Calling All Skeletons
July 14th, 2008 | by TJ |So, Friday night I drove up to Baltimore to go see my favoritest band in the whole world, Alkaline Trio, with my friend Pie.
On the way there, he and I were talking, and I was telling him how I think that this was the last time I’m going to do this. I’m too old for this, or at least I feel too old for it, I told him, and I think I’m over standing in a dark club for hours with 3 billion of my closest, sweatiest, underage-y-ist friends. As the night went on, this was only proven to be completely true.
We hung out in the upstairs bar for the first two bands – The Fashion and American Steel. We weren’t particularly enthused by either of them. American Steel was all right, but The Fashion really weirded the both of us out. Maybe it was because they were from Denmark. However, the lead singer’s style of dancing, plus his style of pants-sans-underwears translated well enough – I had to turn away from all the bouncy flopping of… parts.
We headed downstairs towards the middle of American Steel’s set, I really don’t remember much about them at all. I bought a shirt, it matches the tattoo on my arm, and my boobs already totally broke the screen printing on the front, but that’s ok, it gives it character.
Pie and I went out for a smoke before Alkaline Trio came on, and he mentioned to me once we got outside that he had seen a bunch of kids with the big black Xs on their hands (over 21 – a stamp that says “RHEAD” on one hand, under 21 – big black X on each hand) lifting beers in the air, all “woo! beer!” with their big stupid Xs on their stupid hands. He jokingly said something about ratting them out to the bartenders or bouncers, but wasn’t serious. I told him if I saw them, I’d rat them out in a second, which lead to an interesting discussion between the two of us.
His main point: They’re not going to learn anything from it.
My main point: They’re somebody’s KIDS.
So he says that to get them in trouble or thrown out would have no effect whatsoever. Who cares if they’re going to be stupid, let them deal with it. If anything at all, you’re wasting their parents’ money, assuming their parents paid for their tickets.
I say that you don’t know which of them is driving or if one of those stupid (and oh, they were stupid, if they were waving their beers around with their marked hands – clubs that hold all ages shows don’t mess around like that) girls was going to go in the bathroom and do something regrettable with one of the many, many skeevy men in attendance that night, that if they’re dumb enough to behave in such a manner, they’re obviously not mature enough to be drinking, and that kids of that age will keep behaving in such a manner until there is some kind of negative consequence. Like not getting to see Alkaline Trio.
I guess I don’t care if some underage kid drinks at these shows and is smart enough to handle it and get away with it. But I saw enough of stupid drunkenness that night – one girl who seriously PEED ALL OVER HERSELF and was left on the curb outside by her friends – to just be annoyed and aggravated with the whole thing. Really, my whole argument DID boil down to “But they’re someone’s KIDS!” which Pie had no sympathy for, except to confirm that yeah, maybe I am too old for this now.
I dunno, maybe it’s because my brother is 18 and getting ready to go to college, or because I spend so much time with a kid (Noah, not my own!) these days, and it’s not that I think it’s my job to watch other people’s kids, but I guess you can consider it an idiot tax. If you’re THAT STUPID, I have no qualms about helping you get thrown out on your ass, before you hurt yourself, get the club in trouble, or, worst of all, annoy the fuck out of me.
But what about you people who have teenagers, what do you think of that situation? You send them off to an all ages show, knowing it’s in a place that has no less than 6 bars. I assume you’d trust them not to drink, or at least to drink responsibly (and again I have to say “WOO BEER!!” with the clear under 21 markings on your hands is not a sign of a responsible 16 year old drinker), would you hope that someone they didn’t know, unaffiliated with the club, would turn them in if they saw them?
Anyhoos! Alkaline Trio came on and they were seriously and totally spectacular. They sounded great, they looked great. They didn’t play everything I wanted to hear, but that would have been impossible. They played two of my favorite songs from the new album, and they played Nose Over Tail, Private Eye and Radio, which are three of my long time favorites. There was a really good mix of new stuff and really old stuff. The crowd, for the most part, was great, and we only saw one fight break out, which unfortunately ended in a heap of people at my feet, leading to me almost climbing up Pie to get away.
Now, thinking going into it that I was too old for this stuff, I was a bit surprised at my reaction to the whole thing. I’ve never seen Alkaline Trio live – I had tickets once a few years ago, but a WHOLE LOT of bad stuff happened in one week, and I had to sell the tickets, for 5x what I paid for them, to two girls who didn’t even want to see Alkaline Trio, they just wanted to see stupid My Chemical Romance open for them. That stung. But anyway, it was such a great show, and I’d never seen them live, and I spent at least the last half of the show just sitting on a bar stool with my jaw completely dropped. Matt Skiba, one of the singers (there’s two, and they both have super distinctive, super different (from each other and other bands right now) voices that work really well together) is not my type, not even a little bit, but I do think I am smitten. I am in deep smit. I don’t know how to describe it, but you had to see it – you know that movie Bring it On, the part where that one cheerleader accuses Kirsten Dunst of having cheer sex with the guy in the stands? Matt Skiba was totally having face sex with the entire audience. I don’t think I can exactly, in words, describe what face sex is, but if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Aside from that, the weekend was pretty uneventful. I saw Wall-E, which was great – I actually laughed out loud a bunch of times and I’m glad Doom encouraged me to see that instead of Hancock. I babysat Noah last night, and marveled over how grown up he looks with his new hair cut. He looks positively THREE. I can barely stand it.
AND I added a couple of new pictures to the “Hi TJ!” page, they’re awesome and thank you to the people who sent them.
AND Josh from An Eye for an Eye got this for me, and has a great write up of the Julia Nunes show over at his site.
And today, today is my last Monday at the accounting firm. Just a few more days til I’m out of here.
By CapnTuna on Jul 14, 2008
Ahh yes, too old for concerts. No, too old for clubs full of chicky babes and chicky dudes. I so remember that point in my life.
I still remember my first concert, now don’t laugh at the date I was only 13, 1965 City Park Stadium and the….Beatles.
Last concert was 2 months ago at Hard Rock Casino in Boloxi, MS. Those same drunks and loud mouths were still going to concerts and making trouble. I do find myself going to smaller clubs.
you knw what they say, the more things change the more things stay the same.
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By Dechion on Jul 14, 2008
<~~~ Is also finding himself too old for such things (plus I like crowds less and less)
To answer your question though, I have duaghters that are 14 and 18. If you ever see them being stupid please call them on it. I would much rather have them pissed off than in injured or worse.
I know a guy, a friend of a friend that I don’t much care for, that actually go to those same all ages shows actively looking for ladies to end up in the restroom with (or in the ally, thier van, wherever). People like that (and worse) are what bother me about situations like that.
As far as being literally pee on yourself drunk and left outside on the curb by your friends. WTF were the friends thinking? Did they at least give her a sign that said “target” when they left her there? Sounds like the beginning of a CSI episode…
Then again I am a bit overprotective =)
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By Bumwaller on Jul 14, 2008
I feel your pain…somehow I still think I am in my 20s and head out to see the bands I like. Unfortunately I get the looks from all the “chicky babes abd chicky dudes” like I am some sort of freak for being there. I am cool damnit, don’t look at me in that tone of face.
I concur, Wall-E was great. I didn’t think it would be, but it was.
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By grimmtooth on Jul 14, 2008
“But what about you people who have teenagers, what do you think of that situation? You send them off to an all ages show, knowing it
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By Cres on Jul 14, 2008
In all honesty … if kids want to drink, they will. If they can figure out how to get beers at a bar that is even marking X’s on the unders, then they can surely figure out how to get beer while they’re not at a bar.
And acting stupid when drinking isn’t going to be relegated just to the bar. They can have drunken hook-ups that they regret while drinking at their friend’s house. Maybe the risk for certain things is less but … meh.
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By Brierley on Jul 14, 2008
As a parent and a one time bar manager I say report them, but not to the bartender (since one of them were too busy flirting probably too look at hands) but to a bouncer or even ask for a manager.
If you like this club and you want it to stay in business it is best to report them. All you need is one person to call the cops, instead of telling the staff of the club, on the underagers and you can lose your liquor license as well as your cabaret license (which is the one you need to have live bands).
as a parent I also say report them. My kids are 6 and 7 so I have a couple of years to wory about this, but I would rather have them caught and pissed off at me and/or life in general than piss drunk and potentially robbed or raped.
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By Andy C. on Jul 14, 2008
Not a parent, but I have a 19 year old sister. She’s ditzy enough on her own, if someone caught her drinking underage, I would hope they’d report her.
Glad you had fun at the concert and grats on the shirt. I liked Wall-e, but not as much as about everyone else on the planet. Sounds like you had a good weekend.
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By sonvar on Jul 14, 2008
I’ve still yet to really go to a concert so I don’t even know if I’d feel too old for it or not. As far as the kids go well it’s a tough call. Overall though I don’t like that they’re drinking underage as it’s highly unlikely they have someone as a designated driver. And it’s even less likely they know when to call it quits for drinking.
And thanks for putting my Hi TJ pic. Though as I look at it now the lighting wasn’t that great. Oh well.
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By AE on Jul 14, 2008
I have son who’s not quite 4 yet, so I have a ways to go before those situations present themselves.
However, I will pass along 1 piece of advice an old Navy Chief gave to me when I first got to my sub.
“Life is Hard, Life is Harder if you’re Stupid”
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By Moomajick on Jul 14, 2008
I’m the oldest of 5 and have 2 teenage yojnger brothers. The problem here is that if you report them and get them thrown out, are they going to just drive home or are they going to continue being stupid? Are they going to call mommy and daddy for a ride and explain what they did or are they going to find any possible way to stay out of trouble. Usually this leads to bigger trouble.
Yes, it is very unlikely they have a designated driver, so getting them tossed on their asses before they get bombed is probably the better option. But Pie makes a good point, they won’t learn anything (except maybe not to flash their beers around with under 21 stamps on their hands).
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By shifttusk on Jul 14, 2008
1) Wewt alkaline trio! “waking up next to nothing after dreaming of you and me Waking up all alone, waking up so relieved”
2) Totally agree on the feel too old vibe at most rock shows. Its sad :(
Sounds like your weekend was awesome. Big thing to remember about peeing of pants though. Its OK as long as it wasn’t you :)
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By Stale on Jul 14, 2008
God bless Australia and drinking ages of 18 lol…
I’m 21 but those gigs are great… however, I think the gigs over hear are a bit more tame… we rarely get fights, sex in the bathrooms most likely dont happen cause of the billion people in there all the time and the concerts I go to aren’t generally popular by theses Chicky teens…
Death Metal and Local bands are FTW!
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By Doug on Jul 15, 2008
Call me old fashioned, biased, and opinionated, but the drinking age in the US should be lowered to 18. If you are old enough at 18 to join the military, fight for, and possibly die for your country, you are old enough to have a few drinks.
On the other hand, ALL of the drunken 16 year olds you saw should have been immediately reported and charged with underage drinking and their parents fined for negligence. I bet that these teen’s parents are in the habit of placating their kids with whatever they want, instead of teaching them acceptable behavior. When do the parents get forced to learn and pay their idiot tax?
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By shifttusk on Jul 15, 2008
The really frightening thing Doug is when did we become a nation who does not value good parenting? There are obviously exceptions to this but the lack of discipline in children these days scares me.
There was a short article I read on it…
located:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=15161&R=13A931A1
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By Begonia on Jul 18, 2008
I’m all for tattling in this situation.
It’s too bad it doesn’t work on stupid, annoying, drunken people over 21.
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