This past weekend, I had such a pinch me moment at The Summer Set’s concert in Boston.
Music has always been something that defined my life. When I think about different stages of my life, I oftentimes remember it in terms of what music I was listening to at the time and I grew up very lucky being able to go to so many of my favorite artist’s concerts.
It was my love for Hot Chelle Rae that really took my affinity for concerts to the next level, in 2012, and it was through them that I discovered bands like The Summer Set. To be honest, I don’t really remember a time in my life, music-wise, where I wasn’t listening to them.
I became a fan of The Summer Set because of the songs Someone Like You and Thick as Thieves. I remember discovering these two songs on Pandora and then finding the rest of their music on Youtube. At the time, their discography was only the Love Like This and Everything’s Fine albums and …In Color and What Money Can’t Buy.
When I saw that The Summer Set was going on tour, I BEGGED my parents to take me. I was a young teenager with no license, living outside of the city, so that meant relying on my parents to bring me. Luckily, I had played Someone Like You and Thick as Thieves for my dad when I first heard them, and he really liked both songs, so convincing him wasn’t too difficult. Or, at least, looking back with rose colored glasses, it wasn’t.
That first show was on March 17th, 2013.
Since then, I’ve seen them a handful of times – through Legendary, Stories for Monday, their hiatus, Blossom, and now, Meet Me at the Record Store. I’ve seen them play basements, bars, clubs, you name it. I feel like I grew up with this band (and that’s because, if we’re being honest, I did).
Last week, the band sent out a text asking if any fans in Boston were top listeners last year. I was a top listener on Spotify, so I replied immediately and sent them my Wrapped. They responded, asking how many hours I’d listened and a little while later, I saw a post on Instagram asking Jordyn S. if she would come to soundcheck before their show in Boston on Sunday.
And y’all… The way my heart FELL. I was at work, trying to maintain composure, thinking there is simply no way the post was about ME?! Even after messaging privately, I still was in a state of disbelief, but Sunday came rolling around and I was let inside for soundcheck.
I hung around the venue for a little while before the band was ready for soundcheck and it felt a little surreal seeing so many people setting up different things in the space and bringing different equipment inside and on stage. I’ve been to many concerts, but I’ve seen seen what goes on before or after a show.
Once the whole band was there and they started running through songs, they let me choose between some songs that weren’t on the setlist that I still wanted to hear live. They played Algorithm & Blues, Punch Drunk Love, and When We Were Young, which weren’t on the setlist, then they ran though For the First Time.
I’ve never been in a position where an artist I like is playing their music for an audience of two (two, because I brought my friend Nicole with me), I don’t think many people have. The venue was quiet except for some crew members milling about the building, and once the band started playing, it was like a full concert… just for me.
I’m a relatively quiet person – I take things in and digest them before I really react to them – and when they finished each song, I wasn’t sure… Do I cheer, do I clap, what do I do? I hadn’t had a moment yet in my head where I could really absorb what was going on and take everything in, and even though while they were playing, it felt loud like a real concert, once they stopped, the venue was quiet.
It was during Punch Drunk Love that it really hit me. I was able to soak in what was going on and it was such a pinch me moment. Like a holy shit, this is my FAVORITE band right here and they are playing for ME.
I didn’t have my phone out, there was nothing distracting me, and I just let myself take in what was happening. I sang along, danced a little where I was standing, and just let myself have a moment of gratitude for the space I was in.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think something like this would happen. I’ve met the band before in passing, but I never imagined I’d be in a room with just them, listening to them play some of my favorite songs.
After they finished playing, they invited Nicole and I on stage where we got to talk a bit and take some photos.
The experience still felt so surreal, and I kept thinking of that 14 year old girl who saw The Summer Set for the very first time on St. Patrick’s Day in the basement of The Middle East. I don’t think she’d believe she’d be standing on stage, almost 13 years later to the date, with The Summer Set.
Later that night, Nicole and I had barricade for the show – Yes, I will forever be a diehard on the barricade for TSS. I danced my heart out, I screamed along to every song, and I even got a little teary to Legendary and Figure Me Out. I was kind of overwhelmed by the gratitude I felt for being able to be in this moment – to have followed a band for so long and to allow myself to feel so lucky I could experience something so special.
Summer Set shows are always some of the most fun concert experiences and I’m so grateful for opportunities I’ve had to see them over the years. And what is beginning to stand out more for me now is that I feel like I picked such a special band to love. A band who want to do things for their fans, a band who will go out of their way to treat their fans well, a band who seem like a group of genuinely good people.
So, to Jess, John, Brian, and Stephen…
I’m still sorry for not asking you to play Gloria, but thank you for what you do, thank you for your kindness, thank you for inviting me to soundcheck, and keep making music for as long as it makes you happy.
Anchored Musings 