Alon Z / Art / The Bowery Ballroom

Holding a can of non-alcoholic IPA I am looking at Sara holding a can of non-alcoholic water called Liquid Death. We lean against the wall in the entrance to the space. We've been standing here for a while and almost everyone who is in the room now had to pass by us to get in. We didn’t make eye contact with anyone, but we could have if we wanted to, at least for a second or so before they would have looked away.

Two members of the first warmup band are standing next to us, they chat with a tall woman in a black dress about the after party, and I think that it’s already hours past my bedtime, I’m happy that I took a nap and we are not invited to the after party anyhow, so it will all be over soon.

A short woman with very long hair got on the stage, she was standing further upfront and the lead singer asked her if she wanted to come and perform with them the next song. I’m happy that they didn’t pick me as I don’t really know the lyrics. I’m looking at the people standing in front of us, some of them know each other, but mostly we are all strangers, united only by sounds.

I take the last sip from my non alcoholic beverage and feel a strange feeling of connection to everyone. It’s not the kind of feeling you would get standing in the front line, but from here you can see the people, how they move as individuals and a group at the same time, and develop some empathy for them or notion of who they are.

Sara asks me if I want to take the train or a cab back. I look at her without answering and smile.