And who is We the Kings you may ask? Well... they're this epically amazing band from Florida that's who! That's right, a band. I went to my first concert EVER! Friday, July 19th 2013, I spent the entire day downtown (after a very long, 12 hour shift on very little sleep), in line (first in line with my friend in fact), to see We the Kings with Keep it Cute, The Ready Set, and T Mills as my first concert. I couldn't contain my excitement the entire week, even with the crappy week at work I had.
Keep it Cute, The Ready Set, and T Mills were amazing. They really were, but if we're going to be honest, they weren't who I was there to see. While I was impressed with them and will probably listen to them in the future, I was here for Travis Clark, Danny Duncan, Hunter Thomsen, Coley O'Toole, and Charles Trippy, AKA WE THE KINGS! I was in the second row for the first three acts but when the girls in front of me left after T Mills, I got pretty much shoved into the barrier and was front and center for the night that made my year and life! I could hardly contain my excitement as I watched Yoshi and Scooter move out T Mills equipment and set up the band's stuff. I was freaking out the entire time! And when Danny took the stage behind his drum set and the crowd went wild, I think I was screaming the loudest. Coley and Hunter came on next, and again, everyone went crazy. Charles and Travis were next and I couldn't take my eyes off of that gorgeous ginger that is Travis Clark. Charles was definitely taller than I had expected (I'm a huge CtfxC fan, which is his youtube channel), and very gorgeous (let's face it, they all are).
The entire time, I was screaming, jumping, dancing, singing along the entire time, getting as many pictures and videos as I could because I wanted to capture that moment forever. This is not something I'm going to forget.
Something hit me when Travis was introducing Just Keep Breathing. He wrote this song as an 'in your face' sort of song for the bullies he dealt with as a kid (apparently the original title was Fuck you you fucking bullies) but also as an inspirational song for those who have lost hope with the day to day life. It hit me why I was (am) so affected by this song. It's because he's coming from personal experience. He knows what it's like to be pushed around and picked on. And he came out ok in the end.
Now I'm going to digress for a moment here and say this: life has gotten a bit better. But there have been moments when I was ready to relapse into hurting myself, into doing whatever I can to either block the memories and pain that was triggering because of the people I deal with at work, from life in general, or to make myself feel something again, because I was starting to become numb. I found myself at the edge of the cliff a few times, staring over, one foot slightly over the edge again. And this is around the time Just Keep Breathing came out. I remember listening to that song for the very first time and sobbing for a long time after. From relief, from happiness, from something inside of me that wasn't hating myself for letting the bullies get to me, for letting the person who has done nothing but use me and my feelings for him to get what he wants in the end, making me hate myself with so much loathing. Now, Just Keep Breathing is my song. It's my song for life.
Realizing for the first time how I was relating to the song and to Travis, I kept my eyes on him the entire time. It warmed me to the bones when that song was being performed and I just got happier (if that was possible) in that moment. Nothing was going to bring me down after that.
The concert continued and before I knew it, they were playing the last two songs in the set: Say You Like Me and Check Yes Juliet. I can't describe to you what I felt during Say You Like Me other than with a video.
There. The moment when we start singing the chorus for the second time. I was off center but you can see when Travis leans down, takes my hand, holds it for a moment, and gives me his guitar pick. I nearly died then. Also: Charles pointed right at my camera, the second time he acknowledged that I had the same camera he uses for his daily vlogs. Words can't describe that moment. It's something I won't be likely to forget.
When the show ended, there was a huge crowd of course to meet the band. But the actual line for the meet and greet was shorter than I was expecting. I'm surprised I didn't start crying or something when I finally got up to them (something I'm grateful DIDN'T happen). I had done 5 drawings for them, one of each of them, and they were (surprisingly) impressed with them. Travis went so far as to say I made him look sexier than he was (which is not true, BTW. Seeing him in person, up close, made me think I could never hope to convey the beauty that is that sexy, sweet, ginger).
All in all, a night I will never forget. And I hope Travis reads this and reads what I was trying to tell him about Just Keep Breathing in the few short moments I had with him. I just want him to read it and understand how much one song has affected a 19 year old, plain girl with short hair and a few tattoos from Denver, Colorado, and how true he made his statement of 'Music is the only thing not fucked up in this world' is. Because of him and the entire We the Kings band, life is good. Life is amazing now. And this is definitely, the best night of my life. I cannot wait until they come to Denver again! Because you can bet, I'll be front row, dead center, sunburned from waiting 6+ hours outside, dead on my feet from the last few days of work, but just as excited I was on July 19, 2013. You can bet I will be there, front and center, screaming 'I love you' at the band, trying to touch Travis', Charles', Hunter's, and Coley's hand, and will be in line for a meet and greet with the band, because they are worth it.
