went to a gig last night (custom kings).  was blindsided by bittersweet nostalgic of yesteryears from a decade ago.  but in a good way.

the band wasn’t famous but they had a good sound, a solid vibe.  lyrics were inspired by heartbreak, loneliness and dreaming big – cornerstones of adolescent angst.  and while sitting on the sidelines of the bar.  i watched as the room came alive.  with kids in their late teens, early twenties crowd at the front, hypnotized by the sound of the band.  i watched the awkward tension of ‘boy likes girl ‘ budding only to shift my attention to ‘but girl likes other guy’.  then the dancing began, which was even more awkward than the sexual tension.  then finally, cameras started going off, capturing self portraits to prove how much fun was going on.  yes, in this moment, watching their favourite band playing on a weeknight – their friend’s name on a cd with this celebration – this is the greatest night of their young lives.

i am watching all of this with a smile on my face.  innocently reminded when i did the exact same thing.  high school rockstars and band groupies.  its made us feel so independent, so grown up.  so free.  and whatever happened at those shows were instant memories, listening to your ‘favourite band’, screaming with fanfare, standing nervously next to your crush of the week declaring in your heart, “yes, this is the greatest night of my life”.

years later, now watching these kids, i realize that although nearly 10 years have passed those “greatest nights” and “favourite bands” were definitive moments of my own adolescent years.  now safely tucked away as very, very fond memories.  but tonight, i was that young fan all over again.

oh the young rockstars we’ve grown up to be.