Episode 44: I May Be Old, But I Got To See All The Cool Bands

"We hope you enjoy your stay/it's good to have you with us/even if it's just for the day."

                                                  -The Killers, "Enterlude"

  Now, you might have seen the title of this episode and thought "but Mr. Hardy, you're only 22 years old! You aren't old! 22 is young!". Yes, I know it is. I know I'm not actually old. But, you've seen it before and I've talked about it on this blog before - old people thinking the things they like are better than the things younger people like. I remember seeing shirts and things with the line "I may be old, but I got to see all the cool bands". 

    There are many classic artists I enjoy. I am especially a big fan of Frank Sinatra and Queen. But, like everyone, the music I like the most is the music I heard as a kid and teenager. The vast majority of bands I like are bands that were big in the mid-2000's-early 2010's. 

   As someone who likes so many bands, I like to go to concerts. I went to one about two weeks ago, so I'm still kinda riding that high of the concert experience. I went with my friend Ted to see The Killers. They had Johnny Marr, a former member of The Smiths, open for them. It was a great show. The Killers played most of their hits, some newer stuff, and even a couple covers. So I thought I'd dedicate this episode to the concert experience.

Living in the moment

  One of my favorite things about concerts is the shared experience it provides. For a few hours, there are no concerns in the world, and you get to just enjoy music you love and the company of whomever you're with. Plus, it's so cool to be in a venue full of people who like the same artist you do. It's hard to express the glee I felt at hearing the amphitheater shout "but shit, it was 99 cents!" altogether at the Macklemore concert I went to, or when everyone was singing "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" at the Killers concert.

Merch

   I have a rule: I never go to a concert without getting merch from it. Most of my band shirts are from merch tables when I went to see them. They're overpriced, sure, but they are a memory. Plus they have dates and cities on the back, so you can always look at your show on the back and think "I was there". Sure, you can buy a concert shirt like that anywhere, but it's not the same. You don't have the magic of wearing a shirt for a tour you were actually present for. I actually wrote most of this episode wearing a shirt from Panic! At The Disco's 2018 Pray For The Wicked Tour, which I actually got from one of the shows because I actually got to go to one.

Old people, cool bands

   I think the bands I like are cool, obviously. But one day, I am going to be old. If I have children, you best believe I am playing them The Killers, and Bastille, and AJR, and all the other bands I love so much.

  One day, these bands are going to be seen as old bands. The same way 80's bands are seen now. But I will definitely be one of those old people who wears the fact that they saw them as a badge of honor.

Anyway, see you next week!