My thighs were clenched around my best friend’s shoulders as I sang to John Rzeznik, who was only a couple feet away from me.  Last Sunday was one of the most memorable days of my life because I finally got to see my favorite band, the Goo Goo Dolls, perform free in San Francisco.  I could not get over how I was at eye level with John Rzeznik, the lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls.   I may sound like a total dork but I was so happy and in awe when he laughed and made eye contact with me.  I was that obnoxious screaming fan who was dying just to touch his hand.

It was a great experience and it’s amazing how people became a close-knit community for just a few hours to hear these popular bands play. I think that it would be awesome if we could hold concerts similar to this on campus. It would create a community for all of the music lovers here at SSU, especially because the Green Music Center is right in our backyard.  Bringing people together through their common interest in music could create more of a bond not only between students, but also between the school and the community of Rohnert Park.

   The concert I attended recently was put on for free by the radio station Alice 97.3 in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park. The line-up featured Plain White T’s, Walk off the Earth, Goo Goo Dolls and One Republic. Sunny with a nice breeze, it was the perfect setting for a concert that day.  The park was completely packed with people of all ages. I arrived at Golden Gate Park  in the morning and waited in line for two hours, and it was so worth it.

  One Republic was amazing live. The lead singer Ryan Tedder is very talented. He belted out Gold Digger by Kanye West in his own rhythm and it was very different and creative. The crowd was going crazy.  Plain white T’s and Walk off the Earth had some new songs that I will probably go download as well. Concerts allow a person to experience and listen to other bands that they may not listen to regularly.

 Growing up in the ‘90s, I started listening to the Goo Goo Dolls at a very young age.  My dad always had their music blaring when he was working out and I just caught on to the lyrics and starting singing along. I have followed the band and their music since I was about ten years old.  Last year I wrote a five page paper on one of their very popular songs, “Iris”, and the meaning behind the song. Their songs have a very personal meaning to me and got me through difficult periods of my life which is why I really love and appreciate their music.   Whenever they come on the radio I am always singing along at the top of my lungs.

       Concerts similar to the one I attended would benefit the students, school, and community if they were held on campus. Music is something many people have in common and it would definitely create more of a bond within our community. Bands and the music that they create have such a huge impact on people, similar to the one the Goo Goo Dolls had on me. There is nothing like the adrenaline rush you experience when your favorite band or artist is performing live in front of you. Now, imagine experiencing that feeling right on your school campus. There would be nothing like it.