Unless you live in a major city, it’s not very often that all of your favorite bands come to see you. Instead, we are faced with the quest to go see them. For some, this sounds like a hassle, for others, an opportunity. And if you dedicate yourself to jumping through the hoops for one show, you might as well jump on the bus for a few more. Right?
Road Life is a breeding environment for new experiences, and therefore, opportunities for a person to grow. Every element feeds into an adventurous merry-go-round of whimsical decisions and life lessons that, in the end, become cornerstones of your very own character. The car ride, the risks, the sights, the scenes; The company, the talks, the relationships, the memories; and The end-all point of the finish-line, the show, the band, the set; The life.
If you ever find yourself on the cusp of adventure, or if you’re feeling held back by life… remember that it always comes back to you. Have a talk with yourself in the mirror, and remember these five things:
5. Dedication to Music is Dedication to Quality of Life.
It is a testament of pure dedication to motivate one’s self to traveling hundreds of miles just to see your favorite band. While decisions like these started back in the ’60s, they’ve continued well into the now – with festivals popping up in every corner of the map, drawing people in from the depths of each state, and with bands like Phish, Dead & Company, and Widespread Panic inspiring their fans to always want more.
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But a certain amount of effort goes into making such decisions, and the average citizen knows better than to embark on a journey without having all their boxes checked off first. In the moments leading up to the point in which you walk out the door, there’s a lot that needs to be done. Must finish work, must make wife/husband/mom/dad/children happy, must feed cat, must cover all bases necessary to step foot away from the life you’ve built to live. Dedication to this is dedication to all, especially when the juice is worth the squeeze.
4. If you are Happy, Life is Happy.
It’s about giving yourself pleasure and living without regrets. If there is a band that you like, you should go see them. If seeing them multiple times makes you happy, you should figure out a way to see them multiple times. There are people that live their lives this way; and if you ask them, they are probably happier than the average Wall Street Joe.
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3. You Can’t Get the Feels Unless You Feel Them First.
Not everyone has the same experience when listening to music. Getting the chills during your favorite part of a song is a phenomenon only some people experience; those same people also have higher percentages of a personality trait called “Openness to Experience,” according to this study, which also found that people who possess “Openness to Experience” have “unusually active imaginations, appreciate beauty and nature, seek out new experiences, often reflect deeply on their feelings, and love variety in life.” It’s no wonder those people tend to flock together like the birds of a feather.
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It’s a thought that many do not understand… “If you saw them last night, why would you travel hundreds of miles to see them again?” some might ask. But until this band gets in your blood, until you realize the infamy of going about an automatic existence, until you truly experience the musical community in it’s living and breathing most raw form, you probably will never understand the art of “going on tour.”
2. Community builds Character, just like Characters build Communities.
If you think about organizations like “Shakedown Street,” where communities travel from place to place, providing food, hydration, clothing, and all the necessities to live from “the lot,” you’ll see why this concept has lasted for so long. Anything you need to survive is there. So long as you keep up with your responsibilities as a human being in a civil society, the road will always make room for you in its home.
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1. You Will Find Yourself in a Place where your Favorite Band Provides you with Life Lessons, Lessons that Can’t Be Taught.
Every experience presents an opportunity to learn something new. You might get a flat tire, your tent might get rained on, your credit card declined; but whatever it is, you learn how to deal with it or how to do something differently. To travel in light of your favorite band presents opportunities of growth. You meet new people, you find new places, you learn what to do and what not to do in situations you otherwise wouldn’t have found yourself in … had you not taken the initial risk.
What it all comes down to is this: We exist on this planet to produce life, whether in ourselves or in others. If music is your passion, you should go out and chase it. Happiness has a tendency to affect others, so if you call yourself the domino, you can have the effect on the trail.