It's almost 10 p.m. on a Thursday night. The lights have dimmed everywhere, except the bar in the back, and I'm waiting for her to come on stage. I'm tired, but my eyes are wide awake. I have a French test tomorrow, and I don't care. I'm here.
The crowd cheers as her band walks through the doorway and up onto the stage. They get positioned, and the guitarist and bassist tune their instruments. The lighting turns yellow. I'm in the front row.
The band starts to play slow chords; the drummer is building momentum with the kick. I look around for her.
The door flies open, she runs up behind the mic. Her shirt is completely made up of black gems, her long hair is settling. The yellow light reflects off her glasses.
"We're on the edge, at the limit. If you bend something too hard it's gonna break." No introduction, just insanely perfect vocals. She's dancing, she's smiling, she's singing. I am in awe. The stage is small, but I feel like I'm in a stadium.
"Summer lightning, sky is crying, pouring words that we don't mean."
The whole last week I felt like shit. Now, I feel like I'm nothing. Like I don't matter, but not in a bad way. In a comforting, empowering way. Because in this moment, nothing matters more than her and her music.
"I'm better off without you, now our time is done. I'll go back to dancing, dancing in the sun."
She lifts her hands, signaling to the crowd to clap along. I am lost in the lighting, the music, the rhythm. I am alive.
When the last note plays, the crowd claps, and I'm thrown back into reality. She welcomes the crowd to her show, cracks jokes, thanks us for being here. She's just a person, like everyone else in the room. Like me. But she's also music. I hope I can be music like she is someday.
***
Summer Lightning, Veronica Fusaro
Time of memory: May 4, 2023
Genre: Pop
Possible triggers: None
Favorite Lyric: "If you bend something too hard, it's gonna break"