There are a lot of ways in which we can pinpoint sections of our lives and recall exactly how things were back then based on one particular indicator. Maybe it’s a certain hairstyle we had, or a person we were once friends with, or even just a small phase we went through that helps make a period of time jump out to us. For me, I can organize each stage in my life by a different band I was obsessed with. Not always my favorite band, but one that holds a special place in my heart. For example, my end of middle school band was the Jonas Brothers. 2007 and 2008 events are fairly clear in my mind because I can recall my love of those Disney dudes and all of their songs and antics that make life exciting. High school can be defined by my adoration for All Time Low, and college would definitely be associated with my discovery of 5 Seconds of Summer. For every life transition, there was a newfound love for a band that followed closely behind.
I’m out of college now, and I have added quite a few artists to my music library that mean a whole lot to me. With some of them come various memories from all different points, even if they’re not exactly a staple in my life overall. This year marked 10 years since my love for the Jonas Brothers began, thus kicking off my enormous fascination with live entertainment and the music industry as a whole. I owe a lot to them for opening my eyes to music and its escapist healing powers. Though, listening to them now is more like a nice walk down memory lane and can best be described as that feeling you get when you re-read your favorite book for the second time. It's familiar, but isn’t as remarkable as the first time around. My high school go-to band All Time Low doesn’t feel this way for me. They find a way to always feel new to me over and over again. They are the band I always go back to.
When you love a band, they seem perfect at first. There is nothing they can do to lose your loyalty. They feel like the most important thing there is and you can’t seem to imagine loving another band more—which at some point, you will. Without noticing, they slip further and further down your mental list of ‘favorites’. You might go from playing their songs on repeat to skipping over them when you’re on shuffle mode, or you might come across a tour announcement and suddenly have to question if the whole line-up is worth dishing out the money for. One day, you’ll think about it and realize that the period of time where they meant everything to you has ended. It's not something to fear, it just means you're focus is elsewhere and that could even be a good thing. It might take a year or two, but if they honestly mean a lot to you, then that initial attachment will return. Their music will still give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, you'll catch yourself involuntarily smiling as you watch an interview of theirs, and you'll feel an unbearable longing to see them again. It's as though nothing has changed and time has not passed at all. History does seem to have a way of repeating itself.
Just the other day, All Time Low released a new song off of their upcoming album, “Last Young Renegade,” and it made me feel immensely proud. Realizing how far they’ve come and all of the different chapters they’ve gone through as a group had my head spinning. Similarly, I, too have come rather far and had my own life experiences that aided to making me who I am today. Though our growth might not match up completely, it is still there and makes it feel as though we've come out the other side of something, reuniting together again. It’s been a long road, and there are certainly moments I’ve felt disconnected from what once made me happiest, but having a band like them as a constant in my life also has a way of making me feel safe in a way. High school can be scary for anyone, and I guess falling in love with them during that time of my life made me slightly reliant on their music in ways I’m not so reliant on other artists. Rather than feeling like a second reading of a book, putting on a song from them feels a lot like coming home at the end of a long day. It’s relieving, comforting, and makes you feel like you can breathe again. If you have a band that makes you feel this way, you should feel incredibly lucky. That kind of love of special. Even if you find enjoyment elsewhere, they will still be there waiting.
