On a colder night in November, more specifically a Saturday, most people my age were getting ready for bed. For me, on the other hand, I was standing in front of my mirror caking my face with makeup and trying on almost every skirt I owned before finally choosing the shortest one I could find in my closet. I wanted to look perfect, even though I knew by the end of the night my hair would be ruined from screaming along to songs. 

    That night was the “All’s Well End’s Well" tour, featuring three of my favorite bands that I had been listening to since I was little, Emmure, Hawthorne Heights, and Chiodos. To me, it wasn’t just another concert on a Friday night, it felt like the most important night of my life!

    The concert venue was only around forty minutes away from my house, so my best friend Oliver picked me up to take me there. The second I got in the car, the music was already blasting through the speakers. We’ve been to many concerts together, 15 to be exact, but we have never been more excited for one then this. 

     We spent the whole ride listening to Chiodos, the main act of the night, screaming every lyric like we were the ones performing on stage, like Craig Owens. The bass in the speakers sounded like they were about to completely give out, but honestly, that just made the drive even more fun.

     We talked nonstop the entire way there, making plans for how we were going to get the best spot possible and running up to the barricade. We decided that the second the doors opened, we were running straight to the barricade so we could stand right in front of the stage where the band could actually see us.

    Looking back now, that was probably the reason I tried so hard to look cute before leaving... Even though it was only a shorter drive, it felt like one of the best car rides of my life because of how excited we both were! 

    After finally arriving at Wind Creek, we practically jumped out of the car before it was even fully parked. He turned to me and just smiled, “Tonight will be crazy,” we quickly thanked Oliver’s dad for driving us, and immediately rushed toward the building. The second we walked inside, it felt like entering a completely different world. Everywhere I looked there were posters, logos, and groups of people dressed in band merch, fishnets, heavy eyeliner, and chains. 

    Oliver and I kept running around the lobby taking pictures of all the tour posters and signs hanging on the walls because we wanted to remember every second of the night. My hands were shaking from excitement even seeing the tour poster at the front door, and I honestly don’t think I have ever felt that happy before. It felt unreal finally being there after looking forward to it for so long.

    As soon as we got to the entrance line, though, things immediately became stressful. The security guard looked suspicious of us the second she saw us, probably because we looked way too excited and chaotic, or young, as it was just Oliver and I. 

    On top of that, the WIFI inside the building was absolutely terrible. When I tried pulling up my ticket on my phone, the page would not load no matter what I did. My heart instantly dropped because I thought all the planning and excitement was about to be ruined before we even got inside!  

    For almost five minutes, Oliver and I stood there holding our phones up toward the ceiling trying to get enough signal for the tickets to load while the line behind us kept getting longer. I could feel myself panicking more every second. 

    Finally, after what felt like forever, the tickets loaded and scanned successfully. The second we heard the beep from the scanner, we got our x’s on our hands marked, and we took off running toward the stage as fast as we could. Somehow, we actually made it right to the rail!

    Getting in the front row felt like winning the lottery when the machine keeps spitting out duds. Even though we had to stand there waiting almost fifty minutes before the opening acts started, it was completely worth it. 

    The energy in the room kept building as more people crowded into the venue, and every time the lights dimmed even slightly, the audience would scream thinking the opener was about to come out. 

    When the first opening band, Big A** Truck, finally walked onto the stage, the entire crowd got quiet. I had never really listened to them before, but the second they started playing, I completely fell in love with their music. Their energy was insane, and every song sounded even better live. 

    The lead singer was running all over the stage while the guitars echoed through the room so loudly I could feel it in my chest and my throat, which sounds weird, but you would understand if you have ever been to a metal show. By the end of their set, I already knew I was going to listen to them constantly. 

    My excitement only grew stronger as the next band, Emmure, came on stage. I had been listening to them since I was around three years old because my dad always played heavy music around me, so seeing them live from the front row felt insane. 

    The room became so much louder and more aggressive the second their set started since more people knew them. Their flashing lights lit up the crowd while everyone screamed the lyrics they could make out at the top of their lungs. Maybe their setlist was not the best, but none of that even mattered once they started playing.

    During the final songs, the crowd suddenly became complete chaos. People were shoving and pushing their way toward the front, trying to get closer to the stage. I could barely keep my balance at some points because everyone was smashing into each other so hard. People behind me were even getting into a fight over a drunk guy having very poor concert etiquette.