Hours and Hours of Music Therapy

There's no getting around it. November was a sh*t month. And soon it will be time to do the annual year end reflection on whether or not the year leaned toward sh*t half empty or sh*t half full. Did I mention that my vocabulary has become atrocious this year too?

On a bright note, after yet another gut wrenching argument with the bf, I slunk over to my brother's so that we could catch the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal Studios. This is a concert I've been trying on and off for 15 years to get tickets. I've stood in line for hours outside Tower records, called in repeatedly, and jumped on the Ticketmaster website the minute tickets were released for sale. I've never come close.

My brother, however, is blessed by magical concert fairies and managed to get tickets the second year in a row.

We got rained on when we left, but the hours and hours of music, along with some quality time with my brother really salvaged the night and pretty much this week. I had to admit, the first hour during the bands Vampire Weekend and Snow Patrol, I had to rein in some rogue tears every so often when my mind wandered over to sadder matters. But by the time we stepped out for some grub during the not so great Scott Weiland set (he of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver fame), and returned to a lively Franz Ferdinand set, my brain was succumbing to the infectious ambiance and tunes.

While riding the wave of happy music, all of a sudden the surprise guest showed up. My brother looked up and said, "that sounds like Kanye...OMG it's Kanye West!" The guy was so cool, it didn't even matter that he was playing to a alternative rock crowd. He's probably so confident, he's thinking "hell yeah, hiphop, rap, alternative rock... whatever. Put me in front of a bunch of senior citizen Neil Diamond fans, and watch me work that crowd! I transcend demographics."

Paramour and Death Cab for Cutie were just as enjoyable, but the main act - the one my brother really came for was The Killers. I loved this band the first time I ever heard them on stage at the KROQ Weenie Roast concert more than 7 years ago. Now, they're one of the biggest acts and all their tunes are super catchy. I mean come on, are we human or are we dancer?

My favorite Killers song of all time - to listen to, sing aloud, and play guitar hero/rock band for is When You Were Young. Not only do I personally interpret the song's lyrics to describe one of my own follies - having idealistic sweep-me-off-my-feet notions and then falling flat on my face - the music video is so nicely done that it manages to tell a real emotional story in about five minutes time.

Finally, the band I stayed all the way till the end for, a band I never thought I'd ever hear live singing songs I used to listen to on cassettes - The Cure - opened with Pictures of You and I nearly died and went to heaven. I think that song came out when I was 10. But mainly I got into The Cure during the high school and college angst years, thanks to UBBF and other more musically savvy high school friends. I looked around and figured a good amount of the crowd wasn't even born when the Disintegration album came out and then I felt old. (On a side note, I also felt bitter, jaded, and old when I saw the young couple in front of me smooch, hug and make out all through the concert and I could keep thinking was "oh puhleeze, go get a room!"

Luckily my brother understood my need to see this band and stayed till I was ready to go. He may not have understood why The Cure sounded good to me or anyone else, but he understood that it was something I needed to do. For now, my concert going is complete. I have seen almost everyone I've ever wanted to see. And for now, I'm on a music high which will hopefully carry me through the night until I deal with reality tomorrow.