by Natasa Kvesic |
On Saturday night I fell in love.
But like any love story, you are pushed and pulled into different directions and sometimes it just feels like you are lost in a massive crowd of sweaty, belligerent college kids. Oh wait, that’s not a love story. That was Chiles Center last weekend. But let’s go back to falling in love and we’ll focus on the nitty gritty later.
To be honest, I came super early to the show, with some pre-frosh in tow. Whoa, that rhymed. Anyway, I preoccupied myself with polaroid shots and ice cream sandwiches before the doors opened and eventually plopped myself on the ground. We waited for an hour until the lights dimmed and the classic rush towards the front row made the crowd collapse like an accordion. That’s probably my favorite part of concerts, next to the performers of course.
As far as I heard before the show, not many people knew who AlunaGeorge was but after her set ... you had to have been a fan. I already knew about this duo but I had no clue that Aluna, the lead singer, was THAT talented. Not only was her voice unwavering but her accent was the cutest thing I have ever heard in my life. From her inclusion with the crowd to her enthusiasm, it was hard not to feel like you could be her best friend if she just wasn’t cooler than you, dressed better than you or was just so bloody talented. Everybody fell hopelessly in love: It wasn’t hard to.
After AlunaGeorge’s set is where the sweaty, belligerent college kids came in. As some of you might know, I’m like 60 years old at heart, but I am totally all for fun during concerts. I love to pop, lock and drop. But please don’t pop, lock and drop your sweaty pits into my face, sir. The pushing and pulling up front, got to the point where the poor people in front of me could barely breathe and would end up going all the way to the back missing out on some prime time with Bleachers.
Moshing is rad, but with no music? Really? So, my friends and I resorted to slinking to the middle of the crowd and I swear it was a different world. Just like any other concert, when you get to the back, it’s like you see the light. The air is different and you suddenly feel a fleeting moment of freedom. Did I necessarily want the view? No, not really. But who cares, I was about to be in the same room as Jack Antonoff.
As a die-hard Bleachers fan, I was simply stoked to just listen to the endless guitar riffs and to see the lead singer, Jack Antonoff, flex while playing the riffs on said guitar. When they came on stage, I felt something that I can only assume is how love feels like. As I am typing this a WikiHow page about “how to fall in love” is open on my screen. I am certainly not a credible source when it comes to this indescribable feeling, so the next paragraph is coming from a loveless human being attempting to feel warm and fuzzy emotions.
Well, where do I start? I know, let’s just start with Jack Antonoff. First of all, he’s just really hot. When he took off his windbreaker and started absolutely shredding on his guitar, I think I died for a minute. But I was swiftly reincarnated by his deep, almost Lou Reed-esque tone of voice. Not only was the introduction of the band so ridiculously cool — that saxophone player though — but just like AlunaGeorge, the band was continuously involved with the crowd. Also, not to mention, they debuted a new song!
I was quite literally going out of my mind. I lost it. That night, I left the Chiles Center with cartoon heart eyes — kind of like the one’s Johnny Bravo would have — and the glowing look of love radiating from my face. Or maybe that was just the sweat.
Natasa Kvesic is a staff writer for The Beacon. She can be reached at k
vesic19@up.edu.
