TALK TUESDAY / Here for Now
BY ELIZABETH STAFFORD
The past year has been a year of personal struggle. 2019 hasn’t been terribly merciful to me. It’s taken me down a bumpy path, and I’ve had to do a lot of growing up in a short amount of time. My job is exhausting, and being extremely underpaid doesn’t help anything. Splurging on something or treating myself to something nice is typically out of the question. I’ve become skilled at capturing my life on social media like I’m not struggling with my bank account. I’m sure many of you can relate.
One thing I will spend money on is a Louis the Child show. If you know me, you know I have nothing but unconditional love for those 2 boys. Freddy and Robby are literal angels on Earth to me. The world they have created in their fan base is a community of support and love. I’ve traveled to places like Chicago and DC to see them in the past, typically by myself. After begging on Twitter for months, they finally released some Florida dates. I live in Tampa, and they announced a show in Orlando for their Here for Now Tour.
Before even touching on their live show, let’s discuss their music. I found their music at the right time. As I stepped into the adult world the past year, I’ve wrestled with mental illness, constantly anxious and depressed about what the world was throwing at me. I wasn’t prepared, and I felt like I was drowning but had forgotten how to swim. I discovered their music on Spotify, and it felt like the bricks on my chest were removed listening to them. I immediately became obsessed. The pure energy in their music shook me from my negative headspace anytime I listened. It became my anthem of happiness. My typical go-to song is, “Last to Leave”.
Their live shows aren’t just shows. They are experiences of endless positivity full of colors, sounds, feelings, and anything else I crave in my daily routine. It’s like a sudden burst of dopamine. I’m sure I sound dramatic, but I feel so alive and invincible when I stand in front of the stage at a Louis the Child show. It feels like every doubt that holds me still has been released and I’m free to just be. The fan base makes me feel appreciated and wanted. I’ve made a handful of lifetime friends because of the crowds.
During the Here for Now Tour Orlando show, I remember having a constant smile on my face. So many times, my jaw was on the floor over their light show and endless stream of musical surprises as they played. I had 2 of my closest friends with me, neither who had even listened to them much before. They bought the tickets because they said I talk about them so much so they had to be worth it.
As the visuals danced in front of me, I had to close my eyes because all of my senses were on fire with excitement. Have you ever had a weird moment where the joy was so much that you had to pause for a second?
The boys had obviously worked so hard on piecing every light flash, drum crash, and beat drop together. As they switched from older songs like, “Slow Down Love” to newer songs like, “Free”, I could feel time slipping by and I feared the end of the show. I hadn’t felt so good in so long.
I don’t even know what to say about all of it other than please go see them live if you have the chance. See them at festival, a local club show, or anywhere else they go. They never disappoint and are only growing in their ability. But also know that once you start loving them, you won’t be able to stop. The world of Louis the Child is a world you can’t leave. Not because they won’t let you but because you won’t want to.
