A Reflection On 8123 Fest 2017

An 8123 Community blog by Josie Bircham.

The Maine have been my favourite band and a gigantic chunk of sunshine in my life for a generous handful of years now, but for me 8123 fest was the point at which this whole thing started to feel more than just a band, but like a family. The atmosphere in that parking lot in downtown Phoenix, filled with several thousand souls from all over the world was nothing short of magical. Most of us didn’t know one another, but you still felt like everyone was your best friend, and we were all having the time of our lives.

On top of that, it was the start of the 8123 Impact efforts, where fans and members of the band go to volunteer for charitable causes. This is something that makes me even prouder to be a part of 8123 and I can’t wait to get more involved in future efforts. I’ve learned more about kindness and compassion and bravery and friendship from this family than I ever did in school.

It’s something that’s so much bigger than the music and that is impossible to truly explain simply with words. It’s not just about going to see your favourite band play 157 times. It’s about every little adventure to a new town or a new country and every new friend you make and every smile that sticks until your face aches. It’s not hesitating in buying a ticket to Germany, or Amsterdam, or fuckin Arizona, because you know when you get there you’re gonna be at home. It’s realising that actually, you’re not alone, because you’re in a room full of friends singing along to the same lyrics, for 800 different reasons, and for the same reason. I’ve learnt that it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have a plan, or if you have no idea what you’re doing as long as you’re having fun, being kind to one another, and enjoying being here. And that it’s better to feel too much than not at all.