On the fateful evening of Monday, Feb. 17th I ventured out into the wide expanse of San Diego and traveled far to The Observatory, a venue as tasteful as it is secure (which is to say very). The massive wooden doors to the establishment opened promptly an hour before the show began, but you, dear reader, are likely wondering what show I am referring to and with good reason, as I have not yet revealed that to you.

The live show I had waited weeks to attend was titled “Ghost Stories” and put on by “Welcome to Nightvale”, a podcast, community and home to everything weird and wonderful. The show itself was nearly identical to one of numerous podcast episodes which can be found here. The show began with an introduction by Meg Bashwiner, who told us the rules for the evening and pointed to the exits, all in a humorous and engaging manner. Throughout the performance, there was an intimate sense of unadulterated joy and serendipity. The actors and musicians kept the audience focused on everything they did and said as we hung on every note, every word, every humorous smirk in between lines of dialogue.

Special Musical Guest Erin McKeown’s performance before and during “Ghost Stories” was incredible. The song she played for the weather segment, “Queer Gospel,” brought back fond memories of late nights listening to “Welcome to Nightvale” and of good times with my other LGBT friends.

I do not wish to spoil anything, but from what I experienced on that fateful evening, I can say with the utmost certainty that for those hours I was transported to a place where the worries of everyday life seemed but a distant memory, fading away as I was embraced in a warm calm. Overall, “Ghost Stories” was an incredibly moving experience, and though “Welcome to Nightvale” is certainly not for everyone, it is definitely something to many.

Featured Image by Violet Friudenberg.