K Live — Relient

Then, the house lights died.

They came back for the encore. Two encores, actually. They closed with “Sadie Hawkins Dance,” and the floor turned into a mosh pit of pure, unadulterated joy. Matt lost a shoe. He didn’t care. He was crowd-surfing—twice—and the second time, he looked up at the rafters, at the lights, at the blur of smiling faces below, and he laughed. relient k live

“They’re gonna play ‘Sadie Hawkins,’” Sam yelled into Matt’s ear. Then, the house lights died

He was seventeen, standing three rows from the barrier at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus. The room smelled like stale beer, floor wax, and desperate anticipation. Beside him, his best friend, Sam, was bouncing on his heels so hard Matt could feel the floorboards vibrate. They closed with “Sadie Hawkins Dance,” and the

Silence. Then, a standing ovation that lasted a full minute.