The night of January 11 brought a bitter winter air that whipped at my face as hardened snow crunched under my boots while I rushed through the alleys of Old Town with my friends in tow.

We found ourselves in an intimate setting. Seats crowded around small tables, all faced toward a stage occupying a minimal amount of space in the room. The stage was blanketed with an array of cords and adorned with a variety of instruments.

Sitting in that darkened room, I found myself balanced on a small wooden chair. Its lack of comfort fell out of my focus as I inched to the edge of my seat. I was brimming with anticipation to the start of a show put on by a band that I had never heard of before that afternoon.

As the stage illuminated, the faces of the performers lit up as well. They welcomed the crowd with a warm honesty and began to sing. In between songs, the musicians stopped to banter with each other while they tuned their instruments.

When thinking of a concert, most people will conjure up ideas of arenas, lights, and massive crowds. Modern performances have become adorned with dancers and costumes which often come off as superficial. As exciting as it is to see your favorite band or singer, you are not truly able to experience them when you are seated in a packed venue of thousands.

A refreshing break from this dilemma comes in the form of the Cody Sisters Band. It is a name fitting for a simple family band made up of two girls and their father.  The experience was unique in that I am left in awe of their brightly animated presence months later.    

Sitting in the small room adjacent to the grill was akin to sitting in the family room of some old friends. The father, Steve Cody, lightened the evening with jokes between songs as the girls switched instruments or tuned them. He smiled and joked as if he was welcoming the crowd into his own family.

Small, golden details of a performance can fall by the wayside when you are seated hundreds of feet away. There is nothing wrong with supporting your favorite worldwide famous artist, but the shows are simply not as personal.

As much as you can read about the intricacies of celebrities’ lives online, it cannot compare to genuinely meeting them in person. Meet and greets push hundreds upon hundreds of people through a line in a couple of hours time frame. When a local artist finishes a set, they are eager to meet anyone from the crowd and they are able to take the time to have a conversation.

While many can enjoy a night to splurge on a concert, that is not a reality for everyone. Besides, front row seats to the big name artists cost a fortune nowadays. Music is never out of reach, though. The concert put on by the Cody Sisters Band had a cover fee of $12, which made it easily accessible to anyone.

Neighborhood bands and singers can also turn to celebrities at any moment, which is why you should take advantage of low ticket prices while you can. You never know, you could be in the front row of the next world famous musician.

Local concerts are never a waste of your money. Even if you end your evening without having found someone worthy of being added to your daily playlists, you are getting out into your community and experiencing something new. Additionally, the low cost is worth supporting someone’s career and dreams.

Greater than this band alone, support live and local music. You may just find yourself a new family.