Never ceasing to be amazed.
Junk From A Former Punk
It was finally the day I was waiting for. Months ago I was phoned by my good friend K from high school. She was wondering if I was interested in a New Found Glory concert that was in Erie March 31st and if they could stay with me in Edinboro for the night. Of course, knowing I would have part of the old gang together and some old tunes from the glory days, I accepted with glee.
The week seemed to drag by, like a kid waiting for Christmas to come so eagerly the night before. The classes seemed to last almost an eternity and my mind kept drifting and wondering about everything else except the Greeks and their battles against the Persians. The plan was that K and her gang of friends, 5 in total in the car, and H, another friend who attend a college an hour south of Edinboro, would stop on their way to Erie and pick me and good old Roomie up on the way. Things went according to plan for the most part. We arrived at Penn State branch at Behrend just a little after 8:00, the set time for the event to being.
I was surprised to see that many of the people weren’t dressed up in their punk-like attire. The last concert I attended, which was the Good Charlotte concert October of 2003, I saw outfits that ranged from the typical music lover and their baggy jeans and comfy t-shirt to the spiked hair, boots up to the knees, and jewelry dangling from the ears and arms. I loved seeing all types of people come out to that concert, but not some much this one. It was on a much smaller scale.
The first band that opened for New Found Glory was actually pretty good. To K, they were too slow, but I found their music just right and enjoyed what they played, not to mention that 3 band members were females, 2 lead vocalists and a bass player. The second one….that’s quite another story.
The second band was “Reggie”, and for anyone who really wants a synopsis of what they were like, I can define it in one word: sucked. I’m not being level headed or narrow-minded, it’s just the honest truth. They came out into the stage in bunny suits, then hopped around on stage, played their utterly terrible bit with heavy metal and craziness, and then re-appeared back on stage with fake blood all over their faces and chest. Needless to day, home slice Lindsay K. was displeased with their performance. To add to the racket entering my poor virgin ears, I was constantly on the lookout for people crowd surfing and people moshing and shoving the entire crowd to and fro from time to time. The staff at Berhend had its hand full for the night. You know one has to be on the look out when you glance ahead of you and see a bunch of kids passing around a flask excitedly. Then we saw one of the “flaskers”, a blond bimbo, drunk as a skunk, fall everywhere and knocking over people on here way out of the crowd. She happened to stumble into the path of H and in quick retaliation she shoved her back, knocking double B to the ground wondering what on earth happened.
I can’t say that my friends didn’t attempt the whole crowd surfing bit, 3 of them did, H being one of them. I stood shocked and amazed as I saw them being lifted into the air and passed all over the crowd giggling on the way; especially H. H loves fat little babies and painting, who knew? The gang asked if I was interested in crowd surfing as well but I shot down the proposition with the quick “No.” Sure, if they were all my friends and I knew they were strong, I would, but seeing that I had my roommate protecting me because she benches much more than I, it didn’t take long to decline the offer. I was the keeper of my roommates prized possessions at the concert (like her Irish wedding ring, charm bracelet and jean jacket) while she pushed and punched people that got in her way. It gave us all quite a chuckle.
My limit for the 2nd opener band “Reggie” came after they finally hauled their sweaty fat rears off stage and turned on the dim lights in preparation for the main event: New Found Glory. As I chatted with H about things, she gasped and pointed to my shirt and asked me what happened. Puzzled by her observation, I looked down to find that a spot of blood was on my new white tank top (that fits quite nicely and looks great with the new blue corduroy jeans I had on). I was dumb founded for a moment why there was a spec of blood on the top of my shirt until it dawned on me that the band threw fake blood into the crowd after they came back. I wasn’t even that close to the front at all! Ticked off at this discovery, I made sure to boo as loud as I could when New Found Glory asked about their performance. Many people in front of me turned around, smiled, and I knew that they too, were fed up with their insanity.
The performance by New Found Glory was good, minus the profanity between songs. The lead singer came out in an Incredibles costume, muscles and all and the rest of the band was semi-normal, except for the chubby guy who played bass. I enjoyed singing to the songs from the days of old. I don’t know any of the new hits they released, just the stuff from when I was hanging out with the youth group on Sunday nights and cruising around on Pine Street any other time. Yet at the end of the night, I learned quite a few lessons. Roomie’s was to not wear expensive jewelry when you might have to punch a few people in the back. Mine was that I have truly aged in college.
When I first came to college, I still listened to some New Found Glory and a lot of Good Charlotte. I’m not saying I am a raging punk kid that hates everything and closed their doors into darkness, not my any means. I just liked the music, and some songs brought me back to memories, especially New Found Glory. I was introduced to the punk style by K and the gang at home, and I was introduced to Coldplay and John Mayer by Roomie. Then suddenly I couldn’t find myself being into loud and heavy songs, I rather hum along to Amsterdam by Guster. I rather bust out a vinyl that belong to my mother and listen to some good old Beatles than turn on the punk station. Maybe I’ve grown older; one of our bowling team members stated that you know you’ve reached a point of “growing up” when appliances and tools get you excited. My example: my vacuum A.K.A. pride and joy. I show off that red little sucker any time I get a chance. One of the pals from Pittsburgh that stayed over the weekend saw the vacuum and said “Hey, you have a cheap little vacuum like us”. I refuted quickly and defended little red by telling him how young and strong she is, I wasn’t going to let my vacuum pass by as an old time dust blowing machine. But I’m off on a tangent…
It really was a great time, I got to hang out with friends and host quite a few of them in my little dorm room, 5 to be exact. In a ways it felt like old times, being at the concert and chilling with my friends, new and old. I’ll make sure to upload the pictures to my Webshots link. Enjoy and have a ooper cool day.
The week seemed to drag by, like a kid waiting for Christmas to come so eagerly the night before. The classes seemed to last almost an eternity and my mind kept drifting and wondering about everything else except the Greeks and their battles against the Persians. The plan was that K and her gang of friends, 5 in total in the car, and H, another friend who attend a college an hour south of Edinboro, would stop on their way to Erie and pick me and good old Roomie up on the way. Things went according to plan for the most part. We arrived at Penn State branch at Behrend just a little after 8:00, the set time for the event to being.
I was surprised to see that many of the people weren’t dressed up in their punk-like attire. The last concert I attended, which was the Good Charlotte concert October of 2003, I saw outfits that ranged from the typical music lover and their baggy jeans and comfy t-shirt to the spiked hair, boots up to the knees, and jewelry dangling from the ears and arms. I loved seeing all types of people come out to that concert, but not some much this one. It was on a much smaller scale.
The first band that opened for New Found Glory was actually pretty good. To K, they were too slow, but I found their music just right and enjoyed what they played, not to mention that 3 band members were females, 2 lead vocalists and a bass player. The second one….that’s quite another story.
The second band was “Reggie”, and for anyone who really wants a synopsis of what they were like, I can define it in one word: sucked. I’m not being level headed or narrow-minded, it’s just the honest truth. They came out into the stage in bunny suits, then hopped around on stage, played their utterly terrible bit with heavy metal and craziness, and then re-appeared back on stage with fake blood all over their faces and chest. Needless to day, home slice Lindsay K. was displeased with their performance. To add to the racket entering my poor virgin ears, I was constantly on the lookout for people crowd surfing and people moshing and shoving the entire crowd to and fro from time to time. The staff at Berhend had its hand full for the night. You know one has to be on the look out when you glance ahead of you and see a bunch of kids passing around a flask excitedly. Then we saw one of the “flaskers”, a blond bimbo, drunk as a skunk, fall everywhere and knocking over people on here way out of the crowd. She happened to stumble into the path of H and in quick retaliation she shoved her back, knocking double B to the ground wondering what on earth happened.
I can’t say that my friends didn’t attempt the whole crowd surfing bit, 3 of them did, H being one of them. I stood shocked and amazed as I saw them being lifted into the air and passed all over the crowd giggling on the way; especially H. H loves fat little babies and painting, who knew? The gang asked if I was interested in crowd surfing as well but I shot down the proposition with the quick “No.” Sure, if they were all my friends and I knew they were strong, I would, but seeing that I had my roommate protecting me because she benches much more than I, it didn’t take long to decline the offer. I was the keeper of my roommates prized possessions at the concert (like her Irish wedding ring, charm bracelet and jean jacket) while she pushed and punched people that got in her way. It gave us all quite a chuckle.
My limit for the 2nd opener band “Reggie” came after they finally hauled their sweaty fat rears off stage and turned on the dim lights in preparation for the main event: New Found Glory. As I chatted with H about things, she gasped and pointed to my shirt and asked me what happened. Puzzled by her observation, I looked down to find that a spot of blood was on my new white tank top (that fits quite nicely and looks great with the new blue corduroy jeans I had on). I was dumb founded for a moment why there was a spec of blood on the top of my shirt until it dawned on me that the band threw fake blood into the crowd after they came back. I wasn’t even that close to the front at all! Ticked off at this discovery, I made sure to boo as loud as I could when New Found Glory asked about their performance. Many people in front of me turned around, smiled, and I knew that they too, were fed up with their insanity.
The performance by New Found Glory was good, minus the profanity between songs. The lead singer came out in an Incredibles costume, muscles and all and the rest of the band was semi-normal, except for the chubby guy who played bass. I enjoyed singing to the songs from the days of old. I don’t know any of the new hits they released, just the stuff from when I was hanging out with the youth group on Sunday nights and cruising around on Pine Street any other time. Yet at the end of the night, I learned quite a few lessons. Roomie’s was to not wear expensive jewelry when you might have to punch a few people in the back. Mine was that I have truly aged in college.
When I first came to college, I still listened to some New Found Glory and a lot of Good Charlotte. I’m not saying I am a raging punk kid that hates everything and closed their doors into darkness, not my any means. I just liked the music, and some songs brought me back to memories, especially New Found Glory. I was introduced to the punk style by K and the gang at home, and I was introduced to Coldplay and John Mayer by Roomie. Then suddenly I couldn’t find myself being into loud and heavy songs, I rather hum along to Amsterdam by Guster. I rather bust out a vinyl that belong to my mother and listen to some good old Beatles than turn on the punk station. Maybe I’ve grown older; one of our bowling team members stated that you know you’ve reached a point of “growing up” when appliances and tools get you excited. My example: my vacuum A.K.A. pride and joy. I show off that red little sucker any time I get a chance. One of the pals from Pittsburgh that stayed over the weekend saw the vacuum and said “Hey, you have a cheap little vacuum like us”. I refuted quickly and defended little red by telling him how young and strong she is, I wasn’t going to let my vacuum pass by as an old time dust blowing machine. But I’m off on a tangent…
It really was a great time, I got to hang out with friends and host quite a few of them in my little dorm room, 5 to be exact. In a ways it felt like old times, being at the concert and chilling with my friends, new and old. I’ll make sure to upload the pictures to my Webshots link. Enjoy and have a ooper cool day.
posted by Lindsay K. at 5:32 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home