A Good Wednesday Morning Rant

As some of you know, I love to go to concerts. I generally go to at least a couple a month (not counting live music in bars). Since I've been in Chicago (13 months), I've noticed that the crowds at concerts are different from the crowds in concerts in Madison and Milwaukee. Specifically, they tend to talk ... a lot ... especially the people who stand directly behind me. I just don't get it. Last night, Julie and I went to see Okkervil River at the Metro. Midway through the show, the lead singer said, "we'd like to play a slow one for you" and he started playing "A Girl in Port" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLhbjBIqA7g), which happens to be my favorite song of theirs. Most of the people around us took that as a cue to have loud conversations, which literally drowned out the vocals for the first minute of the song.

Here's what I don't understand: If you want to go somewhere to drink and have conversations with your friends, why go to a place that costs $40 to get into and charges you $7 for a beer after you wait in line for 10 minutes? I have nothing against people having conversations with their friends. However, I do have something against people having those conversations by yelling at each other within three feet of my ears when I'm trying to listen to one of my favorite bands play one of my favorite songs at a concert I've been looking forward to for two months.

On another note, I'd like to make a few comments involving the use of high-tech devices at concerts. First, I don't understand the concept of shooting low-quality videos on your $99 digital camera from 100 feet away from the stage, especially when you spend the first half of the song shooting your video and then spend the second half of the song huddled up with your friends watching the crappy video you just made. Second, I don't understand the concept of spending half the concert texting updates to your friends. Do you really think your buddy who's at home sitting on his couch watching TV is pumped to receive a text message at 11:16 that says, "Hell yeah! Okkervil River just took the stage!" one at 11:23 that says, "They're really on tonight. The sound's great and the crowd's hyped!" one at 11:31 that says, "Oh my God, they're playing 'Black.' Fucking sick!" and then 11 more messages over the next hour? Do you think he's impressed with you? Do you think it's his dream to live vicariously through your text messages? Even if he gives a shit, he's just going to think you're a giant douche bag for rubbing it in his face that you're at the concert and he's not.

This is Andy Rooney. Good night.