An Unexpected Yet Glorious Artistic Surprise

I am the kind of person that doesn’t watch trailers before starting a movie. I usually let my husband pick out our movies, or I choose them based on recommendations. I also don’t read the synopsis of a book before I check it out of the library. I rely heavily on authors I enjoy or recommendations. For the other books, I figure that since they are free, if they aren’t any good, I can always just return them. Last night, I showed up to a concert without having any idea what it would be like, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The Artists

Backstory:

I have a favorite restaurant on the island. The Ginoza Farm Lab has the best burgers on the island, some of the best views, and it’s walking distance from my house. It also has a big, beautiful covered patio, so I can bring my dog to enjoy a burger and a beer with me. I don’t share my beer, but he has been known to enjoy most of my fries. We go there often enough that the staff knows us. I love the restaurant, the staff, and their social media page. I frequently check out their Instagram because you never know when they will have something fun going on – like the time they had a hot dog eating contest. (I signed my husband up for it, which made it even more fun.)

In case you’re wondering, he did not win. I could have eaten more than he did.

They recently posted that they would be having live music, and that the band was from Tokyo. Because they were charging 3,000 yen, which is about $22, I figured that it would legitimately be a good show. Most of their events are free. You simply pay for food and drinks, but this show had a cover charge, and it was after hours so they would not be selling food. I was intrigued by the band’s pictures, so I put it on my calendar.

This is what I saw on the Ginoza Farm Lab Instagram page.

Low-and-behold, my husband is gone again, so I had a choice, I could ask someone to make the drive up north, which didn’t sound promising, or I could go by myself. This also didn’t sound like a great idea, but Saturday night rolled around, and I could continue studying prime factorization and radicals, or I could have a couple of beers and listen to music. I needed a break from the GRE studies, so I decided to go.

A Long Time Ago Backstory:

From 2004-2013, my guy was gone more than he was home, and during that time I became fiercely independent. It was normal for me to go have dinner alone. I would go to movies alone. I would pack up my car and drive across multiple states to run a race alone. In a lot of ways, I think my guy liked it. He could be at war, doing what people do in war, and he never had to worry about me. He knew that I was completely self-sufficient, yet wildly in love with him, so it allowed him to focus on life and death stuff.

As I was getting ready to go watch the show last night, I thought about that time in my life. I thought about the confidence, the independence, and the life I had created for myself despite being alone. I became a little more excited about going by myself. I walked there, said hi to the staff members when I arrived, found a seat in the back corner, and got ready to enjoy a show.

Last Night – The Show:

You know how I said that I don’t do research before I read a book or watch a movie? Most of the time, I am pleasantly surprised. Sometimes, I ask myself, “what have I gotten myself into?” Last night felt more like the latter. I am not sure what I expected, but the show was not anything that would have entered my mind. First of all, there were no vocals, and there was interpretive dance. Next, the music was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I doubt most people think about the musical score when watching a movie, but I guarantee if you listened to the score to Star Wars with your eyes closed, the music itself would move you. As I was watching this man dance with his scarf, I felt like I was in a movie. It was surreal. Then, I realized it was because the music sounded like it should be in a movie. The talent that the musicians had was incredible. I could just close my eyes and listen to the pianist. What the trumpet player could do with his instrument was distinct and pretty remarkable. For the most part, the music was soft and gentle. It felt very meditative. It was calming and lovely. The show wrapped up in a little over and hour, and then I returned home.

The Interpretive Dance

Looking back on it, as much as I enjoyed the music, I think the big win was getting out by myself. It was such a good reminder that I CAN go out alone. As much as I wish I had a buddy that lived close by who could have enjoyed the concert with me, and as much as I wished my husband was there holding my hand, I loved reminding myself that I can do things by myself. There is something very powerful and liberating when you step out of your comfort zone and you go have an experience all alone. It will also be nice to have something to talk to my husband about when he returns home. He’s not likely to be very interested in my re-learning of prime factorization and radicals. Overall, it was a lovely night, and I would do it again.