PTSD

i predict a riot

Predictable, yes. Fun, absolutely. Since E's sick (and so I had to watch eps 1 and 2 of Season 3 by myself but, most importantly, without any sort of foodstuffs OR peeps. No peeps, people. Why did E have to be sick now during peeps season?*), here's a brief review of what I was up to earlier tonight (Saturday):

I wandered downtown, in freezing temperatures for April, to catch the Kaiser Chiefs show at the 9:30 club. Some highlights:

- After much debate, decided to go for the Australia (dark blue, with the line drawing of a Koala) t-shirt over the Nepali (bright red, with Buddha's eyes) one. And jeans. And black boots.

- Realised it's been nearly 3 weeks since I was downtown and I supposedly live in this city. Between flunkieing and teaching, there's barely enough time to have a life outside my 'hood. Sad, that.

- The opening bands were both very good. A lot of kids left after the first band. Later, I overheard a chap talking to his mate about how that is the "new DC thing" (teenagers showing up to concerts and leaving after the first opening band). That seems like an incredible waste of money to me but then if that's what floats their boat...

- Got stamped on the back of both hands while entering the club for not having a proper ID**. Being stamped on both hands was what those under 21 had to suffer through. Both the gatekeepers were not convinced of my sanity in actually wanting this while I (obviously) looked a lot over 21. The second bloke kept on saying "are you sure? I can wait while you get out your ID" and (when I insisted I was not drinking) "well, you cannot change your mind later or you'll be thrown out"***

- The funny members of the crowd:

-- The bloke a few lines in front of me who kept on jumping up and down like a lunatic all night. Without a break. All night.

-- Two of my students, whom I ran into. Both were quite embarrased to have to say "Oh, hello Professor" in front of their mates. Little did they know that I'd have been happy if they'd just not said anything. Maybe I should announce this in class next week--if you see me outside of our usual setting (aka uni), feel free to ignore me if you want. However, that's no guarantee I will do the same.

-- The guys on the train on my way back home (just now, at 2.30am. The show started at 10.30pm) who kept comparing the Kaiser Chiefs (and "all British bands") to the Clash. I was strongly tempted to jump in and make a (sure to be unfortunate) comment but restrained myself.

-- The kids who got into a big fight during the first opening band and had to be thrown out by the bouncers. Nothing's as fun as seeing that happen, as long as one is not involved.

-- The guy next to me who knew all the words of almost all the Kaiser Chiefs songs and insisted in singing them (in a fairly loud, though quite good, voice).

-- The large number of people with Northern accents in the crowd. But, alas, none of the Christopher Eccleston variety. The group I was originally standing next to were like Ant & Dec, multiplied ten times and were garbed in pastel-coloured shirts with medallions glinting among their chest hair. A younger Tom Jones would have been proud.

I do hope that's not the in look among Northerners since it would destroy my fantasy image (nurtured over repeated readings of James Herriot and the Lake Poets and, of course, viewing the Ninth Doctor) of the rough, taciturn individual who would never be seen in public with anything shiny glinting among the hair on their chests.

-- The Washington DC crowd, usually staid and reserved at concerts, jumping like yo-yos during the encore. Oh, and seeing well-off students and government employees repeatedly shouting "We are the angry mob". I mean, if a real angry mob showed up, most of us there would be quite keen on leaving (and avoiding said mob) at the earliest op.

-- The lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs being completely mental. I think, in the course of a fairly long set, he managed to surf the crowd, stand up on top of various wobbly contraptions, urge people to sing along to him and also stood on the bar (but he did not take his kit off. Probably a good thing since he was built more along Robbie Williams' lines than Clive Owen). He also repeatedly leapt across the stage at very short intervals. Imagine, if yous can, a rather chubby (but muscular) gazelle, except with two feet and a rather good singing voice.****

Overall, a good night out was had by your intrepid blogger who survived a rather amusing train trip home. On the train, a slightly worse for wear chap insisted on introducing himself to everyone in that part of the carriage (two blokes and me) and asked us our names and where we were from. The two men gave what seemed like their real names and parts of the counry from where they were from (Maryland and Massachusetts). I, as I had been doing throughout the night, said I was from Bethesda. Bloke then kept on asking "Born and brought up?"--Ah, Tocqueville. Hundreds of years after you wrote about it, Americans are still interested in origins. Since I wasn't feeling up to an explanation, I kept on insisting that yes, I was from Bethesda. He then said he was from Texas and again asked me where I was "originally from". I was strongly tempted to say "my mum's tummy" but, as always (though probably for the best in this particular case) kept my mouth shut.

On that note, Happy peeps day to yous. Have a couple of those sugary confections on my behalf.


*Yes, I know there's some sort of religious association involved and folks (well, just one bloke) supposedly rose from the dead but I've seen Life of Brian. All I wanted this weekend were peeps.

** For those who know me (and know I usually don't have ID), I did have ID but it was in an inside pocket and I was too lazy to get it out. Besides, as I was repeatedly telling the people at the door, I wasn't going to drink. After selling my soul for the Snow Patrol tickets and this one, I really couldn't afford the $7/beer price.

*** Bloke at the door had to come back and intervene at this point and explain that, really, I knew the options and I had "chosen not to drink". Sheesh. Do I look like an alkie-in-training or what?

**** So, nothing like a gazelle at all, really.

Labels: kaiser chiefs (but not the footy team), no peeps this year, nobody's the angry mob after all, the dark lady is explained

posted by Priya @ 2:57 AM