MUSIC FESTIVAL

A Story by Sonnet

This is the story of a first massive concert.

SUNY New Paltz, New York

July 2, 2016

Music Festival

Her eyes scanned the subway station for more than 15 minutes. Although she wouldn’t call herself an anxious person, it was the largest city in Mexico, and she had never used the subway system by herself before. After many attempts to recognize a familiar face in the crowd, she decided to lean up against the wall prepared to keep waiting.

A flyer a man handed her at the entrance caught her attention and for some minutes, she forgot about her waiting. Suddenly, a gasping voice saying “Sorry, let’s go!” broke her concentration. She looked into his small eyes and having read genuine regret on them, she smiled to let him know - whatever the reason was - she understood his delay.

The train was going fast as well as her emotions. One, two, three, four stations and even more to come; she didn’t even notice when they took a different line. The dark tunnels and flashing adverts did nothing but to increase the expectation. What lied at the end of the otherwise long trip was something she had been expecting for long.

They didn’t talk much during the trip. The noise inside the wagon made it almost impossible, so they stopped trying. There would be enough time for talking later.

Despite the never ending buzzing coming out from the fans, she could clearly hear when he said “We are here”. Those seemed unnecessary words to her because even if he hadn’t said a word she would’ve known that was their stop. At the train station and its surroundings, hundreds and hundreds of young people were walking joyfully towards the same direction as if attracted by the unavoidable magnetic force of music. That was her first massive music festival and she quickly figured out they didn’t joke about the “massive”.

He must’ve seen in her eyes how amazed she was, and so he began to show her the way and explained the basics of that which was common place for him. She felt relieved she didn’t have to ask because for some strange reason she wasn’t comfortable while looking disoriented or in so much need for help.

As much as the experience was new, it didn’t take her long to get used to the many stages the festival had to offer. A few hours after they crossed the main entrance, they had already wandered from stage to stage several times and so they continued, but as the sun started setting she would remember the main reason why she had decided to attend to the festival: one of her favorite bands was playing that night.

Deftones would be the closing show and that was the reason why he suggested they must get to the main stage in the middle of the previous show.

- How far do you want to get? �" He asked.

- How far can we get? �" She replied.

He must’ve taken that question as a challenge - at least that was what she thought - because the next thing she knew, he was holding her hand tightly and leading her through the crowd. The once small and blurry scenario started to appear huge and neat. They were about 10 meters from the stage, a pretty decent spot for people who just got there a few minutes ago.

Standing right in front of her, there was a group of northern guys: she could tell by their accent … and their height because they were considerable taller than her. A multitude seemingly stronger than her might’ve sounded scary but she was too excited to feel intimidated. She just wanted to see perform one of her favorite bands, such opportunity wouldn’t come easy again. Her most beloved international bands didn’t usually visit her country. Besides, her guide had done such a wonderful job so far that the highest point of the night found her in a state of confidence and rapture.

The lights went off, and the main screen showed a countdown as if it was an old projection. A background voice announced the upcoming band. The shouting, chanting, jumping and dancing of the expecting attendants to the concert made her know the time had come.

The first notes sounded and the stage was simultaneously full of lights. The mob instantly entered in a state of euphoria, which was enforced by the many elements taking over the senses. The flashing multicolor lights emerging from a smoke curtain, the singer’s dreamy voice and the metal chords got the fans into a somehow hypnotic confusion. It was a song from their new album. She felt happy she knew it, only true fans would sing the pieces that were not necessarily the most popular.

Exaltation was at top. The adrenaline running through her body made her overlook almost everything else until, from time to time, she still could hear a voice whispering guidance. “Move with the crowd”, the voice said.

Little cold drops occasionally reached them. “That’s not water” he said and they both laughed because one doesn’t get to be picky while navigating a sea of people.

That night she shouted at the top of her lungs, sang and banged to the rhythm of every single song; all within the security of a barrier that he fondly created for her with his arms. In years to come, she would still smile every time she would remember how protective and caring he had been that day. She would also remember he didn’t even like that band.

“Stretch out your arms as if you want to reach the sky if you feel you are running out of air”, he advised, and with her hands in the air, a refreshing breeze broke through while she kept singing.