The concert took place on June 16, a Friday night. We spent a good 45 minutes looking for a parking spot; an impossible feat, for the whole complex was crowded by badminton enthusiasts watching Indonesia Open. As we finally accepted our fate, the fact that we would be late, we found a parking space and ran to Tennis Indoor Senayan like our lives depended on it.

We bought tickets for Festival B, and there were crews everywhere to guide you to the right section. I could hear the music playing, and my heart leaped as it was one of my ultimate favorites from Yura, Risalah Hati. We didn’t make it on time, though, as she finished the song when we stepped inside the arena. But the crowd was magical, energy was running high, and a fun tune started playing. After three songs, including singing along to Intuisi with my whole heart, I remember thinking, ‘This is such a wonderful moment, but I know I’ll end up tearful in just a few minutes.’

That’s when Yura told us the story of how the came up with Sudut Memori. It was not just a love loss or the end of a romantic relationship that resulted in such a beautiful song with grievous lyricism; it was death, it was grief. It was a pre-wedding photoshoot of a random couple at a cemetery somewhere, that led to the birth of the song. And it was the moment she told this story when my face and Risang’s got flashed on the jumbotron, my expression dreamy and somewhat ethereal, and some people started texting me on WhatsApp, saying, “Hey, I saw your face on the screen!”

Yura then asked her dear husband, to come on stage, with a guitar on hand, and they sang Sudut Memori with such power and emotion, I cried a river. However, what shattered me completely was when they sang a piece they wrote earlier that day, a song called Bercinta Lewat Kata.

Throughout the saddest parts of the concert, I held on to my love; we held on to each other to savor the moment, understanding the weight of each word, each melody. And I was grateful that I had him there with me.

Everything after passed by quickly as Yura performed some of her older songs from her first and second album, which I wasn’t entirely familiar with, but was still entertaining to enjoy. She started doing a speech on humans having imperfections and learning to love them before singing Tutur Batin, and our group ended up in humorous laughter as we found out that it was a sponsored partnership with Dove. We couldn’t imagine how much they paid to have a whole five minutes dedicated to the brand.

Yura also paid a tribute to Glenn Fredly, who passed away a while ago, singing their song Cinta dan Rahasia on stage with his iconic hat sitting on a chair, a heartbreaking duet, however beautiful it may be. I still do not and will never understand loss. This, I believe, was Risang’s favorite part of the concert.

The night aged like fine wine and we danced to Hoolala and other joyful songs. We celebrated her birthday as well (she had her birthday last week) and we ended the concert shouting ‘Kita harus bahagia!’ or ‘We must be happy!’, a belief that I must implement right away in the daily.

A brilliant experience done right with the most comforting group of people; an unforgettable night and one I will cherish for days to come.