“A Night To Remember” by Madeline J

     One of the most commonly used phrases from the twenty first century among many
teenagers is, “A Night To Remember”. .Before August 21 of 2016, I thought this phrase was
really just an exaggeration and I couldn’t possibly think that I would ever remember a specific
night for the rest of my life. But here I am almost a year later, and I still remember that night as if
it were yesterday, and all of the memories from that night still give me excitement and butterflies
in my stomach.
     It all started years ago when my loving friend introduced me to Coldplay, and played
their famous song, “Viva La Vida.” At the time, I liked Coldplay because I thought their music
was cool, and mainly because I admired the amount of joy my friend got from listening to
Coldplay. I listened to Coldplay occasionally, but not as a routine. It was until years later, during
my junior year of high school, when my appreciation and love for Coldplay suddenly grew. I
started really loving Coldplay because I listened to the lyrics of the song “Yellow,” and they
touched my heart because I am a romantic and I want a love like the one in the song. I then
started listening to their other popular song, “A Sky Full of Stars” and that song really was so
catchy to me, and once again, the lyrics touched my heart. I listened to more of their songs from
newer and older albums, and I really developed a true appreciation for the band and what they
stood for. The singer, Chris Martin is a huge activist for spreading love and loving each other.
So by the end of my junior year, I really loved Coldplay and listening to them became a routine. I
always played their music when my friends were around, and I would listen to them around my
family, so people knew that I held Coldplay near to my heart.
     One day, I was on twitter, and came across Coldplay’s twitter account, and saw that they
posted dates for their new tour, “A Head Full of Dreams.” So I sent the dates to my twin, Lauren,
and we both decided that we would bring up the dates to my mother. My mother seemed very
interested, but we did not continuously bring up the tour. Along came Valentines Day, and my
parents gave us our gift., and there they were: tickets for the Coldplay concert at the Rose Bowl
in Los Angeles, in August. I remember feeling so excited, overwhelmed, and grateful because
one of my short term goals at the time were to go to their concert, and my parents were making
my dream come true. I had a long time to wait since it was only February and the concert was in
August, but the time flew by so fast since I was so excited to go. Time flew by, and the day
finally arrived.
     Six months later the day finally arrived, and my expectations grew because my love for
Coldplay blossomed, and I had very high hopes for how the concert would be. I hoped Chris
Martin would sound beautiful live, and it was my first concert ever, so I did not know what to
expect, but I expected a wonderful time. We were finally on our way to the Rose Bowl, and we
were listening to Coldplay songs since it was only right for the occasion. I went to the concert
with my twin, brother, and mother, who are also fans of the band. The drive to the venue felt
very long and I remember feeling nervous and my stomach started hurting due to excitement
and nerves. We finally arrived to the location, and the the opening bands were great, but I could
not concentrate because I was mentally preparing myself to see my favorite band in the entire
world. The concert was finally starting and we were given wristbands that were in sync with the
rhythm of the music and that would light up during songs. The lights were turned off and all of a
sudden I heard people screaming, and my heart started beating so fast. I then heard the song
“A Head Full of Dreams”, and I saw Chris Martin running down the aisle among the huge crowd,
and I became overwhelmed with so many emotions. For the longest time, I could not believe my
eyes, and I could not fathom that I was at the same place as the band, at the same exact time. I
felt so speechless, and I was not even able to sing because I had a huge knot in my throat. I
then heard a loud sound and looked up in the sky, and there were fireworks that kept exploding.
Chris Martin had so much energy that everyone there couldn’t help but stand up, dance, and
sing. I tried recording a good amount so that I can look back at the videos, but I decided that I
should live in the moment and not try to document everything. Then it got dark again. And I
remembered thinking that this was going to be an amazing night because i felt to ecstatic after
only one song. Now the next thing that happened is something I will never forget. The stadium
turned yellow, and my mom said, “oh my gosh, the song yellow is coming up”, and I remember
looking at Lauren, and the look we both gave each other was one of excitement. The song
“Yellow” started playing and Chris Martin said, :One, two, three, yellow!” and at that moment, I
looked at my sister, and we both started crying intensely. They really were tears of joy. The
concert went on, and i kept crying because I was so happy to be there, and be alive. I was with
my favorite people in the entire world, watching my favorite band that makes me feel the
happiest. I remember not singing because I really wanted to listen and take in Chris Martin’s
lovely voice. I can sing any other day and listen to myself, but on this night, my ears were
blessed. The concert was perfect, and it ended, since all good things eventually come to an
end. I remember sitting in my seat and feeling completely in shock and overwhelmed with what I
just experienced. On the ride back home, I remember thinking to myself, that it was all “A Night
to Remember,” and that this night will always live through my memories in my head. People
need to find what makes them happy and always do it. Coldplay, for me, is one of the many
things that make me feel happy, and happy to be alive. So, when you find something, someone,
or a place that make you feel many different emotions, do it, be with that person, or go there,
because life's too short to not make more, “nights to remember.”