Played like a Guitar

Chapter 5 : The Concert

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter painting: "Le Concert" by Robert Bass.

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Athena was experiencing some sort of manic episode that morning, all hyperactive and excited like a six-year-old after devouring fifteen packs of gummy bears. She kept listening to their two albums, singing and dancing along to the funky tunes, pretending to perform on stage. Noticing me internally mocking her, she pulled me against her chest and grabbed my arm playfully to spin me around like a top. Their music was truly special, and I couldn't wait to see the crowd's reaction tonight, especially Jamie's evolution as an artist. The lyrics didn't disappoint yet again, showing his versatile writing skills through love ballads, fun dance bops and slower melodramatic songs.

She was sporting some high waist camo pants and a large printed T-shirt, two hair buns, topped off with a matching necklace, bracelets and summer shades. I, on the other hand, had no intentions of overdressing for the occasion. I went with my usual simple yet effective look, wearing a plain white V-neck T-shirt, an oversized denim jacket and a pair of shorts, crew socks and collar boots. Fortunately, the weather was sunny with no hints of upcoming rain, perfect for a concert in the open. We arrived a bit earlier to avoid an unnecessarily long line, only for the ticket seller to notify us that we had backstage tickets and therefore weren't required to wait in line with the others.

Wait, did he just give us the most expensive tickets for free? Why? For Athena, this meant a more memorable and fun experience whereas for me it meant seeing him up-close and personal again. A few local bands played beforehand, keeping the crowd pleased and entertained as we waited for the main attraction, the Midnight Blues, to arrive. Although they were a bit late, the crowd went crazy when they jumped from the platform below the stage, starting off with their newest singles from the second album. And there he was, Mr. O'Dea himself, looking fresh off the runway with a black turtleneck tucked in his dark trousers and light brown coat, which he took off right before playing his uniquely-crafted guitar.

Jessie took over the stage, moving side to side to keep the entire crowd pleased, grasping dozens of desperate hands dying to get a hold of him. It seemed as though nothing changed after all, it was just Jessie, the girl with the dyed hair and "the other dudes". Did they have an argument over sharing the stage? If so, why didn't they protest against him collectively? It threw me off guard, to the point where I was just standing still, staring blankly at the stage, surrounded by fans jumping and pushing each other to get a better view. Athena noticed my sudden change, asking if anything was wrong and bringing me back to reality. For someone who is supposedly over him, I should not be this concerned.

After a few tracks, though, they announced a performance of their new song live for the first time. Jamie moved in front of the crowd, placing a tall stool in the center, greeted by hundreds of fans while the rest of the band stood patiently on the side. It was a guitar ballad, titled "Dream", whose strings brought a mellow sound to life, and he was playing its intro. Then Jessie joined him for the chorus, his raspy voice blending perfectly with Jamie's lower, softer background vocals. There was this intricate beauty behind the simplicity of song played by an acoustic guitar. It made the atmosphere more intimate, and placed focus on the raw emotions being expressed on stage. The moment was incredible, an insane amount of flashing phones lit up the crowd, mirroring the night sky's stars. Heading towards the backstage while facing us, his gaze crossed mine at last, giving me the very same smirk I received at the gig, to which I replied with a nod of approval, letting him indirectly know he was getting his city tour after all. All the bygone feelings returned, heating my heart beyond the Sun's surface temperature. The rest of the show was equally magnificent, making me appreciate how music can bring such a massive crowd together into one whole. No matter our differences, we were all here today, sharing our love and passion for the band. For an instance, you'd forget about discrimination, injustice and war happening in the world.