Is This Real Life?
This past weekend I attended a concert that set me free and made me want to dance. The concert was performed on Saturday, September 22nd, at The Roseland Ballroom in New York City by famous disc jockey, Afrojack (Nick Van De Wall). This was my first time attending a concert by a DJ. The event was called for 7:00 O’clock, but of course the main event, Afrojack, did not come on until the clock struck midnight. I stepped off the train at about 7:40, and headed towards the venue, only to be face by a line that was almost fully around the block. Standing behind what felt like 10,000 people all dressed in different expressive attire built up an anxiety and anticipation in me that I could not handle. After an hour and a half of pacing and exhaustive waiting it was my turn to get into the illuminated venue.
The second I stepped foot into the venue, I felt a rush of happiness and sovereignty over myself. This is a place where everyone is accepted and encouraged to dance and simply have an amazing time. The feeling is euphoric. All responsibilities, afflictions, and heartaches seem to vanish when your feet touch the dance floor.
The first thing I notice is the sheer amount of people flooding the dance floor. There must have been at least 2000 unique individuals in my line of view. The next thing I noticed was the colorful and funky attire that most patrons decided to wear. From a person in a teddy bear costume to a man dressed in red from hat to sneakers. From an LED sound activated tank top to furry tie-dye boots; they had it all.
Opening act Leroy Styles kicked off the night with a bang. The pounding music and sharp laser lights enlivened and illuminated the crowd. I could hear the laughter and enjoyment spreading like a wildfire would in a dense forest across the crowd. His rhythmic music set the bar high for the expectations of what to come from the main event. Everyone was living in the moment. People were dancing, jumping, and truly enjoying the first-pumping music. Although Leroy Styles was truly sensational, the anticipation continued as we patiently waited for the main event.
As Leroy’s set was coming to an end, the Afrojack chants began. But, he was not the next act. It was a bittersweet moment to see Shermanology take the stage. Although he proved to be an amazing disc jockey and music producer, he is no Afrojack and thus the anticipation continued. However, once Shermanology’s invigorating music started pumping, Afrojack was temporarily forgotten. Everyone in the venue seized the moment and savored the music. The funny thing is, I have no clue what or who a Shermanology is, but in that moment I felt the urge to participate in the large crowd of dancers.
Usually I would choose to attend a concert where I know at least three or four songs by the performer. At this concert I can honestly say I did not know one song, but the music still seemed to stimulate all my senses. You can feel the powerful energy bouncing around the crowd and thus cannot stop your feet from moving. You can hear and feel the pulsating music vibrating throughout your body and cannot help yourself from screaming along with the beat. You can taste the sensation of love in the air, which is given off by the liberated crowd, as if it landed on the tip of your tongue.
The clock was approaching midnight, but the party was just getting started. Shermanology’s set was coming to a close, and everyone in the building knew what that meant. The moment everyone has waited so patiently for. Afrojack. The screen behind the DJ booth lit up with a five-minute countdown as a beat played in the background in tandem with the seconds ticking away. Theses minutes must have been the longest minutes of all time, but each passing second caused a more ferocious response from the crowd. The beat as well as the crowd got louder, Louder, LOUDER, as the ticks dwindled under 30 seconds. When the countdown clock hit zero the roaring beat dropped and Afrojack quickly appeared from underground to the top of his irradiated DJ booth. All I could here at this point was the thrashing music and the squeal of the extremely excited crowd.
Afrojack has finally arrived. He initiated with an electrifying song followed by a short but empowering pep talk. He exclaimed how excited and nervous he was to be playing in best place in the world, “Newwwwww Yorkkkkkkk Cityyyyy!” This certainly psyched up the crowd for they reacted with a loud roar and intense dancing, which continued deep into the night. The interesting part was, people were rarely dancing with each other once Afrojack came on. All eyes were on Afrojack and the crowd seemed to be mimicking his movements. It was as if he was the king and everyone wanted to be just like him. You would think after 5 hours straight of dancing people would get tired, but not here, the dancing never ceased. The clock was approaching one O’clock and Afrojack and the bunch were still going strong.
Unfortunately it was time for me to leave. As I exited I saw many smiling faces, along with my own through the reflection of the doors, leaving the venue. The minute I stepped outside I realized I had an hour train ride back to my house in Brooklyn and probably wouldn’t be sleeping until 3:00 A.M. I hoped on quiet train, waited for the 20+ stops to pass, and finally reached my home and bed at about 3:15 A.M. I then remembered to set my alarm for 6:00 A.M the next morning, Yup, that’s 6:00 O’clock in the morning. Back to reality.
