LAUV and Mental Health

ON OCTOBER 13TH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND LAUV’S SHOW AT THE RIVERIA THEATER AND COVER IT FOR JUNIPER MAGAZINE. THIS WAS A SENTIMENTAL SHOW FOR ME BECAUSE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I RECEIVED PRESS TO COVER HIS SHOW AT LINCOLN HALL IN CHICAGO, AND RECEIVED A PLUS ONE TO BRING A FRIEND ALONG. I INVITED MY GOOD FRIEND ASHLEY HAMME, WHO WAS TOURING DEPAUL UNIVERSITY THAT WEEKEND, AND I MUST SAY, IT WAS QUITE A STELLAR WAY TO SHOW HER THE CITY, AND THE MAGIC OF THE CHICAGO MUSIC SCENE. THE SHOW WAS EXCEPTIONAL, AND I WILL NEVER FORGET ONE VERY SPECIAL ELEMENT OF THE NIGHT. THIS WAS WHEN LAUV REQUESTED FANS TO WRITE OUT SOMETHING ON THEIR MIND AND PASS IT ALONG TO THE BOXES LOCATED NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE VENUE. IT WAS INTENDED AS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH FANS, AND REMIND THEM THAT IN MOST OF THEIR STRUGGLES, THEY AREN’T ALONE. SOMEONE IS THERE TO LISTEN, AND SOMEONE IS THERE TO RELATE.

FAST FORWARD TO NOW, I ACTUALLY LIVE WITH ASHLEY IN OUR BOUJEE HIPPIE 1920’S THEMED APARTMENT BUILDING IN THE LOOP, AND EACH DAY I AM THANKFUL THAT SHE CHOSE TO COME TO CHICAGO TO PURSUE AN EDUCATION AT DEPAUL. SHE PROVIDES ME DAILY WITH MENTAL SUPPORT AND AMAZING MEMORIES TO SHARE WITH A FRIEND, JUST LIKE THE NIGHT WE GOT TO SEE LAUV AT LINCOLN HALL.

THIS TIME THOUGH, I GOT TO ATTEND LAUV’S SHOW AT THE RIVIERA WITH MY GOOD FRIEND KENDALL, WHO I MET THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION I AM IMMENSELY APART OF (AND PROUD OF) STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY. PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION’S MISSION IS ADVOCATING FOR NIGHTLIFE HARM REDUCTION AT CONCERTS AND EVENTS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, DRUG CHECKING AND SENSIBLE EVENT PRODUCING POLICIES. KENDALL IS A FELLOW EVENT PLANNER IN CHICAGO, AND I TOLD HER I WOULD GO TO LAUV WITH HER IF I RECEIVED PRESS, WHICH THE STARS ALIGNED, AND I WAS GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY.

WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE VENUE, THE NIGHT IMMEDIATELY TOOK A WRONG TURN. THE TICKET THAT KENDALL HAS PURCHASED OFF STUBHUB DID NOT SCAN BECAUSE THE READER SAID THAT SOMEONE HAD ALREADY USED THE TICKET EARLIER THAT NIGHT. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE EXPERIENCED BY RESALE TICKET BUYERS AND ONE THAT REALLY BUGS THE HELL OUT OF ME. BE A GOOD PERSON. IF YOU SELL YOUR TICKET, DON’T USE IT!!

LUCKILY, STUBHUB HAS SUPPORT IN ORDER TO NAVIGATE THIS ISSUE, AND AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES ON THE PHONE, KENDALL HAD A NEW TICKET AND WE WERE INSIDE THE VENUE READY FOR LAUV. THANK YOU, STUBHUB CUSTOMER SERVICE, FOR BEING THERE WHEN WE NEEDED YOU, AND PROPS TO YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE SO QUICKLY. IF YOU’RE GOING TO BUY RESALE TICKETS, I NORMALLY RECOMMEND SEARCHING THROUGH TWITTER AND FACEBOOK BEFORE CHECKING OFFICIAL RESALE SITES, BUT IF YOU CAN SPARE A FEW EXTRA DOLLARS, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING THROUGH STUBHUB IN CASE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ARISE.

AFTER OUR DELAYED ENTRANCE, WE PROCEEDED TO EXPLORE WHAT WAS THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCED VERSION OF LAUV’S MESSAGE CENTER, PHONE BOOTH LIKE CHAMBERS EQUIPPED WITH MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD LET YOU RECORD DOWN YOUR WRITTEN OR VOCAL THOUGHTS, AND SEND THEM OFF TO BE ANALYZE AND PAIRED WITH OTHERS BASED OFF KEYWORDS. THIS PROJECT IS CALLED “MY BLUE THOUGHTS” AND YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT IT ON MICROSOFT’S WEBSITE HERE. I LEFT A THANK YOU NOTE FROM JUNIPER BUT YOU CAN EXPLORE OTHER BLUE THOUGHTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ON THE PROJECT’S WEBSITE HERE.

AFTER LEAVING OUR THOUGHTS, WE TRAVELED UP TO THE BALCONY AND FOUND A SPOT TO WATCH THE SHOW. WHEN WE FOUND ONE AND I TOOK A LOOK AROUND, I REALIZED I HAD BEEN NEGLECTING MY LOVE FOR BALCONIES AND WATCHING SHOWS FROM ABOVE. I WAS EXCITED AND THE VIEW WAS COMPELLING.

THE NIGHT WENT ON WITH A MULTITUDE OF HITS FROM LAUV SUCH AS “I LIKE ME BETTER” AND “I’M SO TIRED…” AS WELL AS SONGS OFF LAUV’S NEW ALBUM IN 2019, “~HOW I’M FEELING~” THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH BUT IMMEDIATELY ADDED TO MY LIBRARY WHEN I GOT HOME. MY FAVORITES WERE “FUCK, I’M LONELY (WITH ANNE-MARIE) AND “SIMS” BOTH OF WHICH I FELT SOME OTHER TYPE OF WAY GROOVING TO AT THE SHOW. I’D ARGUE THE CROWD WAS FEELING THE SAME FROM THEIR BELTING OUT LYRICS AND CLAPPING ALONG TO THE BEATS. LAUV FANS ARE COOL AND I FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY RELATE TO HIS WORK.

PART OF LAUV’S MAGIC IS HIS STRESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH. AT ONE POINT IN THE PERFORMANCE, LAUV EXITED THE STAGE WHILE A VOICE TRACK PLAYED OVER OF HIM EXPRESSING HIS RECENT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY BATTLING DEPRESSION AND WORKING THROUGH TOUGH DAYS. HE LOOKED TO MUSIC FOR SUPPORT, AS WELL AS ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, AND WAS FEELING MUCH BETTER THAN HE ONCE WAS.

I THINK THIS WAS A BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION OF HOW SUPPORTIVE MUSICIANS AND THEIR WORK CAN BE FOR FANS. THAT NIGHT LAUV SHARED HIS HUMANITY WITH US AND HOW HE FACES BATTLES SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ON A DAILY BASIS. HE LET US KNOW THAT IF WE EXPERIENCE THESE THINGS, WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS WORLD, AND THAT ARTISTS LIKE HIM HOPE TO SHED LIGHT INTO SOME OF THE DARKEST AREAS OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS. THIS IS WHERE “MY BLUE THOUGHTS” CAME FROM, SEEKING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, TO WRITE OR SPEAK OUT WHATEVER YOU WANT, AND THEN DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY AND LET THE MUSIC BE THERE FOR YOU IN A WAY MANY OF US FIND HARD TO DO FOR OURSELVES. LAUV, THANK YOU FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH THAT NIGHT AND FOR BRINGING LIGHT INTO MY WORLD AND SO MANY OTHERS.

IT HAS BEEN AMAZING TO WATCH LAUV’S MUSIC CAREER GROW AND BLOSSOM OVER THE YEARS AND SINCE LAST TIME AT LINCOLN HALL IN 2018. I’M TRULY EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO WATCH FROM THE AUDIENCE AND SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU ALL. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THIS RADIO STAR’S WORK THAN JUST JAMMING TO THE HITS IN YOUR CAR OR SWITCHING STATIONS. LAUV’S SONGS CARRY SUCH GREAT LYRICAL MEANING AS WELL AS RHYTHM CATCHING BEATS, THAT MAKE FUN OUT OF DARK AND DEPRESSED THOUGHTS. I AM CONFIDENT HE WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US WITH HIS MUSIC, AND I HOPE YOU’LL BE APART.