It's crazy to think about going an entire 18 months without seeing a show, but it happened. This was my first show since February 2020. The Wrecks played at Kilby Court on August 25th, 2021 and absolutely killed it, and was the perfect "welcome back" to live music. They always have unbelievable energy that carries through the crowd and makes the entire room move.

 

I hadn't stood in a crowd in 18 months... and honestly, I planned to avoid it. I didn't bring my Canon 5D Mark iii that I normally shoot with, instead I brought my Canon G9x point-and-shoot, and I wasn't planning to post any of the pictures online. I was going to stand outside at Kilby and just watch the entire show through the scratched up, sticker covered, window. I did for the first two bands, but when The Wrecks went on, my sister convinced me it was time to go inside, and I'm so glad I did. I forgot how it felt to see live music; the joy it brings, the overwhelming happiness that encompasses the room, how sweaty you get, how you can feel the music through your chest, and how you can sing songs at the top of your lungs (but no one can hear how awful you sound, so it's okay). I lost a huge piece of myself through the pandemic. My love for music disappeared. Listening to my favorite bands made me sad because I didn't know when I'd see them live again. This show reminded me of what I lost and what I have to look forward to. I can't thank The Wrecks, Kilby, and every person in the crowd enough for that.

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So, I wanted to make a post about the show as a reminder to how great it was. The pictures aren't the best, they're noisy, dark, and have some motion blur (probably should have brought my good camera), but I think they still help capture the energy of the show. This is something I want to remember and I want everyone else to remember what we're fighting for. Take a look at the video of "Freaking Out", their opening song, below for a glimpse of what it was like to be there and a reminder of what it's like to be in a crowd, just in case you forgot as well. 

 

We're no where close to out of the pandemic... two days after this show, both opening bands had to drop off the remaining dates of the tour because members of their crew tested positive for Covid-19. There are a lot of tours happening and I'm so excited to go to shows again - but it's so important that we all do our part to keep shows from getting cancelled and to keep the people around us healthy and safe. Get vaccinated and wear a mask (no matter how uncomfortable it is at a show). I don't want to lose this again and I hope to see you all at a show soon.