Insular - FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, Casey Gass, from the metalcore band, Insular, talks about the story of his first experience with live music. You can check out the story below:

My first concert was in my hometown of Knoxville, TN, at the Thompson-Boling Arena, where I saw Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin perform. I was a 15 year old freshman in high school at the time. I remember that night vividly because I had to BEG my parents to let me go out with my new friends to a “heavy rock concert.” To explain why this night held so much significance, I need to mention that my parents weren’t fond of the kind of music I was playing on guitar back then. I discovered “screamo” music in late elementary school, and my parents were NOT about it. I even got grounded for getting caught listening to Asking Alexandria on my iPod.

It’s funny looking back, knowing that my dad—the same man who would threaten to take my Xbox away if he caught me listening to Silverstein again—played a huge role in shaping my current music taste. He used to drive me to and from school, blaring CDs like Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, Disturbed, and Metallica. To me, that was the coolest thing in the world. Hearing his truck rumbling with the ending verses of “One” by Metallica made me feel like the coolest kid in the school pickup line. When my music taste evolved to heavier bands like Killswitch Engage (thanks to Guitar Hero), that was his cutoff point for what was “music” versus “screaming goth stuff.” Because of this, I missed out on so many metalcore shows that came through Knoxville while growing up. I never got to see my favorite bands live because I wasn’t allowed to. But when I started high school, I found friends who shared my love for heavy music. We saw a flyer for Breaking Benjamin’s new tour, and they were coming right here to Knoxville. Since Shinedown was on the bill, and my dad loved their version of “Simple Man,” I was finally able to convince my parents to let me go to a “heavy” concert.

The night of the show, my friends and I got there hours early. It was my first experience waiting in a concert line, watching it grow longer and longer. It blew my mind to see so many people wearing band merch for the music I loved, making me think, “There are THIS many of us?” Eventually we made it inside, and it blew my mind. Shinedown’s set was incredible—these were real life rockstars, in the flesh, pouring their hearts out on stage. I’d never seen anything like it. Then, when Breaking Benjamin took the stage and everyone in the crowd was singing so loudly that I thought my eardrums might burst, I remember looking around and realizing I had never felt this sense of bliss before in my life. The excitement, the goosebumps, the volume, the bass hitting my chest, the feeling that nothing else in the world mattered except what was happening at that moment—it was overwhelming. I felt like for that time, everyone in the arena was one big family. It was then that I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to take that feeling and share it far and wide. And that’s what INSULAR is all about. We all share that passion for music, knowing how it can connect people and the importance of living in the moment. We want people to bang their heads from start to finish, and to forget everything else for the duration of their time with us. Whether it’s at our shows, listening in the car, or wherever, we want to be that outlet for people like us who find relief in music. So thanks for reading, that’s my TED Talk. Now go check out our newest single, “STASIS.” Peace out!

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