The Crayon Fields, Washington, The Damn Sons, Seaspin @ Silverlake Lounge (03/15/10)

as of late i haven't been to a concert on the pure chance of whim. the effects of the economic downturn has poked its ugly head in and wants to stay for dessert. despite countless attempts to protect myself from the trials and tribulations of an unmarried layperson of concert-going i've succumbed to the simple laws of supply and demand and i can't get them to go away (if my cooking skills or lack thereof is any indication of how grim the situation is i can't really help you). subsequently, i've become a lot more particular in that i only go to at most two concerts a month which if you had read this before that was a typical week for the LA Dog and Pony Show...but if taken in account the factors involved i'm really not being as frugal as i intend to be. i'll purchase tickets through a vendor that makes a profit on 'convenience.' which at times can cost at most half the face value of the actual ticket. don't get me wrong i understand/agree with capitalism but it doesn't mean i want to be bent over and taken to an unhappy place. there should be a happy medium, right? at least i have a ticket in advance and i don't have any trepidations about going to the box office of a show on the night of the show that could possibly be sold out. recently, fortunately/unfortunately? the shows i want to go to end up being sold out. so i'm left to purchasing in advance. hmph.

so i looked over my concert calendar and for the eleventh week of twenty ten i didn't have a concert to attend to. i was poised for a week of rest and relaxation in the comforts of my own home and the company of Migo and Jasper (a fish and an uke). but i'm sorta young and a lot restless so i checked my local concert listings to find out who was playing and more importantly where. some say (and when i say "some" i mean a fortune cookies), "it's not the destination its the journey," or "it's not how long you wait but who you're waiting for" or "its not how many years you live but how you live those years" in Los Angeles you have take into account the prior fortunes for a seemingly adequate adventure. but you also have to strategize just enough so that the evening is nothing less than epic. and when i'm mean epic you better bring your passport and a clean pair of undergarments because you'll never know where you'll end up or what you have to barter. albeit careful of being anywhere less than a dark alleyway behind a seedy donkey show venue. however, most planning is already determined by the laws of physics, for example, weather conditions, time constraints, and cactus taco shop on vine (carne asada tacos before any show is a must for any night of music, sweat, and joy). other factors include but are not limited to who's going, who's driving, what's the parking situation like, where's the closest atm, what's the venue like, how much is a jack and ginger, etc. so much to say there's a lot to consider when going out for a concert. so much that sometimes if you're really not in the mood for it can limit you to the comforts of your laziness. and you miss the opportunity to listen/see great new music. monday nights are trickier. most of the venues have resident bands playing free shows to extend their reach to a selected group of stereotypically group of kids identified as hipster (who are actually are there for music except collective wisdom poses them in a negative light) and an even smaller group of good ol' rock n' rollers who've seen more than they actually admit but are willing to share (my favorite kind). its tricky because on a typical monday night you're still recovering from the weekend and you've anticipated a monday night at home but are torn because there's a free show at your local dive. flip a coin and leave it to destiny was the way of the old world before the shock and awe of '03 (when your nickel and dime actually meant something good and not so much a way of keeping the distressed blue collar down). but consideration for all things bright and beautiful in this world takes a lot more effort and self-evalution.

so on the eve of the evening on monday i was determined to go the Silverlake Lounge. a couple of invites later and i was scheduled to meet some friends in time to see the second band begin. except again. sorta young and really restless i ended up getting there just right before the first band began playing. i arrived in an ideal moment because any sooner or any later i wouldn't have experience those rare moments in life that enforce your belief that people are good and not out there to take you limb for limb and sell you to the highest bidder. cut to: sharing a joke or two with some of the members of the bands and learning from an almost inebriated gentleman that "no matter how much it costs if your friends are happy it's worth it." priceless. as the evening continues and while the music is playing its hard not to get distracted (at least for the adhd in me) by the surroundings which can only be described as an odd mix of nonchalant traveling angelinos that have been disenfranchised by the nature of the beast.

The Crayon Fields

Washington

The Damn Sons 

Seaspin

all in all highly recommended bands. i left the venue crossing the street when a driver of a car yelled out to me, "great job!" i don't know if he was referring to me crossing the street when there was red hand or if he thought i was part of the band..i'd like to think the latter but i don't think so cause i don't look like any of the females in the aforementioned bands..either way i left feeling just right about the evening.

enjoy the music.