I was watching a televised Paul McCartney concert this morning - one of the joys of being lazy on a Saturday, particularly when it is the first day of a 4 day weekend...
Anyway, during his obligatory performance of Hey Jude I was reminded of one of my own concert experiences. It was July 29th, 1990 and approx 70,000 of my closest friends and I were experiencing a wonderful evening of music from Sir Paul at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Paul doesn't really mix up the set lists so I had seen essentially the same show a few times earlier when he passed through the prior December. Didn't matter to me though - this was his first time touring the US in years and I wasn't going to miss any opportunity I had to see the show - and this one turned out to be really special...
Paul is a master showman. Always first class sound and theatrics to go along with the stellar musicianship - and the songs are pretty good too
Shows are nearly 3 hours long and jam packed with a good mix of Beatles classics and solo hits.
It was dark when Paul started into Hey Jude (after a very funny "Do The Hustle" tease). During the sing along portion - you know the nah nah nah nah part - people started swaying in time, singing, and holding up their lighters.
Back then that is what we did. I guess folks nowadays do it with cell phones which just doesn't seem to have the same effect.
I still remember being awestruck at the sight of it. The huge crowd swaying in time, and thousands of flames flickering in the night.
For just one moment all that mattered was that music, and that crowd, and those flames. My mind was free to just experience the moment as it was happening without any distraction of "real life."
For me it is music, particularly live music, that is responsible for these moments and so I seek them out and I embrace them. Those jaw dropping moments when the music overpowers me, the recovery after when I just shake my head and smile, follwed by a tap on Gina's shoulder to share the experience.
For some it might happen while viewing a favorite painting - getting lost in the art while the world around you disappears, or maybe watching a sunset, or writing, or reading. I hope you have found your own version of this, something that feeds your soul and inspires you, and I hope that you learn to treasure each and every time you get to experience them.
I still remember being awestruck at the sight of it. The huge crowd swaying in time, and thousands of flames flickering in the night. For just one moment all that mattered was that music, and that crowd, and those flames. My mind was free to just experience the moment as it was happening without any distraction of "real life."
You have captured, amazingly well, a feeling I had recently at a dinner/theater thingy.
At UCI in Southern California, every year there is a performance called "The Madrigal Dinner" and it harkens back to the time in England when King Henry VIII ruled.
Now, this is strictly in fun and you have to ignore the brutal reality of the man and his time itself.
During this particular event, there was a brief time when there were 4 choirs at the 4 sides of the room and they were conducted by one person in the center.
Something about all those folks and their differences all coordinated in a common effort, following the conductor and the beauty of it brought me to tears.
It was brief, like these things are, and wonderful and so moving.
Yes, music does it to me too. I've never been to see Paul McCartney live (born too late) yet I can so imagine that feeling after my experience during the dinner in the midst of such singing.
Thank you for posting this,
Pam Hoffman
http://seminarlist.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for the comment
SB