“Let Love Lead – Meat Stevens on Substack”
Love RULE?!? Like c’mon, it’s so simple! LET LOVE RULE!!
My enthusiasm for Lenny Kravitz was at its peak as my parents and I made our way to the concert. I was filled with anticipation and excitement, ready to experience the magic of seeing Lenny Kravitz live in concert. The black zip-up jacket I wore proudly displayed a Fender Strat logo, a recent purchase from Hot Topic at the Livingston Mall. My parents, avid Aerosmith fans, were just as excited as me, but my admiration for Lenny Kravitz surpassed theirs.
Growing up listening to the Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits CD in my mom’s car, I knew every song by heart, including my favorite track, “Let Love Rule.” The empowering message of the chorus resonated with my 15-year-old self, urging everyone to embrace love as the guiding principle in life. The simplicity of the message struck a chord with me, and I couldn’t wait to hear Lenny perform it live, envisioning a collective sing-along moment that would unite the entire arena in a poignant display of harmony and love.
However, as Lenny took the stage to kick off the concert, my excitement turned to shock. The once-packed arena now sat largely empty, with only a fraction of the expected audience in attendance. My disbelief turned to disappointment as I grappled with the realization that the crowd’s absence meant the grand sing-along moment I had been eagerly anticipating might not materialize. As Lenny belted out hits like “American Woman,” “Fly Away,” and “Always on the Run,” the sight of empty seats gnawed at me, questioning where the audience had gone and what could possibly be more compelling than experiencing a rock legend like Lenny Kravitz live on stage.
Despite the sparse turnout, my determination to make the most of the concert remained unwavering. When Lenny finally launched into “Let Love Rule,” I saw it as a chance to rally the remaining audience members to join me in a heartfelt rendition of the chorus. With a mix of exuberance and hope, I urged the crowd to sing along, to come together in a shared moment of musical unity. The echoes of my voice mingled with Lenny’s as we became a duet of two in an otherwise empty arena, the memory of that singular moment etched in my mind forever.
The experience of singing “Let Love Rule” alongside Lenny Kravitz in a sparsely filled concert hall may not have been the grand VH1-worthy spectacle I had imagined, but it remains a poignant memory that encapsulates the power of music to connect us, even in the most unexpected of circumstances. As the echoes of the song faded away, I was left with a sense of gratitude for the shared moment of music and love, a reminder that sometimes, the most profound moments can arise from the simplest of gestures: letting love rule.