The Regenerative Power of Pop Music: An Audio Field Note on ConcertCast.live

Heartbreak is a regenerative journey that takes you down many emotional paths. Depression, displacement—for me, denial that I would ever want to be in love again.

And during each stage of the process, the perfect song would seem to serendipitously appear and like a lyrical blanket, insulate my cold heart.

Starting with Carol King lamenting, "It's too Late," transitioning into Little Dragon’s, “No Love.” Then it was Peter Tosh bellowing, “Why Must I Cry,” and as of late, “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley.  And many, many, other songwriters were there for me too. 

Yet, these songs are a double-edged sword inadvertently reinforcing despair. The truth is, they made me kind of calloused towards love too. But when I venture into the Amphitheater at the Bangor Waterfront to photograph contemporary pop stars JAX, MAX, and Big Time Rush, I feel giddy and carefree and I start to see love through a sparkling lens of optimism again.I can’t help but wonder, was this pop concert the culmination of my healing journey, or rather, the start of a new love cycle?

For more Rockumentary podcasts exploring concert culture, go to http://concertcast.live/

Concert Cast is a woman-owned rockumentary podcast network. Originating in 2019 as a road trip around Maine, Concert Cast has evolved into an audio atlas, guiding listeners through America's concert communities. In 2022, it was recognized as a Spotify Editor's Pick for Lamont's energetic music journalism.