On Saturday nights, Husband and I go on dates. Typically, dinner or a movie or both. But this weekend we did something different. Something out of our proverbial comfort zone. We went to a concert. We saw The Lumineers play at Terminal 5. They were absolutely incredible, but what was even more incredible was the experience. There we were, thirtysomething parents of three tiny girls, waiting in a humongous line on a dimly sit street near the river. There we were, sipping bad beer from flimsy plastic cups. There we were, afloat in a sea of strangers, singing aloud, rocking it out. For most of the night, I stood right in front of Husband and he, much taller than I, draped his arms down around my shoulders.
It was really romantic. It was really fun. It was different.
At one point, the band brought onstage a group of kids from Success Academy Bronx 2 to perform a couple songs. These kids (second graders?) sang and danced their little hearts out and we in the crowd went absolutely wild. Talk about powerful. Talk about dreams coming true. I had tears in my eyes.
We left the concert a bit early to meet friends at a birthday party. Outside, it had begun to snow. Soft flakes flitted down as we looked for a cab. I was cold, yes. But I was happy, that giddy kind of happy that’s pure swirly magic. That giddy kind of happy that’s a bit harder to come by when you’re immersed in a rich, complicated, responsibility-laden real life. The giddy kind of happy that, say, makes you pause in a filthy little public restroom and snap a picture of your smiling self just so you remember.
On Saturday night, I was reminded of something, and keenly too: Change it up from time to time and good things can happen.
♦
What’s the last concert you went to? Are you good about changing it up from time to time? When’s the last time you felt that giddy breed of happiness?
Such a happy post! Good way to start this week. Thank you.
Thanks, JHL. It was a really happy post to write. Have a good Monday.
Oh, happy day! Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes the joy and challenge of raising little girls makes me forget that fun needs to be had. Life needs variety!
Yes, variety. Sometimes easy or forget or neglect when we are racing around trying to cook up the perfect routine/order for things, right? Thanks, Jen!
Nice work. It is so hard to think about going to concerts now that we have two little ones. But my husband just put this on his ‘to do’ list so thank you for the inspiration.
And I am so impressed you went to a party AFTER the concert. Rock star!
Love that this is on your husband’s “to do” list!! Hope you guys follow through on it; it was a surprisingly fun and invigorating experience for me. As for the party after, let me elaborate… We popped by a lounge mere blocks for our house for about 30 min to say hello to the birthday girl. Not really rock stars, but I will take the compliment
Thanks, B!
I love your recap of this weekend – it reminds me of the time Sweets and I went to see the Black Eyed Peas (before child). I sneaked around the internet and found a way to get us tickets to the general admission area on the floor. When we were at the concert, we realized they were letting Gen Admin ticketholders in on one side of the stage, but we could walk around to the other side of the thrust stage, where it was practically empty! The energy at that show was unforgettable! The last concert we went to see was Rodigo Y Gabriela sometime last year – an AMAZING group who puts on an AWESOME show.
Sean took me to my second Sugarland concert. We stopped in Saratoga on our way and he bought me a pair of cowboy boots. I wept with delight through the concert, just like I did at the first one he took me to.
Our three girls new we were on a date and delighted in our giddy smiles before and after.
Thanks for sparking the memory again.
If you like the Lumineers you will totally love the GIVERS. So much fun.
So our last concert, hmmmm. Better Than Ezra but I can’t really count them because they come to town all the time.
So I would have to say Bayou Country Superfest Jason Aldean, Dierks Bently, and Rascall Flatts. Or Jazzfest The Eagles, Irma Thomas, Zac Brown Band, and Grace Potter (umm she rocks!!!)
Glad you had fun! Concets are such an awesome way to jazz things up. I’m bummed I wasn’t at the DirectTV Superbowl party this weekend. It was Justin Timberlake singing for 2 hours (Jay Z and Timberland both made appearances.) So jealous! He hasn’t had a concert in 5 years.
Sweet and happy post
I am still smiling after reading this. Good for you and such a good reminder for me to get out and do something new or at least different!
I think that how you spend your free time and extra money says a lot about what type of person you are. And I love to spend my money on music – both CDs and concerts. So this definitely made me smile. I still attend quite a few concerts and am currently attempting to whittle down my summer concert calendar (plan what I really want to see) and plan a President’s Day roadtrip for a concert. We will see if it works out.
Glad you had a great weekend
We had a really similar night! We have recently gone on a flurry of buying concert tickets, largely thanks to my new Songkick App and a baby on the way. We had thought about going with a group of friends and then George said we should make it a date night…I thought maybe it wasn’t such a “date night” sort of thing, but I was so wrong! We had a wonderful time, loved the concert and finished with banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery:-). Glad you guys loved it as much as we did! its too bad that you had to leave early because you missed a great cover of the Violent Femmes” American Music at the end.
Wow. So you were at the very same concert?? Love it. Perhaps a double date next time
And I want new music/concert recs because we’ve vowed to start going to more concerts!
We are going to Mumford & Sons tomorrow…Its crazy to admit it because we just went on the 6th…but loved it so much that we figured we’d go a second time. I highly recommend it…from any seats! And yes, I’m always looking for fun new bands, so keep us in mind if you guys discover someone and want company:-).
Last concert was Zac Brown Band. Hollywood Bowl with a close friend. Beautiful night under the stars. Me several months pregnant. Her on the verge of a divorce. They play “Highway 20 Ride,” which is about writer Wyatt Durette’s love for his son after splitting with his wife: “So when you drive/And the years go flying by/I hope you smile/If I ever cross your mind/It was a pleasure of my life/And I cherished every time/And my whole world/It begins and ends with you/On that Highway 20 ride.”
We both hold in tears and she finally goes, “well if you don’t cry, I’m gonna.” And we laughed and wept and hugged and swayed to the song, me with the little life growing inside me, her with both an end and a new beginning on the horizon. A wonderful night and a difficult one.
After reading your post though, I’m ready to buy tickets to something new. Haven’t been to a real gritty place in a while. It’s time.
I love this! I felt your giddy excitement, it jumps from the page. Sounds like an awesome night!
I can so imagine that happy right now. I felt it the last time hubby and I had a weekend away – without the kids and we sat for hours at dinner with friends, and then at a wine bar, sipping wine, talking and giggling.
Amen to that.
Love this.
LOVE this.
xo
As I don’t at this stage have a husband or kids, my life seems to be filled with ‘change it up’ moments !!! hahaha !! I begin to think I am too spoiled. But you did ask : so here we go. This past Saturday the ballet ‘Manon’ at the Opera House, on Thursday the Vienna Boys Choir, on Tuesday a wonderful piano recital by the absolutely amazing 90-year-old pianist, Menahem Pressler – and the week before that I was in London and saw both The Lion King and War Horse…… actual live music concert (not classical)?? Perhaps the Canadian jazz singer, Diana Krall back in November last year?
So, as I do a lot of this and enjoy a LOT of giddy happy moments that I so, so wish I could store up in bottle (for when life is not so giddy happy), let me share a recent ‘change it up’ moment for me. I am as equally mad about sport as I am about other cultural things, but mostly watch on TV, so three weeks ago I went to a live hockey game between the local top-of-the-league heroes and their arch rivals. I was fortunate enough to sit beside the when-Harry-met-Sally local hockey fan, who moaned and groaned (yes, it is true!!), swore and shouted, lept up and down…… and this all added so much more to a very exciting evening that I was keen to ask her for her contact details so that I could make sure to always sit beside her at a game – hahahaha !!!
The ‘change it up’ moment for this coming weekend is a visit to the Central Cemetery in Vienna (Austria) to visit the graves of a bunch of famous people, then having lunch at an amazing local restaurant.
I suppose another ‘change it up’ moment of a different kind came this past weekend week as I walked home after dinner out with friends and managed to walk right into the middle of a demonstration. I was listening to music and minding my own business and only really realised what was going on when I squeezed my way between a bunch of people, only to find a solid wall of riot police in front of a barricade completely blocking the street. Behind the barricade were ambulances and a few injured police and protesters. I had just missed the ‘heavy action’ – by minutes. Was actually quite horrified that I had managed to walk right into this without even noticing. Seems it was an annual demonstration against one of the many balls that take place in Vienna during the ball season, which is currently on. One lives and learns.