The Live Experience

Two years ago this August, I was following Hanson on their U.S. ‘Shout it Out’ tour through the live streams on their website. They gave us fan club members the chance to see a few concerts on that tour through live broadcasts. For those of us who didn’t have the means or the money to travel to shows at the time, this was quite exciting. Hanson had found a way to connect even more with their fans from all over the world. I remember the Tulsa show that they streamed from Cain’s Ballroom—they played for a full two and a half hours and I stayed up until almost four in the morning Nova Scotia time.  I gave into my imagination, pretending that I was actually there, and I felt the energy of a live Hanson show pour through my screen, and when I finally went to sleep, I had that light as air feeling. It still wasn’t the same as actually being there, but it was the closest I had come in almost three years. Now, in just a couple of days, I will be in the same room as my favourite band once more.

While the live streams were definitely amazing, they couldn’t replace the live experience. All the same, I was still grateful for them because they helped to bridge the gap between concerts and served as a temporary escape when I was feeling anxious or stressed. The time has finally come for me once again to actually attend a concert, and be reminded how healing one night can be to the soul.