Usually I don't make my way down the hill to the Rockin' on the River concerts in Troy, because crowds no longer thrill me, and my alcohol tolerance is zilch.
But my younger sister recently corralled my older sister into seeing a Journey cover band. I couldn't resist a night with my sisters, so I went.
I admit I also wanted a little trip down memory lane. Journey was the first concert I saw at SPAC, when I was 13 in 1980.
I was surprised by how many people were out on a Wednesday night in Troy. Such a cross-section: lots of tattoos and lots of beer. Some teenagers dotted the Hump Day buzz-seeking crowd. A couple from India sat on the hill above the stage for a while, and left.
The lead singer of Separate Ways looked a lot like the real lead singer, Steve Perry. Only at first, this guy seemed embarrassed, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to do what he was about to do. Pretty soon he got into it, fueled by the crowd who sang-screamed the songs, and pumped their fists in the air.
When he sang "Open Arms," I sang the words with bashful pride.
Liking Journey was always something to be a little ashamed of. Their love ballads were irresistible, but goofy. Some of the words, I knew even as a teenager, were caught in an infinite loop of nostalgia. The sentiments were about people missing things that were impossible to hold, people, feelings, moments. I knew it was cheesy, and I also loved the swell.
Stepping back into that place — the cusp of summer, the cusp of my adolescence, where I loved the idea of love — halfway through my 40s was pretty great.
Welcome, summer. Thanks, Troy. You rocked my week.
Amy Halloran is a Troy writer. Her website is at http://amyhalloran.net.