december 2, 2023
today i returned from my trip to new york city - yesterday evening i attended the second to last tour date of KISS, which was the reason for my trip. as i type this, KISS is currently onstage performing their last date at madison square garden on their final tour. if it wasn't obvious by the lovely shrine i've put together for KISS, they're a very important band for me. my experience watching them live for the first and final time was something truly special. when they first walked onstage i screamed - and kept screaming through the duration of the concert. i danced and i sung along and waved my hands in the air like a maniac. as the show finished up i scrambled for pieces of confetti and streamers to remember it by.
at this moment, as i contemplate what i had witnessed, i'm struck with this bittersweet feeling. the realization that these men from an era of radical change are now retiring - a sad thought to be sure. but a sense of pride and joy as well. being here on earth at the same time as these men, experiencing music history - present for a culmination of one of the most prominent bands of the 20th century, which was so jam packed with cultural and scientific shifts. this is just a glimpse through murky waters into a world so vastly different from our own, with music being the thread that bridges the gap. somehow, despite the tone and genre of the performing band, the moment was so fragile. not a lot of people can say they were present for moments like these.
the initial euphoria began as my partner and i stepped on the first subway, and it only grew as the time separating me from the concert shrank. my persona makeup of choice was that of eric carr (since he's of great importance to me, being my favorite member and all). a moment of release for me was being interviewed by someone from a new york news station, where i got to very briefly express some thoughts on the importance of this moment i was about to have. they were a bit incomplete upon reflecting on them now - implication of a lack of passion in all modern music wasn't a point i wanted to make, and i hope it didn't come across like that. i wanted to emphasize more specifically the passion that these older musicians have, to continue to perform in the same manner that they did when they were younger, simply because they care so much about their craft. it's something special, i think.
the concert itself was such a rush. i didn't care if i was being a nuisance to the people around me except that guy who's feet i accidentally stomped on - sorry to you, specifically. half a century of their passion was coursing through my entire being for those 3 hours, and there was no way i was sitting still for it. i definitely almost passed out or threw up at least a couple times. while my partner sat and recorded a decent chunk of the concert for me (thanks babe!), i was headbanging and jumping and screaming my brains out.
bringing me to today, on my train ride home. the first pang of sadness, like realizing that this was the last time you'll be seeing a relative or an old friend. but in the end, i was so happy that i even got to see them in person at all. goodbye fucking sucks - but time stops for nothing. maybe i just need to get more comfortable with goodbye.
anyways, it's very late now. i should probably stop myself before i get too deep in my feels and get everyone feeling sappy. update on oc content is that uh it's coming. this concert was very much at the forefront of my mind this week, so i basically spent the days leading up to it preparing for it. you know how sometimes you have a plan for later in the day but it's like 11:00 a.m. so you just spend your time idling until whenever that event happens? that's basically what my brain did over the course of the week. but i'm better now! regular art production will resume shortly. thank you for being patient with me mwah mwah.
