I arrived in the city in time to see Twin Peaks at the Ready Room, another band I’ve written about and seen previously. And of course, they killed it. It was absolutely worth the drive.
Many would be intimidated by seeing a show alone, and moreover hesitant to travel across state borders to see a show alone. I can sympathize, it’s scared me too before and often still does.
My first concert alone was last Fall right here in Des Moines. A band I’ve loved for years, The Hotelier, was playing at Vaudville Mews, but I had no one to go with me. Don’t get me wrong, I promise I have friends, but my social circles here at college aren’t so interested in my kind of music. But that’s okay! I was intimidated by the prospect of going to a show alone for the first time, of wallowing in the sparse crowd, clearly by myself, hovering silently as other engaged in conversation between sets. Given how small the show was, with around 15 people actually in attendance, that’s exactly what happened. But it was manageable due to the buzz of my wine and the opportunity to hear the songs that built me.
Not having other people to go with is the worst excuse to miss out on something. I’m serious. Real and valuable memories can still be made even if you’re flying solo. There’s an absurd number of bands I never would have had the opportunity to experience live if I had seen solitude as a legitimate excuse for fear.
This Summer was the first time I ~traveled~ alone for a show. It was a free concert at the House of Vans in Chicago with Julien Baker and Masceal on the lineup. Free march, free beer, free concert. How was I going to miss this.
I drove to Chicago by myself on a Wednesday afternoon for the chance to experience that twinge of a high, that excitement bordering on anxiety, of knowing I had never done something like this before. I had never driven into one of the more enormous metropolises in the country on my own, simply parking on a street corner and wandering the city. And I adored that I had the guts to try.
There is of course value and merit to seeing your favorite bands with your friends. I have plenty of close friends back home in Kansas City who frequent the same shows I do. What I’m arguing for however is that not having a buddy doesn’t mean you have to stay home and wish you were out. You can just…go!
HAVOC MUSIC 