Concert: Jarrod Gorbel, 2/3/11

Tonight I had the privilege of seeing Jarrod Gorbel (formerly of The Honorary Title) at the Grog Shop. It was perhaps the smallest show I've ever been to (there can't have been more than 50 people), and it was also the first "acoustic" show I've ever been to. But there was something really special about it. The show was presented by To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), which is how I heard about it, and why I wanted to go.

There were two local bands that opened first. The first one didn't announce what they were called (so I have no idea what their name is), but did say their first names. There were three of them- a drummer, one on lead vocals and guitar, and another on bass and backing vocals. They were the only artist of the night that had a drummer, but they were still more on the "chill" side than the bands I usually see- not a bad thing. Up next was another local band, "American War"- one lead singer with another on backup; the instruments were an acoustic guitar, an electric bass, and an electric guitar that occasionally got interchanged with a banjo. I didn't know any of their songs and I wasn't sure if they would be any good, but they were.

The "official" opener was Mansions- an acoustic duo. I didn't know any of their music either, but they were really good. Even though the songs were new to me, I felt like I could relate to them at all, and the fact that they were acoustic made them feel comforting and familiar (despite having never heard them before). After Mansions went on, I went over to meet their lead singer, and had him sign a TWLOHA info card that I'd picked up.

Earlier, I'd read through the info book that TWLOHA had at their merch stand, and talked a little bit with Chad Moses, who was there representing the organization. I told him how I'd been to the TWLOHA stand at Warped Tour but hadn't gotten the chance to really read through the information. I'd read a lot of it before on their website, but it was still nice to see it printed out.

Before Jarrod went on, Chad went on stage to speak. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say; while I might've gone to see Jarrod otherwise, this was a large portion of my motivation to go.

Chad spoke words of love and of hope. One of the things that he said that spoke the most to me was his suggestion to share with friends how we got here, what brought us here- whether it was some horrible icy roads, or a bumpy emotional road. He spoke of people and community; what I got out of his words was that there is hope for people struggling with depression, addiction, suicide, or self-injury, and that help is out there- but that you can't get through it alone.

I went up to Chad after the show, and told him what I felt- that a lot of people don't want to talk about these type of issues, but that we really need to talk about them, and that's why I think TWLOHA is so important.

Finally Jarrod went on. When he played the first notes on his guitar, I was suddenly aware of the fact that this was by far the smallest, most intimate show I had ever been to, and it felt like the show was a private performance. I didn't know anyone at the show- as often happens when I go to concerts- but we all had something in common, and that was that we were there for the music- as Chad said, "Jarrod's music spoke to us." Maybe it spoke to us in different ways, maybe we all related to it differently- but there was something about it that meant something to every person there. I didn't know every song that he played, but the several that I did know- my favorites were "Each Breath", "Ten Years Older", and "I'll Do Better"- were amazing. There's something about acoustic music that's so intimate and yet so meaningful; music doesn't need to be fast and loud to get to the heart.

After the show was over, I met Jarrod by the merch stand and had him sign the tshirts. I told him that I'd found out about the tour through To Write Love on Her Arms and that I was so glad I could go. When I asked if I could get a picture with him, he said yes and smiled as a girl that was standing there took the picture. Jarrod was so nice- after taking the picture, he asked to see it; it didn't come out well, so he suggested moving over to a spot with better lighting. We faced another way and eventually got a good picture, but what really struck me was how okay he was with taking a few minutes to make sure the picture turned out well.  I really appreciate it when musicians take the time to take pictures with fans; fans are the reason artists are where they are (the record label may do the marketing, but it's the fans who buy the albums and merch and go to shows).

I'd been pretty busy this week; classes (exams, papers, quizzes), work, meetings, and events for my sorority have kept me busy. I was pretty stressed out, and felt like I was studying all the time. The show was exactly what I needed- a break, a time to get away from everything and to hear some music. It was more than just a show, though: I'm used to going to high-energy shows, filled with jumping around and (often) moshing, where pulling out an acoustic guitar generally signals the lighters and swaying. These shows are special and important because of the sheer high-voltage energy. So a show that was almost completely acoustic was different for me, but it was still an amazing experience (and, quite frankly, relaxing). It wasn't the same as, for example, going to the House of Blues to see a sold-out 30 Seconds to Mars show, but it was special in its own way. The size of the show, and the fact that it was acoustic, made it extremely intimate.

I didn't come home with my ears ringing from the loud music, with a bruise from the mosh pit (there wasn't one), or with my throat sore from screaming. I did come home with a heart full of music and a head full of songs, and that is what was truly special about the evening.