In my opinion, the more a musician or band filters their musical vibes into the crowd through passionate performance, the more the crowd becomes energized. This inevitably creates a harmonic connection between a group of people sharing a melodic moment in time.
I’ve seen Tom Petty several times in concert and would see him again because he is a master when it comes to conducting the musical energy of a show. Petty can make each person, even those up in the nosebleed seats, feel like he is singing especially for them.
During a July 2008 performance at the St. Pete Times Forum — when the musical rush was at an absolute peak as the crowd sang every lyric with swaying arms, guitar solos electrified the stadium and spotlights danced across the room — right in that second, Petty raised his arms and said, “ I thought to myself, what if for one moment everything was all right?” Then he paused briefly, letting the crowd go wild in agreement. “I thought, what if for just-one-moment, EVERYTHING, was ALL RIGHT?!”
And the 20,000-seat venue erupted with claps, whistles and howls because everyone felt a harmonic connection — for that one moment, or maybe even that entire show, everything was going to be all right.
I think a lot of people listen to music when they need a break from life’s pressures. Many people release the stress of a typical work day by getting in their cars and blaring a favorite CD for the commute home. When left broken-hearted, most of us crave the relief that comes from a song validating our feelings.
So, experiencing music in a live performance is the same as those sporadic musical releases, only intensified.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “And the night shall be filled with music/ And the cares that infest the day/ Shall fold their tents like the Arabs/ And as silently steal away.” The quote sums up exactly what experience when enjoying live music.
When I’m at a concert and I lose myself to the lyrics or instrumentals, when I let the music dance from my head to my toes, I am able to completely forget my worries and live in the present moment.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.