My first music festival was only recent, occurring 2 years ago, on July 10th. I remember it pretty vividly, the entrance packed to the brim with eager faces of all ages, colorful posters and clothes, the heat burning into my back. It was arguably the hottest day of that summer, and that was the first thing that came to mind when the first band of the day came onstage, and their vocalist was wearing a thick black hockey jersey. I was completely dumbfounded, and I remember exchanging confused glances with my friend.

“Is this guy for real?” Any skepticism was subsequently thrown out of the window when the band started playing.

Now, I had grown up around heavy music, I was practically raised by punk rock and heavy metal, and it informed many facets of my day to day life. Most of the time, you couldn’t catch me without headphones in, the music drowning out the noise of the outside world. It was an escape, a release. When people would ask me why I listen to such aggressive music, I would answer the same every time. “Why do you pay so much money for therapy?” With this in mind, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of noise, movement, and pressure that a metal concert brings with it. The crowd immediately started moving, slamming into each other, jumping around, all positive, yet all aggression. I could actually FEEL my ribcage rattle with every pulse in the drums, my body reacting to the rhythm of the music. The vocalist moved with a heavy, brooding demeanor, though if you could actually understand the words he was yelling, it spoke of a positive message, a message of survival and perseverance. I was caught off guard, but at the same time, I had never felt more at home and alive. I found myself in that crowd, under the wave of music. Most of the bands went around in the same manner, however I found myself obviously more active watching bands that I knew, and bands that I loved. The environment of the festival was like a campground for musicians, tents all around of people selling clothing, CDs, posters, photos, etc. Members of various bands walked around the festival grounds, dispelling the notion that they were anything other than regular people who just happened to work a different kind of job. I met a few people during that day, people who informed my life, musically, as well as motivationally. A prime example was meeting a group of people from probably one of the heaviest bands that I listen to, Parkway Drive. Onstage, they flung themselves around with little regard for their well-being, with the music providing a soundtrack to what can only be described as a scene of complete chaos. Offstage, however, they were quiet, friendly, and very well spoken. I found this funny, because people immediately tend to think that metal musicians are aggressive and unhappy offstage, as they are onstage. However, as I stated before, this was just music. This was a means of releasing negative emotion in a creative and productive manner, so that they could improve their lives off the stage.

The climax of the night came in the final band. This was the only band that played alone, with no other bands playing at any of the other stages throughout the venue. This was the big show. The resulting performance was massive, with thousands of kids all pressed into one section of the pavement, a mass of people waiting to go completely insane one final time. Without a doubt, the band delivered. At one point however,  I remember a man flinging himself around, with very little regard for those around him. It frustrated me, because this wasn’t supposed to be about violence. However, violence found it’s way in, as his incessant punching landed a blow on a girl, who probably couldn’t be more than 12-13. I know I wasn’t the only one who saw it, as there was an immediate response. Some of us pulled the girl out of the way, others went straight for the guy. Security wasn’t necessary at these shows, because we acted like a family. I always felt a need to protect those around me, even if I didn’t know them. The only clear thing I remember from the altercation was punching the man in the mouth, and watching a group of people drag him out of the festival grounds. From a distance, this seemed like a random act of violence, but to us, this was just how you handle people at these kinds of shows.

Overall, my experience felt all too short, even at the 12 hour mark. These kinds of places are always like a second home to me, and honestly, all I want to do is be able to be up on one of the stages in a few years. Watching the artists who have succeeded in their ambition is one of the most inspiring and powerful moments of my entire life, and I took numerous lessons that I apply to my own life, on and off the stage. For that, I owe everything to the music.