Where It’s At

Blog By: Cora Stumpf

Growing up as a teenager in a world that sometimes feels defined by technology, I have grown accustomed to seeing people experience things through their phones. Seeing Beck on stage at DPAC gave me the opportunity to experience something new. 

Before Beck took the stage, I had a great time working with David at lobby maps. While we may be different in age, we bonded over our love for theatre and the importance of getting to talk to people. Working lobby maps includes instructing guests on which floor their seats are located and answering any other DPAC navigation questions. However, I found this experience to be a lot more than just answering questions. 

I spoke to and connected with a wide variety of guests who spanned generations. It was so special to hear the different ways Beck’s music has touched people over the years. Many guests told me that they grew up listening to Beck, while others shared that their parents had been playing his music for as long as they could remember. My personal favorite though was meeting one enthusiastic fan who told me he had gotten the tickets as a seventh birthday present. 

Then it was time to take my seat. Many times throughout the concert, I found myself watching the audience rather than the stage. It was not just the music that stood out to me, but the lack of phones in the audience. Basic as it may sound, I was captivated by watching a sold-out crowd simply be present in the moment. Nobody was worried about capturing the perfect moment to post but rather having fun and enjoying the moment. At one point during the concert, I looked into the crowd and noticed a row of people dancing, their ages ranging from seven to seventy. Seeing children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents all dancing to the same music immediately caught my attention. Watching them be absorbed in the music made their difference in age or background feel irrelevant. We spend so much time focusing on what generational differences there are rather than what all we have in common. Beck’s concert reminded me of the power that music has to bring people together. 

Music is timeless, and it is easy not to appreciate that fact until you are standing in a theatre with people that span over seventy years. Beck’s concert reminded me that music is not confined to the decade that it was created in. Songs can find meaning in anyone’s life and watching that live was such an incredible opportunity. Beck’s concert showed me one of the quieter gifts that live music provides. Watching a seven and seventy year old dance together to the same music taught me that everyone has a lot more in common than we might think.