CHAPTER FOUR: ARTIFACTS AS STORY
I remember my friend messaging us in our
group chat that she had won tickets to a
private record release listening party for the
Lumineers new album ‘Cleopatra’. I love live
music and anything that’s free, so of course
I said I would go. We got to the venue super
early and we were second in line. Security
“it was such
a liberating
concept.”
was super tight because the album had yet
to be released. At the front doors they were
taking our cell phones and put them into a
locked bag that we couldn’t open or record
through. We were allowed to keep the bag
on us, however, we couldn’t have access to
our phone until the end of the concert. It was
such a liberating concept. After locking our
phones up we made our way to the front of
the venue. I have yet to be this close to the
stage at a concert. We were right in front of
the lead singers mic and without the glow
of hundreds of cell phones I found myself
tearing up as I heard these songs for the first
time. I connected with the band unlike I had
ever before. I connected with my best friend
that night for the first time in over four years.
That night I knew she was going to be in my
life forever. At the end of the concert we both
got the postcard that has the lady dressed
like Cleopatra and I hang onto it as a reminder
of that night.
61