Birthdays lose their luster as we age, or maybe that’s just my jaded millennial self. Luckily, Monsieur (translation for the forgetful: hubby) feels the same. So, his birthday dawned…well, pretty ordinary. Except for the fact that I, uh, couldn’t quite afford that One Piece figurine he wanted. (Sorry, babe, next year!)

Then, fate intervened in the form of my awesome bestie and her girlfriend. Turns out, she scored us free tickets to “RWD/FWD” at the KLPAC that very night! Now, we Millennials, music is our jam, especially the sweet sounds of the 80s, 90s, and 00s. You know, the soundtrack to our growing pains and teenage angst.

But uh oh, the plot thickened. Turns out, there was some political party meeting or something happening nearby, and let me tell you, the traffic jam it caused was enough to make my hijab stand on end. Patience is not exactly my middle name, and let’s be honest, who enjoys being stuck in a car inching forward like a snail with a flat tire?

Reaching the venue, all the built-up stress melted away. Armed with our super-cool (and affordable!) two-ringgit finger lights passed free by the organizers, we were ready to rock! The “RWD/FWD” show opened with a bang, a rewind to the past first with a glorious setlist of 80s classics – my personal favorite era.

From Belinda Carlisle to Rick Astley, Whitney Houston to Spandau Ballet, the night was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. These tunes had a certain “je ne sais quoi” that seems to be missing from today’s music scene. Or maybe I’m just getting old? (Nah, I’m firmly in that “neither young nor old” limbo zone!)

After a quick intermission, we braced ourselves for the 90s portion – prime “tweens” territory for yours truly. One of the singers, Fuad (the frontman of the awesome Malaysian band, Kyoto Protocol!), announced a surprise birthday shoutout for a special someone in the audience. Guess who? My blushing Monsieur! Turns out BFF had orchestrated this little surprise, and let me tell you, it was epic! The shy smiles, the awkward sitting posture – pure gold! (Thank you, BFF, you absolute rockstar! *hugs*)

The 90s set was a mixed bag – some hits I loved, some that weren’t quite my cup of tea. But hey, that’s the beauty of a good concert, right? Songs from bands like Better Than Ezra, Incubus, and Foo Fighters got the crowd going, while Garbage (seriously, underrated geniuses!) absolutely stole the show for me. They even sang my all-time favorite, “#1 Crush,” the one and only from the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack with the young and dreamy Leonardo DiCaprio (sigh).

The night ended on a high note, a perfect blend of nostalgia and pure fun. Sure, there were a few yawns thrown in for good measure (hey, we were pushing 165 years old combined, and takes its toll!), but that’s just a testament to the late-night adventure. We definitely needed our beauty sleep after the show ended or risked waking up like a panda or a Walking Dead zombie the next day!

So yeah, that was Monsieur’s birthday bash – a night of RWD/FWD of unexpected fun, awesome music, and a whole lot of love. And hey, August is just around the corner, so here’s hoping for an equally epic birthday adventure for yours truly!