The Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth
Or
Why I Still Listen to Hole: The Magic of Music Nostalgia

I dig music for a number of reasons. I like the stress relief that comes with dancing. I like songs with lyrics that I can relate to, that soothe me, or that I can sing along to. But I think the number one thing that I love about it the most is that it can bring me back to a specific time and place in an instant.
I can remember the first time I heard punk (or, at least what was punk to a suburban 11 year old): I had snuck a radio and headphones into bed with me and was listening to the local “alternative” station. I was listening mostly to help me fall asleep, but then a song by Green Day came on and I jolted back awake. The song made me feel anxious and excited all at once – this wasn’t the same as the Carpenters or Supremes records I was used to listening to. It was a moment that would change my taste forever.
Next came the discovery of Hole, Babes in Toyland, and Bikini Kill. I was shocked and amazed that there were bands that had women who were so up front about their anger and didn’t make me feel like I needed to sex myself up to be worthwhile. I re-played Hole’s Live Through This over and over again, not really understanding why Courtney Love was so pissed off, but liking the way listening to her made me feel – as many girls my age did at the time. It was a time when I was daydreaming about high school, about college, about what adulthood would be like. I couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t be wearing velvet Doc Martens and hanging out listening to music with the girls who were my best friends at the time.
Now, that time has come. I still hang out with my best friends listening to music, it’s just different ladies then when I was 14. I tend to wear Mary Janes over boots. And Hole went commercial and then went belly up. I get teased for still keeping Live Through This in heavy rotation in my personal collection. But every time I hear the opening chords of “Violet”, I get brought back to some of the most pleasant memories of my adolescence: daydreaming about possibilities, without bills to pay, and sporting some kick ass boots. It’s an album that can get me through a bad day or help me celebrate a great one even now, 14 years later.
The warm, fuzzy feelings I get from the music of my youth are probably the reason I’ve held onto my Dave Matthews Band records – but that is a blog for another day!