WRIGLEYVILLE:
Matthew Sweet’s music has held a cherished place on the soundtrack of my life ever since I spun ‘Sick Of Myself’ in the basement of Fell Hall at Illinois State’s WZND Radio. It was a defining moment, a realization that I was exactly where I had always yearned to be. Like so many others, I struggled to fit in during junior high, only to discover my true calling as marching to the beat of my own one-man drumming band.
The epiphany struck during those late-night shifts at the college radio station when Matthew Sweet’s melodies first graced my ears, liberating me from the shackles of societal approval. While many experience their coming-of-age epiphany a la John Hughes, mine arrived fashionably late. College life, with its blend of music and unbridled freedom, became my sanctuary, free from the burden of impressing anyone except perhaps my 80’s rewind cohost.
It’s the kind of moment you recognize only in hindsight, a Polaroid snapshot of one’s life that fades like the memories of yesteryear. Witnessing Matthew Sweet’s performance in one of my favorite music venues on the planet rekindled that youthful fervor within me. For a fleeting 90 minutes, I was transported back to the carefree days of being 20, with the world stretching out before me. And what better setting for this nostalgic journey than Chicago’s iconic Metro, a venue that has become the measuring stick for the milestones in my life since I was 17.
As I reveled in the music, memories flooded my mind—of Tara, Jeannine, Dan (my concert companion), Lisa, Meri, Korney, Big Pappi, J-Rock, Barry, Deb, Shannon, and the rest of the incredible friends I made at Fell Hall. Matthew Sweet still possessed that ineffable magic, his band tight, and the crowd electric. Thank you, Mr. Sweet, for allowing me to rediscover the essence of being 20, even as an adult. In many ways, this concert felt like capturing lightning in a bottle, a beacon guiding me into the next chapter of my life.
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