Stephen Mejias

Last Friday night, my old band, the Multi-Purpose Solution, played a show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. We hadn’t performed since 2006, and, because we had only managed to get together for three full rehearsals prior to the show, each member of the band felt a certain amount of anxiety. But when we saw the room quickly fill with fans, family, and friends, we knew nothing could go wrong.

Still, I don’t think anyone expected the show to be as wonderful as it was. We played well enough&#151we were fast, loud, and relatively tight&#151but it was really the crowd and their awesome support that made the evening special. People danced, raised their hands above their heads, and sang along with the music.

One of the coolest things in the world is to be flailing about on stage and still be able to hear the crowd singing along to your songs, even as the cymbals crash like mad and your amplifier is cranked up high so that the signal from your guitar takes on that lovely, natural distortion. You look up and you see and listen and feel, and it’s like time doesn’t exist at all.

Thanks to everyone who made last Friday night one of the best nights ever.