Lose It at the Rock Show
Find Yourself
Have you ever found yourself in a car with two other girls—your best friends—parked behind a warehouse in the middle of the night eating Taco Bell and listening to Nirvana while one of your friends runs around, a burrito in one hand and a cigarette in the other? That’s sort of what it is like to be in a band. Even the most random situations can turn into the best moments of your life. That night I described is one of the many memories that pop into my head when I hear the song “Rock Show” by my favorite band Halestorm. This song contains one of my all-time favorite lyrics, “find yourself and lose it at the rock show”. Losing myself at a rock show is something I have done countless times. However, really finding myself has only happened twice.
I went to my first rock concert when I was thirteen, but it was not until my third rock show—The Dead Weather on July 25th, 2009—that I really felt something start building up deep inside of me. It was this overwhelming desire to play in a band. The chemistry between all the members of The Dead Weather was something I longed for. Their lead singer, Alison Mosshart, emanated grace, mystique, and power. Even though I was there to see Jack White play drums, I could not draw my eyes away from the band as a whole. I wanted so desperately to be a part of something so inspiring. I had been playing drums for a year at that point, but had never played with other people. Later in 2009, I met a girl named Allison. She wanted to start a band and needed a drummer. I filled the position.
We began playing and writing our own music with our mutual friend, Courtney. Allison and I became instant friends through our shared love of music, writing, and art. Courtney often complained that she felt like she was the third-wheel because of how quickly Allison and I hit it off. Our band—White Chili—was greeted by our town with mixed emotions. Some old-fashioned rockers were grateful for a breech in the seemingly unending wave of rap and R&B coming from our city. However, our peers at school didn’t like that we actually wrote our own music without a computer, played real instruments, and didn’t cover Beyoncé. We also encountered some individuals who didn’t think three girls could make it in the music scene.
On August 24, 2010—nearly a year after White Chili formed—Allison and I went to see Halestorm for the first time. They were the first band to perform on the main stage of Uproar Tour, the summer’s hottest metal festival. Although they had little to no stage production like one expects to see at a concert in a massive arena, Halestorm still captivated the audience’s with all their raw energy. Midway through their set, Allison and I leaned over to each other and yelled simultaneously, “I want to do that!” What moved us so much aside from the quality of the music itself was that Halestorm’s frontman was actually a woman. Women were—and still are—rare in the hard rock scene. Lzzy Hale’s talent exceeded even the most famous and seasoned of male musicians. She effortlessly hit notes I never even knew existed and also played a mean guitar. Lzzy was just the type of female hard rocker to inspire Allison, Courtney, and I to keep our chins up and show the non-believers what girls are capable of.
Sadly, our band broke up after three years, but not after we played a crowd of 900 people, were on TV, and had a consistent spot at a monthly music showcase in a neighboring town. We never made it into the recording studio or to Nationwide Arena, but I still hold “Rock Show” close to my heart because it perfectly describes the feelings I had when I saw The Dead Weather and Halestorm onstage for the first time. White Chili may get back together, or we may go our separate ways for good. I will probably end up writing for a newspaper or broadcasting the news, but, you know, Marilyn Manson went to school for journalism, too.
I went to my first rock concert when I was thirteen, but it was not until my third rock show—The Dead Weather on July 25th, 2009—that I really felt something start building up deep inside of me. It was this overwhelming desire to play in a band. The chemistry between all the members of The Dead Weather was something I longed for. Their lead singer, Alison Mosshart, emanated grace, mystique, and power. Even though I was there to see Jack White play drums, I could not draw my eyes away from the band as a whole. I wanted so desperately to be a part of something so inspiring. I had been playing drums for a year at that point, but had never played with other people. Later in 2009, I met a girl named Allison. She wanted to start a band and needed a drummer. I filled the position.
We began playing and writing our own music with our mutual friend, Courtney. Allison and I became instant friends through our shared love of music, writing, and art. Courtney often complained that she felt like she was the third-wheel because of how quickly Allison and I hit it off. Our band—White Chili—was greeted by our town with mixed emotions. Some old-fashioned rockers were grateful for a breech in the seemingly unending wave of rap and R&B coming from our city. However, our peers at school didn’t like that we actually wrote our own music without a computer, played real instruments, and didn’t cover Beyoncé. We also encountered some individuals who didn’t think three girls could make it in the music scene.
On August 24, 2010—nearly a year after White Chili formed—Allison and I went to see Halestorm for the first time. They were the first band to perform on the main stage of Uproar Tour, the summer’s hottest metal festival. Although they had little to no stage production like one expects to see at a concert in a massive arena, Halestorm still captivated the audience’s with all their raw energy. Midway through their set, Allison and I leaned over to each other and yelled simultaneously, “I want to do that!” What moved us so much aside from the quality of the music itself was that Halestorm’s frontman was actually a woman. Women were—and still are—rare in the hard rock scene. Lzzy Hale’s talent exceeded even the most famous and seasoned of male musicians. She effortlessly hit notes I never even knew existed and also played a mean guitar. Lzzy was just the type of female hard rocker to inspire Allison, Courtney, and I to keep our chins up and show the non-believers what girls are capable of.
Sadly, our band broke up after three years, but not after we played a crowd of 900 people, were on TV, and had a consistent spot at a monthly music showcase in a neighboring town. We never made it into the recording studio or to Nationwide Arena, but I still hold “Rock Show” close to my heart because it perfectly describes the feelings I had when I saw The Dead Weather and Halestorm onstage for the first time. White Chili may get back together, or we may go our separate ways for good. I will probably end up writing for a newspaper or broadcasting the news, but, you know, Marilyn Manson went to school for journalism, too.