Bay Ledges – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the electro-pop artist, Bay Ledges, chats about the first concert that he went to growing up. You can check out the story, after the break.

So my first real concert was when I was a sophomore in high school. I went with my friend Chris and his girlfriend, Charlotte, to see the Rustic Overtones in Waterville, Maine. At the time, they were the only band I knew of, out of Maine, that had a major label record deal. They’d broken out of our remote state and were making a name for themselves in the big world. I didn’t even really know they’re music that well so I was hardly a big fan but the idea that they were on their way to something big was super exciting.

The show was also the first time I ever got drunk. We raided Chris’s parents’ liquor cabinet, carefully pouring a small amount of each booze into a Nantucket Nectar bottle. It was a dark brown concoction, made up of everything from peach schnapps to Jack Daniels… and a bunch of other bottles labeled in languages I didn’t understand. We topped it all off with a little lemonade and drove up to the show. I remember standing in line for a long time, waiting to go in.

Unfortunately, Chris was our ride, so Charlotte and I enjoyed the bottle of nauseating juice without him. My stomach felt warm and my face felt a little weird but in a good way. We hadn’t yet gotten inside and I decided to start cheering as loud as I could. Everything seemed hilarious and I was feeling incredibly confident. I was ready to RAGE. I could tell Charlotte was on my level but I think Chris was just excited to get inside so we’d finally shut up.

I don’t recall any opening act. I just remember dancing like a mad man up in the balcony. At some point I ran downstairs and made my way to the front of the stage, dancing with my face in front of a blaring speaker. My memory isn’t really of the band’s performance but more so of the music and how it seemed to be lifting everyone up. I was covered in sweat, hair matted to my face. No one seemed to care about looking cool, I certainly didn’t though I’d gotten some help from that nasty drink.

The rest of the night was a blur but I remember feeling inspired by how the band had created a space for all of us to dance and get crazy. Up to that point, the only shows I’d seen were the ones put on by the school my parents worked at when I was growing up. Those shows were quite a bit tamer.

Upcoming Dates – In Waves February Tour:
February 15 – Gainesville, FL
February 16 – Tampa, FL
February 19 – Athens, GA
February 21 – Carrboro, NC
February 24 – Uncasville, CT
February 25 – New York, NY

Keep up with Bay Ledges on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!