My life is full of religious experiences. I have a handful of them a week.
When it happens, sometimes I experience a euphoric state that gives me a chance to look at a situation in a different perspective. Sometimes all my problems seem to melt away.
But my religious experiences are different from most: it's not God I'm hearing, it's what's getting pumped out of my headphones.
Many religions generally have the same principles. Don't kill, don't steal, and just be a decent human being. These same exact notions are encouraged through music.
To many people, music is just background noise there to entertain them. But if you look at not as entertainment, but a guideline on how to live your life, it can be just as powerful as any religion.
Music has the ability to dissolve people's problems with just one song. It has the power to give someone a sense of purpose. It even can make you closer to what you believe in, just by pushing the play button.
June 1st, 2011 might not be a date that stands out in people's mind, but it does for me. The Town Ballroom played host to Jimmy Eat World, one of my favorite bands. As I entered the pit, I had no idea that the next three hours would forever change my life.
On this fateful night, Jimmy Eat World opened with "Bleed American," the title track from their 2001 album. This was not out of the ordinary since they open with it a lot. What made it special was after they finished, lead singer Jim Adkins explained that for the first time ever, they would be playing the album in its entirety.
When he informed the crowd, I began to shake. "This seriously can't be happening," I thought to myself.
Bleed Americanis my third favorite album of all time. I have gone through numerous copies of the CD because I listen to it so much. To get people to understand how much it means to me, I often refer to it as part of my bible.
As Jimmy Eat World performed songs I thought I would never see performed live, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and ecstasy overtook my body. There was even a point when I had to fight back the tears.
This was not the first time that a concert had moved me. I have seen Taking Back Sunday nine times, and every time I do I lose control and let the music overtake my body.
I am not saying that people in bands are gods or anything, but the music they produce has the ability to change people's lives, for better or for worse.
If you doubt the power of music as a religion, go to a show. People scream the words to every song just because they believe, very strongly, in what is being said.
That devotion to music can be just as strong as someone's devotion to religion. It all depends on what sets you free.
Email: jameson.butler@ubspectrum.com
