I haven’t been to many concerts throughout my life so far, about three actually if I was to be exact. For some reason, it never has quite appealed to me sitting in a large crowd listening to someone perform their music very loudly when I could hear it much better in the comfort of my own home or car. While there have been a few artists who I always said I’d go see if they came around locally to perform, I never made any effort to do so when they did. That was until recently when one of my favorite groups of all time, Hall & Oates, came into town for a concert in the amphitheater at the Toledo Zoo.
I totally grew up liking just about every song Hall & Oates put out on the airwaves. Some of my favorites included Maneater, Kiss On My List, Private Eyes, and I Can’t Go For That. When I hear any of these songs or plenty of others from this group played on the airwaves today, I’m always reminded of some good memories from my younger years. My mother unquestionably loved this group as much as I did and the two of us would often sing the lyrics of the songs together when we heard them over the radio. I probably shouldn’t admit to the other good memory though because it’s a little embarrassing, but I will anyway by saying I used to dance to them alone in front of a huge mirror in the living room of my childhood home.
So you can probably imagine how excited I was when I learned Hall & Oates was coming to Toledo in the end of July to perform. And if it gives you any idea how much I truly like this group, I decided it was absolutely necessary to overcome my dislike of crowded concerts solely to attend theirs. I immediately purchased tickets for my partner and I the day they went on sale and we were four rows back from the stage with an aisle seat and the next one in.
I must say I did have a big fear sit within me on and off all the way up to the day of their actual performance. Given my health issues having been so unpredictable as of late, I worried that I might not be able to enjoy the concert if my pain levels were high. I’m thankful to report though that fear never came to fruition. In fact, I felt well enough to even stand and dance a little in front of my seat throughout the night. And other than a few drunken people who kept invading my personal space during it, I have to say it was well worth the $160 I splurged for the two tickets.
But I think the best memory I’m going to remember of me at this concert is the one where I paused bobbing my head for a moment while I sat there in my seat. As it was then when I thought of my mother, hoping she was there somehow, sitting next to me, and singing along just like we used to do together when I was a kid. This is why I fully believe that music really can be a key to the soul sometimes, because Hall & Oates did exactly that for me when one of their songs re-connected me to a mother who I miss dearly, and that alone was priceless…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson