The show was absolutely beautiful. They saged the stage and audience before and after the show, and opened with a brief ceremony with a call-and-response that the audience joined in on. Instead of clapping and screaming you get at pop concerts, people howled like wolves. People thanked the man as he saged the room, and one woman called out "may the goddess heal you!" to no one (or everyone) in particular.
When the music started, I felt like I was home. By the end of the first song, I felt like the whole trip was worth it for that first 15 minutes of the show. I chanted along under my breath, I stomped to the drum, I howled, I held my vegvisir pendant.
The audience wasn't perfect or 100% respectful of the performers or other audience members, but for the most part the troublemakers weren't a problem. When they were, I tried to not let them take away from my experience. I could be frustrated at jerks any day of the week, but I only had so much time to enjoy the ritual being played out on the stage before me.
This experience has made me want to seek out pagan festivals and other similar artists once I am out of school and have a bit more extra income for travel. This was an absolutely wonderful experience.
