A Decade in Music
Tonight I attended a concert headlined by two of my favorite artists: Ben Kweller and Pete Yorn. Standing there, amongst a variety of high school students and middle agers, I realized that I had been a fan of both musicians for roughly a decade each. I began listening to Pete Yorn my freshman year in high school and Ben Kweller shortly thereafter sophomore year.
Each of their first albums (Yorn’s musicforthemorningafter and Kweller’s Sha Sha) were on near-constant repeat in my CD player. Pete’s thoughtful, mournful and emotional lyrics guided me through my periods of unrequited love, and Ben’s words picked me up and made me smile. Each of these (along with myriad others) helped me get through high school, and tonight I experienced them again.
Even more laid back, but just as animated as before.
Tonight, I felt like an old-timer, an old fan, especially sandwiched between two high school-aged couples (one was actually talking about taking the SATs this weekend and the other was worrying about curfew!). But once the music started, I was transported to that age. I remember feeling that sad, feeling that in love, feeling that sad about being that in love with someone who wouldn’t love me back, feeling that happy and feeling that music was the one thing that would get me through each day.
These feelings coursed through my veins when I heard songs from each artist’s earliest albums (Pete was actually celebrating 10 years of musicforthemorningafter and played a majority of the album). Yet instead of feeling sad, I felt happy. I started feeling nostalgic for high school (which believe me, is not common), but realized I was feeling nostalgic for friends I have drifted apart from. And then I realized I was really being lifted up by how far ahead I am now.
I am proud of the person that I have become since high school, and the person I am continually growing in to. I have come a far distance from the girl I was ten years ago. While I still rely on music to get me through difficult times and to boost me up, I approach life differently. I accept the negative more constructively and I am overall an infinitely happier person (even then I was a year ago).
10 years since his debut, and Pete's still rocking. And still cool.
A decade in music, a decade in life. Pete Yorn and Ben Kweller’s music has evolved over the past ten years, but their bedrock of work is still meaningful, beautiful, fun and rocking.
I’d like to think that I’m the same.
Falling Feet First 