I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I felt too old, the place felt outgrown. Still, spur of the moment, I got me and my brother tickets for a small one-day festival that was playing in town. The festival was dedicated to quite a famous oldie club in Bucharest, the Fire Club (edgy name, huh?) with the subtitle "where we all grew up". It was targeted at quite a different age group, which made up 80% of the crowd at the event itself. Not quite our parents' generation, but not quite ours, either. Sort of in-betweeners. The ones the bands belong to and grew up alongside. Me, I grew up watching them already be older than I am right now.

Didn't make me love them any less, though.

![WhatsApp Image 2024-10-14 at 20.52.13.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/honeydue/AJpfGWUCGRck5hquqeNsFJDia7AsF1GZVB7n9zseLtFDAB8K2RatcEomcs8Y7Uc.jpeg)



Though the club itself meant little to me, the night proved quite nostalgic. Three of the five bands I loved as a sultry teenager, and the small arena where it was held is my favorite concert place in Bucharest. It's where I (and my brother) grew up.

I saw Alice Cooper here when I was about 11? Maybe 12? I was excited as all get-out but nearly didn't get in because the event was 18+ since Jack Daniels was a sponsor and of course, if children see whiskey advertising, it will turn them into lifelong alcoholics. Luckily, a friend of my mom's knew the organizer and managed to sneak a bunch of us underage delinquents in. 

I love this place. I used to drag my little brother here to shows that didn't really interest him, many of them bands he now adores. Good times. 

![WhatsApp Image 2024-10-14 at 20.52.13(1).jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/honeydue/AKApAxg3uP8LQQ44XVi6AyCwHP3BKktKtRYgYEqK2Dj43vu3JP7KUwzygDsTqUL.jpeg)

It was a nice trip into the past... for the night. And while I enjoyed the show, I'm not there anymore. I love the bands, but they're no longer *my* bands. I've grown. I've changed. I look around at some of the older rock and rollers I know and see them holding on desperately to the bands of their youth. Still blasting Linkin Park and Metallica. Which is nice. They're good bands, but you can't get stuck on one thing you once loved.

I realize my musical taste has shifted quite a bit. I'm a lot more alt, more jazz than I was when I was growing up here. But that's why it's called "growing". You're supposed to move away. Up? I don't know, just in a different direction.

Still... wanna see what I grew up with? :)

https://youtu.be/ozApenhIJBk

To be fair, *Coma* is still a pretty good band. I managed to see them a couple of times this year after a few years of missing them and they put on a solid show. I think they age better than the majority of Romanian bands because they're quite poetic. Ageless, in a way.

> Sing my tale
So you forget me never, nohow
Bring me news
From your mouth, it'll sound good regardless
Gather my things
Show me the shortest path
Lead me astray
And tell me I don't ask too much.

It sounds better in Romanian. :)

https://youtu.be/5Y7hdAj53ls

>When I meet you, I shy away in vain
I'd like to tell you how dear you are to me
But I know not how.

I used to sing along to this in my room when I was 16. I'm 25 now. I still don't know how.
https://youtu.be/wDt0pzhw4GM

> I know you
Since when
Since today
Since long.
I hope you
Going
Coming?
Saying
"Hi,
I know you."

Still get goosebumps from this song. Easily my favorite from these guys. The lyrics are just perfect, so full of sadness and love. 

### In the end, isn't that what we all want? At any age? Someone to look at us and say "Hi. I know you"?


![bannn.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/honeydue/23xenJQwfvZrY2Y8utpb4U7Y16fz9CWcViTC2AkprN2TYiNN7i4tNYceoauYh2oxA9XzM.jpeg)

*Thank you @ablaze for getting us to talk about music every week.*