Earlier this year, I told myself that this would be the year I meet 5SOS. I honestly don’t know how I ended up here. Many will say it’s luck. I want to say it was God deciding it was time, but I really don’t know. What I do know is that on April 26, I got to experience one of the most amazing things that will probably happen to me in the foreseeable future. I had no idea what I was truly in for, other than the fact that my best friend from middle school and I would be meeting a band that changed my life forever, has made music that has helped me cope with so many situations (both good and bad), and that we have loved dearly since 2013.
On the afternoon of April 26th, Paulina and I made our way to the Channel 933 studios. When we arrived, we hung out with some friends that I had met at previous events and from waiting outside iHeart on other occasions. There were a solid amount of girls outside waiting to see the the band arrive and leave, hoping they’d get some photos with their favorite members. Those of us who had passes to go inside the station made our way to the front of the building, and there was a LINE to get in. Usually when I attend performances at the SDCCU lounge, I’m able to walk right on into the lobby and wait there to get checked in. The lobby was blocked off, and there were security guards standing outside the entrance to the building. My friends and I got in line, and we talked to those around us.
Then we finally made our way in. I’d like to say there were around 50 of us, maybe more or less. It was a much larger crowd than usual. We were all given pieces of paper to write a question that we’d like Ethan Cole to ask the boys. We were also fed sandwiches from Which Which! We all thought the performance was going to start at 3PM, but the guys were running late. It’s never a great idea to keep excited fangirls waiting, and the wait seemed like forever. When they finally arrived, their team told the station staff that they wanted all of our phones to be collected. No one was exempt from the rule, so this is why I don’t have any photos taken by me for you guys this time around!
When it was finally time to go inside the performance lounge and we were all seated, someone from the boys’ team told us all that the reason why our phones were collected was because they wanted us to be able to fully enjoy the experience. I can definitely say that everyone being phone-less made it even more special. There were zero distractions. I was seated in the second row, so I want to say I was probably 4 feet away from the guys. They performed ‘Jet Black Heart’ and ‘Want You Back’, and it was such a beautiful moment in time.
After the performance, everyone got pictures with the guys and once everyone returned to the lobby, it was definitely a crying fest!
I can’t thank Channel 933 and San Diego County Credit Union enough for helping make so many dreams come true that day, including mine. Music heals, and being up close and personal and having the privilege to exchange a word or two with someone that changed, and maybe even saved your own life is such a humbling experience. I hope everyone that shares a love for 5SOS is able to meet them someday.
