Beauty #14 CHVRCHES

I’m wearing my Holly Golightly sunglasses into the office, carrying a blueberry smoothie in one hand and a huge glass of iced coffee in the other.

I nod to my assistant, drop my beverages on my desk, and head to the bathroom. Removing my sunglasses, I assess the damage.

I’ve got to stop wearing waterproof mascara to First Avenue.

***

I suffer amnesia when it comes to shows.

I forget, every damn time, what it feels like to hear a band play your favorite song. I fail to recollect how amazing a good bass line feels when it’s thudding in your chest. I disregard or downplay the sheer visceral pleasure in being closely packed in with other people, all sharing the same experience.

The amnesia is a blessing in disguise, I think. It keeps me going back.

***

I didn’t think I could be surprised by live shows.

It’s not that I’m not moved by, impressed with, or enjoy live shows. It’s that after fifteen years of attending everything from punk shows to jazz clubs, I couldn’t imagine a scenario in which a band could surprise me.

For someone so smart, I can be a real dummy.

A few days ago, Nick texted to ask if I wanted to use an extra ticket to the CHVRCHES show at First Avenue.  I tried for tickets when they went on sale, but the show sold out super quickly and I’ve been bummed by the prospect of missing it.

The show was sort of an unusual one for me to want to attend, as I avoid anything that even remotely smells like electronic music. Unsurprising, I suppose, considering my favorite bands tend toward banjos and complex harmonies.

Regardless, when Nick offered the ticket, I jumped at it.

One of the themes that keeps coming up in my writing is the slipperiness of describing attending a show. It’s hard to nail down because it’s such a confluence of physical sensations and emotional responses.

CHVRCHES was like that, except moreso. I didn’t expect to love the show as much as I did, to dance so hard I woke up with inexplicable bruises this morning. I never anticipated hugging Nick in a sheer overflow of emotion over hearing the lyrics: finally/we agree/no place for promises here.

I didn’t think the experience would keep me awake into the early hours, and leave me with dark circles under my eyes this morning.

I’m glad it did.