A Higher Ground Extravaganza! (Media Blog Post #2)

Broken Social Scene at Higher Ground

Let's face it- I like a lot of obscure music. When people ask me about my favorite bands, I tend to get a lot of face-cringing or blank stares as I list rolls off my tongue. So, when I saw that one of my favorite bands, Broken Social Scene, was to perform on September 22nd at Higher Ground, a music venue only a few miles from my dorm, I was completely ecstatic! Finally, a haven for indie-hipsters such as myself to find refuge in the music that no one else on this planet has ever listened to. It was a dream come true.

I dragged my friend Rob to the concert with me, and as we entered, we immediately ran to the front of the stage. It did not look as if there were many concert-goers ready to get their groove on, so it was easy to find the perfect spot to stand. The opening band, The Sea & Cake, performed their music while more people were filing in. I did not even want to hear the opening band at that point; I simply wanted to hear Broken Social Scene. I waited in anticipation while watching more and more people enter the venue. After a matter of thirty minutes, the entire venue was filled! I secured my spot by grasping onto the metal bar in front of me, but I was still being jostled by the overflowing crowd. My reptilian brain was ready to tell me to leave immediately, for I hate crowded spaces. However, I overpowered that portion of my brain with the reasoning that I was about to witness a fantastic concert!

About an hour later, Broken Social Scene entered the stage, and everyone in the crowd went wild! With about eight members of their band at the concert to play, they sounded absolutely amazing. Total, they had about four guitars, two banjos, four keyboards/synthesizers, two sets of drums, and a few other instruments that I have never actually seen before. Everyone in the group was amazing at singing as well, and their music ranged from ambient and hypnotic to loud and out-of-control.

My favorite part of the concert was definitely when the lead singer, Kevin Drew, decided to jump into the crowd and crowd-surf. Because I was so close to the stage, he ended up jumping right over me! It was exciting, slightly scary, and the most fun I've had all year. At the end of the night, Rob thanked me profusely for taking him to "the greatest concert he has been to in years."

I've been to many concerts, especially in the last three years or so, but this concert completely blew my mind. My brother, who lives in Philadelphia, saw Broken Social Scene at a local concert venue in that city too, so it was cool to be able to talk about the concert together even though we actually went to different shows. When this band comes back to Burlington, you know I'll be back in line!