PTX Concert

June 23

Molli and I spent the morning (late morning, let’s be honest - I can’t be on time for anything) wandering the Botanic gardens next to the Prado. She spent the morning getting cookies from cloistered nuns, which I definitely want to do next time I’m in Madrid because nun cookies. Molli’s mom grows artichokes so we found some in the garden, but I was partial to the extensive bonsai collection and the mums (are they mums? I don’t know flowers…)

After lunch we visited the Egyptian temple that’s sitting in a park that was shipped over to keep it safe during flooding, mostly because the park it’s in has a pretty great view of the city. If it wasn’t so ungodly hot, we may have stayed for a while, but as it was, Molli went back to rest up for the Reina Sofia, and Anna and I went home to prepare for the Pentatonix concert. This concert was the whole reason I booked the tickets to Madrid in the first place, so I had high hopes. When I booked the tix, it looked like it would be in a giant stadium, but when we entered Vistalegre we were directed to a much smaller stage with standing room only and air conditioning, which was a totally unexpected and wonderful surprise. We filtered in partway through Us The Duo’s set. I wish we could have heard it all because they were great, but at least we got three or four songs. 

I feel sorry for short people because concerts must be a lot of seeing lights around the back of people’s heads. Being tall means that we were a little ways back (but closer than I was for Darren Criss, and I felt like we did great getting as close as we did for that concert) and I could see the whole concert in glorious detail. They were excited to be there, and even better in person than on YouTube. I couldn’t pick a favorite song (because they are all incredible), and I def knew all the words. Two moments I loved were both of the times the audience became so silent it felt like the whole room was holding its breath. The first time was for Kevin’s celloboxing with the Bach prelude. I was afraid the audience would totally tune out for it, but the reaction was the opposite. As soon as the cello started a hush fell for the entire piece. The other silence was for Light in the Hallway, which they did without mics and was absolutely beautiful. 

Misbehavin is one of my favorite songs from the new album, and they always do it as an audience participation number. Javier was the kid Scott chose for Misbehavin, and I have never seen anyone so excited in my life. He actually leaped onto the stage, kissed everyone, hugged Scott for an uncomfortably long time, and literally could not contain his excitement the entire time he was up there. When they turned the mic on him his voice cracked SO hard, but he was LIVING. Seeing him up there I’m pretty sure made everyone’s night, and he got cheered off the stage after extensive hugs and kisses at the end of the song. Going to the concert with Anna made it even better because although I knew what to expect, most of it was new for her. Her jaw actually dropped when she heard Avi. The choral intro to Aha! is always one of my favorites to listen to, so it was awesome that they did it for the concert. And Radioactive, Papaoutai, so many of the new songs, Michael Jackson… Also just the fact that they interacted with us a little in between songs, sang their hearts out, and had some choreo worked out for the vast majority of the songs made every moment wonderful. And Mitch’s hair was on point. Not important, but oh so good. They’ve come a long way since singing on the Sing-Off stage and tripping down stage stairs. I totally understand why people go to their concerts over and over again. I can’t think of anything better to do with a night that being in the room with all of that positive energy watching people who clearly love what they do and do it well. 

As the concert ended and we went out into the warm night after a short metro ride, beers seemed like the right thing to do before bed. I’m not a crazy party person no matter how much I would like to be, and one thing I love about being with Anna is that although she would happily go out dancing until morning, she’s also willing to humor me and sit quietly and talk seriously about serious things in the nighttime hours. We got on to the topic of life plans, as one does, and of feeling inexperienced but being billed as “too experienced” because employers don’t want to pay. That turned into talking about what to do with our lives to feel like what we are doing is worthwhile and valuable, and of developing the confidence to pursue passion. Of all the things I’m grateful for about Peace Corps, the self-confidence it has given me is by far the most valuable. Coming out of college I couldn’t sell myself to save my life, and next to my classmates I felt inadequate. I spent six months applying for jobs and getting rejected for all of them while working with high schoolers as a golf club waitress and later with a motley assembly of humanity packing boxes at midnight for a supply store knowing my college degree wasn’t worth what I was doing, but stuck in an endless catch-22 of no experience and no job in the field I wanted experience in. I despise the idea of unpaid internships as free labor designed to exploit those who are desperate for experience without even providing them with a way to support themselves. I understand the idea of getting your foot in the door, but why did I pay all this money for college just to pay all this money to work? Gah. I should be out partying like a normal person. Too nerdy. 

High: The Pentatonix concert! I posted some videos on my insta 

Low: Lunch

Glitter: Molli’s story of getting cookies from the nuns.