When I look at all of my past concerts and adventures that go along with them, it’s not surprising that my recent gig landed me 1,015 miles from home in the windy city of Chicago for my all-time favorite band The 1975.
I live and breathe their music and have been a die-hard fan since day one. I remember being fairly restricted on what shows I could go to in high school because Denver is two hours away and I wasn’t very experienced with highway driving. I missed several of their shows when they first made an appearance, but, during my senior year of high school, I saw they were coming to the Fillmore and I bought tickets ASAP. Long story short, the day came and we got snowed out of Colorado and I wasn’t able to go. I was devastated. I finally saw them at Red Rocks this past May for the first time and needless to say, it was the best night of my life. Naturally, when they released the dates for this current tour, I was on it…. Until they didn’t include Denver.
When I saw they were skipping the closest town I could travel to, I felt so defeated. I tried to move past it and I did forget about it for a while, until the tour actually started and I saw pictures and videos scattered throughout Twitter and Instagram. It was torture, but I tried to push the thoughts away and it worked for a little while.
I remember it was a Saturday in early October and I woke up to see one of my favorite songs was added to the set list (which changes every night, by the way) and I was done. I thought to myself “I’m finding a way to see one of these shows. I will do anything.” Salt Lake City was out of the question because it was midterm week. After that was ruled out, I just went down the list of upcoming dates, checking flights and hotels on every single one, until I stopped on Chicago. I have family in the suburbs and it was on a Monday, so I’d only miss two days of class, tops.
I immediately texted my best friend, who is also a huge fan and we set the plan in motion. I was in tears. I was finally going to see The 1975 again in Chicago. We had to wait a whole month, but when the day came to get on our flight to Midway, I was elated. I have never felt so excited for something in my whole life.
We spent the weekend with my family, eating lots of Chicago pizza and hotdogs, then Monday came and we were out of bed at 5:15 AM to get ready and be at the venue by 8 AM. We were exhausted but so ready. It was a chilly 11-hour wait, but when we got into the venue, we were second row, but still able to touch the stage from where we were standing. I looked at the stage and I couldn’t process any of it. I was in Chicago. My favorite band was about to come on. I did this, I came here for them.
I wasn’t feeling the opening act at all, but it was helpful in calming my nerves. Soon enough, the opening act was over and we just waited. The cool thing about a The 1975 show is they’re extremely specific about the presentation. They have amazing lights and effects and creative ways to portray each song. With that in mind, the show technically started 10 minutes early because they start the music super soft and gradually build on it until it’s loud enough to make your ears ring. When 8 o’clock hit, it was blaring through the speakers and their self-titled song began.
I didn’t think I would, but I cried. I cried throughout the whole first song because I was filled with so many emotions. I was happy, nervous, excited and everything in between. When I had my back surgery a couple weeks after their Red Rocks show in May, their music was the only thing that would help me sleep and divert my attention away from the pain I was feeling. The fact that I was going to see the songs that got me through a really scary point in my life in person as a healthy, happy human being really hit me in that first song as I thought about it all.
Of course that was short-lived, for when the opening chords of “Love Me” started, I was in it. I was lost in the show. It was just me and the band and my best friend. They played a ton of my favorite songs and the lead singer, Matty Healy, came to our side of the stage a ton on the platform directly in front of my face.
One of the biggest moments of the show was during “Undo”, an older song I was dying to see. Healy came over to our side and sang the chorus. I looked up at him and waved, reciting the lyrics back to him. He was looking my way and I swear we locked eyes for a few moments. I just smiled. It felt like he knew I was there and I loved how their shows give me that sense of personal connection. More songs passed and I found myself caught up in the music. I often closed my eyes and let the songs run through me as I swayed or danced harder than I ever have.
All too soon, it was time for the encore. I made the last four songs count and really made an effort to cherish the last moments my favorite band had on stage before they would disappear for who knows how long. One of my all-time favorite songs by them called “Sex” started and I just lost it. I danced and laughed and reminded myself of how much I love the feeling of a live show and why I was here. This night would be one I’d never forget.
As Healy said “goodnight” and we made our way out into the cold, Chicago night, my friend and I just didn’t know how to process the past couple of hours. The 1975 are perfect, their shows are perfect and this concert was perfect. For a few hours I had no worries or problems, I just felt alive.
We found my aunt’s car and drove straight to the airport after a quick midnight breakfast at IHOP and I felt a wide range of emotions. I realized how tired I was but how grateful I was to be there. As I sat back in my chair in the airport waiting to check in, I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face. Any chance to see my favorite band live is a chance worth taking. I wouldn’t put it past myself if I ended up even farther from home waiting in line for my next gig, anxious to make more memories.