Emo...more than a style of music, it's a way of life
A few weeks ago, my sister, Ashleigh, asked, "Do you know what an emo kid is?" I kind of chuckled and said yes, I was familiar with the term. She said, "Well, what are they?" Paul and I tried to explain that emo, short for emotional, is actually a genre of music that's popular right now. It's good rock music with very melodic vocals, usually accentuated with a few impassioned cries throughout the song. The lyrics generally have to do with strong emotions...angst, love, hate, confusion, hurt, etc. "Emo kids," therefore, are the die-hard fans of this music. I asked Ashleigh what made her ask about them. She said that she was driving Paul's old 1987 Toyota Camry (very beaten-up, but still loved!), and our stepsister, Alyssa, said she loved that car...it looked "like something an emo kid would drive." Paul said that makes sense, because emo kids are the ones who are sort of dressing 80's now, they have the longer hair that's messily parted on the side, the boys wear girl pants, they all wear tiny tee shirts covered by blazers, they're cool with looking a little beat up (yet still pulled together) themselves. Ashleigh felt like she was starting to understand.
So, last night, I met Ashleigh in Charlotte and we went to see Copeland and Anberlin. They were awesome. Yes, Anberlin is still a little sloppy due to the increased running around on stage, but they still rocked. Copeland did a good mix of old and new stuff and the crowd was totally into it. (The Verdict and Paramour also played, and both were surprisingly great.) If you know anything about Copeland, you know that they are sort of a quintessential emo band. They don't have the steady rock stuff going, but the vocals and lyrics are 100% emo.
Ashleigh knew that we would be joining a crowd of emo kids and she was looking forward to seeing them in their natural habitat. When we got there, it was hilarious to see her sort of taking everything in. Paramour starting performing and they were very good. They were a little more "scream-o" than "emo," but still fit the bill. Ashleigh and I had had a long discussion about the emotions that go into emo music. During Paramour, she was like, "The screaming...I just feel so bad for them...it's like you can feel the anguish coming from the stage." And you really could. It was a bit overwhelming for a first-timer like her. Luckily, Anberlin (a band I wouldn't characterize as emo...just fun rock) was next, so she got a bit of a break. Then, came the clincher...Copeland.
Ashleigh has heard Copeland's music before, but didn't really know the lyrics. I would tell her some of the lyrics I thought were really awesome. Some are very sweet and some are a little sad. Towards the end of their set, they played "When Paula Sparks." It's a song about a guy wanting to spend time with his girlfriend who is in the hospital. I was telling Ashleigh the words and after the line "You'll say/Wake now, Prince/There's a brilliant sky above/And a jealous moon in love/And they are/Starved for our attention," she looked at me and said, "Please don't tell me what he's saying...I can't take anymore emotion!" It was hilarious!
I've been reading a book called "The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy." Colleen Carroll, the author, makes the point that a lot of young adults are turning back toward a more traditional, more orthodox worship experience. They're tired of all they hype and are interested in something that's been time-tested, something that is deep and has deep roots, and something that offers black-and-white truth. The book is awesome, and I highly recommend it.
These two experiences together, the emo kids and the new faithful, have gone a long way toward letting me know I'm not alone in crisis. Apparently, there are a lot of people who are in a similar place. I think that's why emo music is so popular now...kids and young adults are reaching out to a genre of music that is honest about struggle. It says, hey, we all go through times that suck. Let's talk about it, let's sing about it, let's identify with one another and get through it together. Really great emo music (like Copeland) says, let's look to the One who offers hope in the midst of hard times. Orthodox religion says, hey, life is going to be hard, maybe confusing, often changing...why not turn to something that is simple and steadfast? It acknowledges the struggle, but offers a solution in return. It was just neat to see those things sort of go hand in hand.
For a funny take on hardcore kids vs. emo kids, check out Bradley Hathaway's poem, "The Annoying Hardcore Dude Who Goes Too Far."
So, last night, I met Ashleigh in Charlotte and we went to see Copeland and Anberlin. They were awesome. Yes, Anberlin is still a little sloppy due to the increased running around on stage, but they still rocked. Copeland did a good mix of old and new stuff and the crowd was totally into it. (The Verdict and Paramour also played, and both were surprisingly great.) If you know anything about Copeland, you know that they are sort of a quintessential emo band. They don't have the steady rock stuff going, but the vocals and lyrics are 100% emo.
Ashleigh knew that we would be joining a crowd of emo kids and she was looking forward to seeing them in their natural habitat. When we got there, it was hilarious to see her sort of taking everything in. Paramour starting performing and they were very good. They were a little more "scream-o" than "emo," but still fit the bill. Ashleigh and I had had a long discussion about the emotions that go into emo music. During Paramour, she was like, "The screaming...I just feel so bad for them...it's like you can feel the anguish coming from the stage." And you really could. It was a bit overwhelming for a first-timer like her. Luckily, Anberlin (a band I wouldn't characterize as emo...just fun rock) was next, so she got a bit of a break. Then, came the clincher...Copeland.
Ashleigh has heard Copeland's music before, but didn't really know the lyrics. I would tell her some of the lyrics I thought were really awesome. Some are very sweet and some are a little sad. Towards the end of their set, they played "When Paula Sparks." It's a song about a guy wanting to spend time with his girlfriend who is in the hospital. I was telling Ashleigh the words and after the line "You'll say/Wake now, Prince/There's a brilliant sky above/And a jealous moon in love/And they are/Starved for our attention," she looked at me and said, "Please don't tell me what he's saying...I can't take anymore emotion!" It was hilarious!
I've been reading a book called "The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy." Colleen Carroll, the author, makes the point that a lot of young adults are turning back toward a more traditional, more orthodox worship experience. They're tired of all they hype and are interested in something that's been time-tested, something that is deep and has deep roots, and something that offers black-and-white truth. The book is awesome, and I highly recommend it.
These two experiences together, the emo kids and the new faithful, have gone a long way toward letting me know I'm not alone in crisis. Apparently, there are a lot of people who are in a similar place. I think that's why emo music is so popular now...kids and young adults are reaching out to a genre of music that is honest about struggle. It says, hey, we all go through times that suck. Let's talk about it, let's sing about it, let's identify with one another and get through it together. Really great emo music (like Copeland) says, let's look to the One who offers hope in the midst of hard times. Orthodox religion says, hey, life is going to be hard, maybe confusing, often changing...why not turn to something that is simple and steadfast? It acknowledges the struggle, but offers a solution in return. It was just neat to see those things sort of go hand in hand.
For a funny take on hardcore kids vs. emo kids, check out Bradley Hathaway's poem, "The Annoying Hardcore Dude Who Goes Too Far."
posted by Michelle at 1:57 PM
4 Comments:
Michelle--I have so thoroughly enjoyed this post. I love reading posts from people who write about something with substance.
emo girls are hot.
Michelle, I loved The New Faithful. I read it a few years ago, back when the "emergent" church was actually emerging, and not being just exploited by Zondervan. I think the author really drives at what true Gen-X'ers, a generation I'm just barely a part of, if at all, are going through right now. Carroll was postmodern before postmodern was cool. :)
ok, time to post again Michelle.....we're all waiting.
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