Crowd Control

As a lot of people know, my life tends to revolve around concerts. It didn't always use to be this way but since moving out here to the great city on the plains I find myself going out more and more often to see a band. Sometimes I've listened to every note they've ever recorded. Other times all I know about them is based on one paragraph that I've read in the paper. But I always tend to be either the oldest person in the audience or the youngest person in the audience.

Case in point, watching Howie Day last week I was the oldest guy in front of the stage by a good five years. It's easy to tell that's the case when you're the only one drinking and everyone else looks like they should be studying for their trigonometry exam. But even though everyone around me is going, "Wow, my first rock concert", it's not a bad experience. They tend to be enthusiastic and loud but they're having fun. They might do something stupid but at least they don't know any better.

The Neville Brothers show was a different beast all together. A much older crowd with everyone drinking. And maybe I'm just a music snob, but I have a hell of a time enjoying a show when I'm surrounded by drunk 50 year olds. It would be like being out getting drunk with your parents and watching them dance on the bar. Sure, it's funny but you can't help thinking in the back of your mind, "My god, don't you know how stupid you look out there."

(This is admittedly a music snob point. As Jack Ingram said in concert once, "You've paid your money to see me do something that I'd do for free. You can do whatever the hell you want." But he also said, "But remember, you've paid your money to have a good time so if someone is ruining it for you, feel free to let them know.")

So, I'm going to start listing concert behaviors that drive me nuts. First one is the guy who brings a camera to a show. And I'm not talking one of those small digital ones or even better a camera phone, which I recommend that everyone have and use on a daily basis. I'm talking about cameras that have massive flashes and should be set up on a tripod. When these guys take pictures it's like watching a show with a constant strobe light. The bands hate it, the crowd hates it, and I can never understand just why it is so important to have a picture of the band on stage. So, please to all of those people out there, just stop. Buy the cd, there are probably a lot of pictures in there.

"Yellow moon, yellow moon, why you keep peeking in my window" Neville Brothers