Music Is My Religion

That's a Jimi Hendrix quote - "Music is my religion".  He said that.

But I imagine there's lots of us who feel that way.

Myself included.

It just sounds infinitely cooler coming from Jimi Hendrix, because he was a wicked talented musician who broke barriers and set his guitar on fire and stuff.

If music is your religion does that make a concert your church - the place where you gather with like minded believers to worship at the altar of sweet sweet tune-age?

I think so.

Now...let's say every religion decided to get together and worship simultaneously over a weekend. You would have lots of options of services to attend from various types of religions. You could create your perfect worship blend by combining different experiences that speak to you. You would gather with hundreds of thousands of other people and have both a collective and separate experience.

In the music world we call these festivals and they are indeed a religious experience.

On Sunday, my designated day of religious reflection, I didn't go to church.

I went to Lollapalooza - a 3 day music festival in Chicago. There are multiple (like 15?) stages and a hundred or so musicians playing hip-hop, EDM, reggae, indie, rock, sad lady music, angry boy music, punk, blues, and all those other genres I don't even know about - like sissy bounce. What the hell is that?

This is the only picture I took at Lolla when I realized I needed
something for the blog. This is "Perry's" stage - dance music. Note
flower headband please.

I only attended one day, Sunday, because I could only afford one day of festivities. At $95 for a single-day ticket it was by far the most expensive religious experience I've had yet, but totally worth it...well....kinda....it was mostly worth it....it's just....I'd probably never go again.

Why?

Because I'm too freaking old.

We tallyed the fashions of the kids

I'm too freaking old for crop tops and hair flowers. I'm too freaking old for tiny baby college students who can't handle their first hallucinogenic experience. I'm too freaking old to spend $25 on a crappy sports bottle of festival wine. I'm too freaking old for eardrum bursting volume. I'm too freaking old to wait 40 mins in line (with douchebags) to use the world's most disgusting port-a-potty. I'm too old for hipsters that claim to care about the environment yet think it's perfectly acceptable to leave their trash all over the park. I'm too old for expansive crowds you can't escape. I'm just too freaking old for this crap.


So, why'd this "old" lady go?


The music of course.



Jake Bugg, Palma Violets, Lianne La Havas, Alt-J, Tegan and Sara, Beach House, The Cure (and bits and pieces of others) - that's why I went. I was there to experience the music. And the music didn't let me down. Jake Bugg freaking killed it - you gotta check him out. Tegan and Sara's show was just a giant ladyparty of happiness. Palma Violets rawked. The Cure was....still not my type of music, but that's totally okay. Alt-J was hypnotic...

I don't know if it was the wine, or the breeze blowing through the trees or the energy in the space or the tantalizing sounds of Alt-J or the cloud of marijuana smoke all around me, but I had some religious reflections during Alt-J's set that I'd like to share with you...


Sarah's Reflections About Religion and Church and Stuff That Occurred to Her During Alt-J's Lollapalooza Performance:

1st - Oh my god, I am never going to another Alt-J show again as it is filled with pretentious douchey  hipsters who don't give a shit about music and only like Alt-J because they started playing them on MTV.

2nd - I need to get over my music elitism. Everyone has the right to experience music as they choose. Some (assholes) probably best experience music through loud obnoxious talking. Stop being such a judger. Drink more wine.

3rd - Oh my god. Music and religion have so much in common.

4th - Everyone experiences God/spirituality in different ways - that's why there are so many different religions, because there are so many different kinds of people. Some people identify with one religion where others combine several belief structures. Similarly, there are soooooo many different kinds of music. There's something for everyone. Some people just listen to classical or death metal or punk or Kenny G while others (like myself) create a suicide (you know, that thing where you mix all the different sodas together?) of various music genres. Still... no matter what you are listening to...it's all music. Aren't all religious beliefs just a different genre of God?

5th - People come to religion/church for various reasons - they grew up with it in their family, deep spiritual connection, for healing, for understanding, because they enjoy it, to give life meaning, all their friends were doing it, or there were free donuts and coffee. AND people come to music for different reasons - because MTV told them to like it, to fit in with others, because the music speaks to them, for healing, for understanding, for enjoyment, for release.

6th - There were lots of different genres represented at Lolla and somehow we all got along swimmingly. Not everyone at Lolla was my style, but I met quite a few friendly people. I stayed away from the people who creeped me out or annoyed me. They didn't ruin my fun. No one was fighting or arguing (that I saw). The darkly dressed Cure people weren't setting fire to all the EDM kids' brightly colored blinking rave gear. Why can't religion be like that? Why can't religions festival together?

Everyone calm down and look at the pretty lights.

7th - I need a snack. Like now. Like right fucking now. (When I get hungry I turn into some kind of food monster ready to kill even small children in the way of my ability to get to that taco stand as quickly as food monsterly possible.)

The food at Lolla was way better than expected. When they ran out of wine (MOTHER OF GOD NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!) Rebecca and I turned to food for comfort. It was like a fat girl curb party - just downing baskets of fried deliciousness.

It was nice. Real nice.

And that was as far as my deep thoughts went. After snacks it all went downhill. Eventually we left Lolla.  Hours later I found myself drooling and staring off into space at a bar we went to after the show to meet up with some friends. I was on sensory overload. Lolla is a lot to take in....at least for this old bird. Post show drinks were a bad idea. Around 2 am we returned to the friends house we were staying at and Rebecca and I got to curl up on the tiniest twin pullout you have ever seen in your life. Super comfortable. Snuggled up to a steel bar my exhausted body gave into the overwhelming experiences of the day and began to doze off, but not before having one final thought....

I'm too freaking old for this shit.

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