Live @ The Place 2nite!

I went to a show last night. Over the course of the last year I've been to a few pretty amazing shows: Of Montreal @ The Roseland last November and Broken Social Scene @ Wonder Ballroom in February immediately come to mind.

Of Montreal blew me away. It was a real "show" in every sense of the word: it was visually entertaining, it was funny, it was thought provoking, the crowd was engaged, and the sound was good too. Aside from the dirty dreadlocks on the girl next to me repeatedly hitting me in the face, it was an amazing show. A delight for the senses.

Broken Social Scene was amazing because they are amazing - more of an art collective than a band, BSS is a stage full of instruments, sounds, and sweatiness. Concert-goers are treated to not only an hour and a half of BSS, but showcases from member's solo efforts, like my favorite: Charles Spearin's Happiness Project.

I really hadn't been to many shows before moving to Oregon. I may have went to a show or two in college, but I really don't remember. In law school I went to a few of one of my classmate's shows and I saw Dashboard Confessional and Brand New at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines.

My boyfriend went to school in Bloomington, Indiana and grew up near Chicago, so he has much more show experience than I do. He went to punk shows in Chicago all the time in high school and was a part of the music and art scene in Bloomington. My friends are also my show guides: they've seen everyone from Elliott Smith to Arcade Fire.

After the first couple of shows, I got the hang of it (we just stand here and dance or move awkwardly to the music? What is this?) and I love it. You feel such an intimate connection to the music seeing it live, especially in smaller venues. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself because the people on stage have become one unit to make this wonderful thing happen: sounds, sights, poetry, theater.

In May I will venture into a new world of live music: the outdoor music festival. Some friends and I are going to Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington for three days of awesomeness. I don't think I'll ever be the same...