Strings and Things

Whenever I go to a concert, I say the most obvious shit out loud and people just look at me like I am completely insane.  I say things like "how cool is it that those instruments are making those sounds?" or "that's actually his voice - all through this venue - he's singing it in real life - right now!"  I understand that this is what I concert is.  It's live music.  I've seen a bazillion of these God Damn things, and I am never short of amazed every time.

I went out on a limb and bought Death Cab for Cutie tickets for Chelsea's birthday shortly after we went to go see Jack's Mannequin together.  This was before the last 3 months of sleepovers, shenanigans and becoming incredibly close.  I thought, in the off chance that this girl and I actually got along, I would absolutely love to go see Death Cab. I have loved Ben Gibbard for years and have never had the opportunity.  I was a little confused to see that they were playing at the Chicago Theater versus a venue that is more conducive to a standing audience around the stage.  I discovered this was because this current tour was not just Death Cab, but Death Cab with the Magik Orchestra.  Interesting.  Death Cab is my go to sleepy time music (or with HSF it was sexy time music).  To imagine that sound backed by string instruments sounded like a pretty genius idea.

After a delicious meal, a ton of ciders, and 3 hours of people gawking - we made our way to the show and took our seats that, to be honest, weren't the greatest.  In that theater, though, you can see pretty much everything from anywhere.  We were just incredibly high up, which made my buzzed, in-tall-heels self a little concerned.  The second the lights were dimmed, and I heard the first bow slide across a violin I thought my heart was going to explode.  If you have never had the luxury of seeing an orchestra live - stop reading this blog immediately and go find one.  I work in a music store for goodness sake, and I am still blown away with string instruments.  It's carved wood - with tightly wound metal strings across the top - that are rubbed against by horse hair.  How is it even possible that that would make one of the most incredibly tragic, heartbreaking, stunning, beautiful sounds known to man?

If you are a Death Cab fan you know that Ben Gibbard has an incredible way of making a song rise and fall over 5 minutes that you don't always find in popular music.  It's more than an a, b, a, b, c, b format.  It sometimes starts in a whisper, climbs up over 3 or 4 versus, and then slips away from you in a few final moments before you are even ready to let it end.  Now take that formula, add his smooth vocals, and a shit ton of violins, violas, cellos, and basses...I watched a 40 year old man in front of me wipe tears from his eyes more times than I could count.  It was unreal.  To think that all of those things could come together and create a sound, one that would make a grown man cry. 

I also ate shit when I skipped a step on the way into the ladies room.  Which was pretty entertaining.  I have a blast when I am with Chelsea.  It's pretty incredible we randomly reconnected and now I have a partner to absorb live music with in the same intense way it affects me. The whole weekend was amazing, dancing and laughing and lounging.  Having it all lead up to one of the greatest live performances I have ever seen.  I do hope Ben Gibbard decides to release an album with the orchestra.  Some of his older songs were given new life with such a full incredible sound.  Especially tough hearing "Soul Meets Body" - seeing as though it was Andy and I's song.  It was heartbreaking in the most profoundly beautiful way possible. 

Anyways, it was incredible.  I would have no problem being poor for the rest of my life, if I could on occasion find myself at shows - to experience music in that way.  I hope my awe and wonder for music never depletes.  And I hope I'll always be so moved as to say stupid shit like "those people are making beautiful noises!"