One of these moments for me was at a concert in Costa Rica...not because it was a huge concert (because that has it's own capacity to invoke this feeling) but because for hours we sat through direct sun, then rain, and finally night fell. We awaited the reggae artist Jah Cure, whose style is almost pop-y in nature because of its romantic style and smooth lyrics.
There were two areas: the VIP (the front half of the area) and the General Admission (the back half). I imagine that the concert coordinators thought they would have more VIP buyers but at $100 per ticket in a country where many people make $2/hour, that was a tough sell, even with so many famous artists. So, as you might have guessed, VIP had maybe 100 people mulling about at the front of the stage, then the rest of us were about 100 yards behind them, restrained by 2 levels of fences and security guards to patrol the perimeter.
The view from General Admission...look at all of that open SPACE!!
Like I said, thousands of us spent hours amongst ourselves, distant from the artists, but enjoying the company and the entertainment when it became known that Jah Cure would be next on stage.
The presenters, preparing the crowd (in English and Spanish) for Jah Cure!
People had been anxious for a while. Many had tried to cross the barriers and were escorted out of the venue by the guards but there was an air of rebellion that we could all feel coming. You could tell the artists prior to "The Cure" had been lacking their usual power being so disconnected from the majority of their audience, and Jah Cure was no different. He began his second ballad "Love Is" and all hell broke loose...the general admission crowd couldn't hold back any longer and we stormed the barriers and the guards, rushing to the stage to be close to one the the headlining artists of the night in his first appearance in Central America.
The moment.
That moment. That build-up of excitement and waiting. That moment of "go" / "vamos" felt by the entire crowd was a moment that made me feel alive. Even thinking back on it, I can't help but smile. It was not just the power of the crowd. It was not just rebellion in face of "the man." It was holding hands with the people I came with, running and screaming and laughing and singing. It was alive.
We made it to the VIP section all together! The crowd was elated! What a rush!
What is a moment that made you feel truly alive?
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