[this blog entry brought to you in the style of Christopher Onstad, Genius and Cartoonist.]
The Experience:
I went to a rock concert, and had an absolutely spectacular time.
The Last Time This Happened:
Over the college year, I'd primarily only gone only to Apollo Sunshine concerts with Erik, my roommate. Apollo Sunshine is a rock band out of Boston, and they are literally mind-blowing. Please listen to them. Scratch that, see them. It is a life-changing experience. The actual last concert I went and saw though was State Radio at Plymouth State College. How's Your News and Throwback opened. Chad, of State Radio, formerly of Dispatch, is also part of How's Your News and writes their music. How's Your News? is a band of mentally and physically challenged people of varying ages and disabilities. They all sing, only one of them plays an instrument, which is Jeremy, who is better at drums than most non-retarded people I know. (How's Your News?, aside from being a good band, are also a man-on-the-street news show, who attended both parties National Conventions, interviewed John McCain, Michael Moore and Senator John Kerry.) The concert was awesome. The audience loved How's Your News? a lot and State Radio even more. I had a great time.
But Yet, Today:
I went to The Station in Portland to see Murder by Death and Against Me!. I went with Kacy Woodworth, Benjamin Crockett, and Kristen Onos. Kacy paid for me to get in. I saw a bunch of people I knew, including the Mysterious Cute Girl I met at Gay Prom. Cosades, a band featuring Chris Boivan on drums, opened. Chris Boivan is great on drums, and lived in my residence hall. After Cosades, Murder by Death played. I got as close as I could to the stage but it was very crowded. I had a decent view though. Murder by Death's name is misleading, for they are not heavy metal or obnoxiously loud or evil at all. They are really pretty mellow if you listen to their albums. They have a cellist, and she is beautiful, and plays beautifully. Their set was quite awesome and louder and more rocking than I had thought it would have been, but I'm not complaining. Some stupid kids moshed. When they were finished, I got as close to the stage as I could, since it was not very high and I desperately needed to see Against Me! as close as I could. I got to a decent place amongst other tightly-packed bodies that swayed and listed like a ship in the wind. I was sweating gallons before they even took the stage, and when they did, there was a mighty surge in the sea of people around me and I was pressed into a firmly locked location next to this large strong dude with an attitude.
Against Me!'s set was fucking awe-striking. If you do not know their sound, they are by my own definition the coolest thing to happen to punk rock since The Dead Kennedies. I sang, scream, shouted, and breathed as heavily as I could when I wasn't singing, screaming or shouting. It was difficult maintaining my spot, but luckily I sort of hung on to the strong asshole dude when he pushed himself to the front. At one point, I left my leech-like stance on the guy and ended up one body away from the barrier in front of the band. I could reach and touch Andrew, the bassist. Thomas was screaming almost directly into my face. As they began "Pints of Guiness Make You Strong" I just about lost control of myself, and whilst screaming the lyrics with all my heart and soul, I may have spat on him. Andrew, I'm sorry. Forgive me please.
After my stint at the front of the madness, I dropped back a bit and ended up in the pit. Mosh pits can be kinda fun in an outrageous goofy way, so I did my part, but ended up helping someone up, getting knocked over, and having my genitalia stepped on. Not cool. I hauled myself to the bathroom to take a damage report and hydrate some. Everything was in it's right place and I didn't pee blood, so I returned to the concert. I found Kacy sitting on the countertop thing along the side next to the stage somewhat and I moved to her. I was covered from head to toe in my own and many other's sweat and body odor, so I cleared a path not unlike Moses with the Red Sea. Kacy was a happy girl sitting up high with a great view and singing with her soul. I jumped up to sit on the counter next to her and hit my head on a hanging glass lampshade light thingy, and it shattered. I could hardly feel it, my adrenaline and senses were so distorted and ruptured. No blood though. I recharged a bit, then hopped back down into the mess of people for the end of their set. Naturally, they came back. They encored with some new song I hadn't heard, and then "Walking is Still Honest" and I went nuts.
(I saw some girl half-crowd surf and land headfirst in the pit. I grabbed her shoulders and some other fellow helped me get her on her feet. She commenced dancing and singing immediately, showing she was okay. That's when I noticed it was Kacy.)
After the end, I went outside to find it hinting at rain slightly. I cooled down, talked to some peers, looked for some people but didn't find them, found some other people, my ride, and we left. My shirt was drenched, so I took it off and put on my dirty USM hoody. We stopped at Friendly's. Kacy and Kristen had ice-cream, Ben had some sandwich and let me have his waffle-fries and I had some water too. I manned the I-pizzle and DJed a bit on the way home. I got in at about 12:30 and revelled in the experience.
How is it Different to Attend a Concert, Now vs. Then:
I was a lot less excited at the State Radio show, but still danced a bunch, only Erik wasn't there to be an asshole about it. There weren't any retards, and I didn't get a free shirt, and the nonexistant retards didn't sign the shirt I didn't get. I sang a lot though, and felt pretty cool afterwards both times. I'd also like to think I'm a lot cooler of a person now than I was then though, despite the short amount of time. My coolness matures quickly, I think. ...
What I am Going to Do Tomorrow:
Tomorrow is sort of today now, so today, I'll sleep. Wake up, be driven to meet my Dad somewhere in the Lewiston/Auburn area, be driven by him to see my grandmother in Bangor, and sleep on the way there, probably with my minni-I-pizzy. See my grandmother, talk about how I made Dean's List and about the play I was in, joke with my brother when the 'rents aren't paying attention, then drive back, and sleep on the way as well.
Tomorrow Night: Open and Free, like a bird, and the wind.
[Onstad totally did it cooler.]
I went to a rock concert, and had an absolutely spectacular time.
The Last Time This Happened:
Over the college year, I'd primarily only gone only to Apollo Sunshine concerts with Erik, my roommate. Apollo Sunshine is a rock band out of Boston, and they are literally mind-blowing. Please listen to them. Scratch that, see them. It is a life-changing experience. The actual last concert I went and saw though was State Radio at Plymouth State College. How's Your News and Throwback opened. Chad, of State Radio, formerly of Dispatch, is also part of How's Your News and writes their music. How's Your News? is a band of mentally and physically challenged people of varying ages and disabilities. They all sing, only one of them plays an instrument, which is Jeremy, who is better at drums than most non-retarded people I know. (How's Your News?, aside from being a good band, are also a man-on-the-street news show, who attended both parties National Conventions, interviewed John McCain, Michael Moore and Senator John Kerry.) The concert was awesome. The audience loved How's Your News? a lot and State Radio even more. I had a great time.
But Yet, Today:
I went to The Station in Portland to see Murder by Death and Against Me!. I went with Kacy Woodworth, Benjamin Crockett, and Kristen Onos. Kacy paid for me to get in. I saw a bunch of people I knew, including the Mysterious Cute Girl I met at Gay Prom. Cosades, a band featuring Chris Boivan on drums, opened. Chris Boivan is great on drums, and lived in my residence hall. After Cosades, Murder by Death played. I got as close as I could to the stage but it was very crowded. I had a decent view though. Murder by Death's name is misleading, for they are not heavy metal or obnoxiously loud or evil at all. They are really pretty mellow if you listen to their albums. They have a cellist, and she is beautiful, and plays beautifully. Their set was quite awesome and louder and more rocking than I had thought it would have been, but I'm not complaining. Some stupid kids moshed. When they were finished, I got as close to the stage as I could, since it was not very high and I desperately needed to see Against Me! as close as I could. I got to a decent place amongst other tightly-packed bodies that swayed and listed like a ship in the wind. I was sweating gallons before they even took the stage, and when they did, there was a mighty surge in the sea of people around me and I was pressed into a firmly locked location next to this large strong dude with an attitude.
Against Me!'s set was fucking awe-striking. If you do not know their sound, they are by my own definition the coolest thing to happen to punk rock since The Dead Kennedies. I sang, scream, shouted, and breathed as heavily as I could when I wasn't singing, screaming or shouting. It was difficult maintaining my spot, but luckily I sort of hung on to the strong asshole dude when he pushed himself to the front. At one point, I left my leech-like stance on the guy and ended up one body away from the barrier in front of the band. I could reach and touch Andrew, the bassist. Thomas was screaming almost directly into my face. As they began "Pints of Guiness Make You Strong" I just about lost control of myself, and whilst screaming the lyrics with all my heart and soul, I may have spat on him. Andrew, I'm sorry. Forgive me please.
After my stint at the front of the madness, I dropped back a bit and ended up in the pit. Mosh pits can be kinda fun in an outrageous goofy way, so I did my part, but ended up helping someone up, getting knocked over, and having my genitalia stepped on. Not cool. I hauled myself to the bathroom to take a damage report and hydrate some. Everything was in it's right place and I didn't pee blood, so I returned to the concert. I found Kacy sitting on the countertop thing along the side next to the stage somewhat and I moved to her. I was covered from head to toe in my own and many other's sweat and body odor, so I cleared a path not unlike Moses with the Red Sea. Kacy was a happy girl sitting up high with a great view and singing with her soul. I jumped up to sit on the counter next to her and hit my head on a hanging glass lampshade light thingy, and it shattered. I could hardly feel it, my adrenaline and senses were so distorted and ruptured. No blood though. I recharged a bit, then hopped back down into the mess of people for the end of their set. Naturally, they came back. They encored with some new song I hadn't heard, and then "Walking is Still Honest" and I went nuts.
(I saw some girl half-crowd surf and land headfirst in the pit. I grabbed her shoulders and some other fellow helped me get her on her feet. She commenced dancing and singing immediately, showing she was okay. That's when I noticed it was Kacy.)
After the end, I went outside to find it hinting at rain slightly. I cooled down, talked to some peers, looked for some people but didn't find them, found some other people, my ride, and we left. My shirt was drenched, so I took it off and put on my dirty USM hoody. We stopped at Friendly's. Kacy and Kristen had ice-cream, Ben had some sandwich and let me have his waffle-fries and I had some water too. I manned the I-pizzle and DJed a bit on the way home. I got in at about 12:30 and revelled in the experience.
How is it Different to Attend a Concert, Now vs. Then:
I was a lot less excited at the State Radio show, but still danced a bunch, only Erik wasn't there to be an asshole about it. There weren't any retards, and I didn't get a free shirt, and the nonexistant retards didn't sign the shirt I didn't get. I sang a lot though, and felt pretty cool afterwards both times. I'd also like to think I'm a lot cooler of a person now than I was then though, despite the short amount of time. My coolness matures quickly, I think. ...
What I am Going to Do Tomorrow:
Tomorrow is sort of today now, so today, I'll sleep. Wake up, be driven to meet my Dad somewhere in the Lewiston/Auburn area, be driven by him to see my grandmother in Bangor, and sleep on the way there, probably with my minni-I-pizzy. See my grandmother, talk about how I made Dean's List and about the play I was in, joke with my brother when the 'rents aren't paying attention, then drive back, and sleep on the way as well.
Tomorrow Night: Open and Free, like a bird, and the wind.
[Onstad totally did it cooler.]
posted by Travis H. Curran at 5/21/2005 12:46:00 AM
1 Comments:
travis! i am glad you had so much fun at the show. it was wicked cool you came. and i should have shared my ice cream with you. alas, i was being stupid. see you soon, buuudy.
:)
p.s. that show kicked so much ASS.
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