Monday, October 6, 2008

My Experience With the Sublime

One experience that stands out for me is the night I went out to see the Mars Volta in London. I do not think anything has moved me like this show. The Mars Volta is a rock/latin/prog band from California and I have been following them since 2002 and even before that when they were known as At The Drive-In. I can remember this show like it was yesterday, it was at the Roundhouse in Camden Town. It was an indoor venue and I got a spot in the balcony.
I couldn't wait for the band to come out. I was sitting in anticipation for nearly an hour and when they came out, I simply lost it. I can remember dancing to their music in a way that I have never danced before. It was simply amazing. After the show my adrenalin didn't stop pumping for nearly an hour. I felt something very special that night.

Another time I have experienced the sublime is when I first heard Lupe Fiasco. Lupe is a rapper from Chicago and his debut album Food and Liquor is one that I can listen to the whole way through again and again.

I loved reading the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stien back when I was just a little chap. I was very young back then, but I felt sense of rapture every time I read one of those books. Once I started one, I couldn't put it down until it was finished.

Another time I felt completely moved by an artistic medium is when I played Half Life 2. This game was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I remember beating it within a week because I simply could not put the game down. I was engrossed by the Bladerunner/1984 esque story line. The combat was frantic and every battle I went in to made me feel like I could never pull through.

And now the list of other notables
Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"
Saving Private Ryan
Good Will Hunting
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Nintendo 64
Myst
Gran Tourismo 3
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Final Fantasy X
Madden Football
Metal Gear Solid
London
Seattle
San Francisco
Flying for the first time
No Country For Old Men
A&P
Film Making
2008 Election

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