So. Music. At this point. It’s all I have left, other than my friends. This last week before finals is gonna blow mega-balls. But one thing is gonna get me through it: Concerts.I am going to two concerts this weekend.
I am seeing Rammstein with two good friends of mine on Saturday. Rammstein is a German industrial band. They are one of the only international rock bands to sing in German. As very few people really understand their lyrics, they make a point to put on a good show. And what a show they put on. It is generally accepted that Rammstein has the best stage production ever. They light EVERYTHING on fire. And there is even a giant penis cannon. Yep.
On Sunday, I get to see one of my personal heroes in concert for the third time: Marilyn Manson. “That weirdo?” you might say. Manson is certainly a weird motherfucker, but is also incredibly smart, and he isn’t a bad musician, either. He also is a well respected showman, and is always entertaining, even if his voice is shit nowadays.
Actually, if you have any desire to really know how I’ve been feeling this year, give his last two albums a listen, 2007’s Eat Me, Drink Me, and 2009’s The High End of Low. These albums are what I’ve been going through almost to a T. The broken relationship with a woman, the realization that you are incapable of really having a healthy relationship with someone, no matter how hard you try, etc. People who don’t know Marilyn Manson might be surprised to hear that these albums are not that “heavy;” as in they don’t have screaming vocals, and they are not overly loud, but are even somber at points. However, they also feature some of Manson’s great wordplay, as he is one of the best lyricists to ever live.
My friends, and even more so, my parents, don’t understand why I put so much work into attending concerts. My parents think that I take time away from my schoolwork to plan them. The fact of the matter is, with my iPhone, I do 90% of my concert research and planning while I’m sitting on the toilet. My friends and grandmother (Nona) are all baffled by how much money I spend on them. This is actually one of the things that my ex cites as the reason I am too “immature” for her.
See, I work my ass off all summer. I work quite a few 12+ hour days in a row, and sleep less than 6 hours a night during that week. Wait, I’m not complaining. I’m just saying I work a lot of hours, and make a lot of money. Now, maybe I should save it, but I disagree. I am a very very very very very very very VERY VERY VERY VERY lucky man. I live a very comfortable life, I never want for anything, and my parents/Nona are able to pay for all of my schooling without me having to worry about it. I am so fucking grateful for that that I cannot even describe it. As such, the money I make is almost solely “spending money.” I save about half of what I make each summer, and then keep the rest to spend on food, music, concerts, etc. Plenty of my friends are stoners. Like, reeeaaal heavy stoners. Now, I don’t judge. Ever. But if my bigger stoner friends added up how much they spend a year on weed, and I how much I spend a year on concerts, the numbers would be very close to each other. I’ve tried a lot of drugs, and NOTHING (except women) even comes CLOSE to a concert. So there.
The point being, music is my life. And I will leave my 2-3 followers with this quote from another personal hero of mine.
A world without music would be like a world without air, and I’m not sure I’d want to live in it.
-Sting
