Reverb 10 Prompt (from Shauna Reid): What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
“You gotta fight! For your right! To Paaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr…”
Yes, I did see the Beastie Boys in concert in the mid-80s and yes, they did end the show with that song and yes, a 20-foot inflatable penis was used as a stage prop. Any more questions? I was fifteen or sixteen at the time, so what could be more hilarious than a giant inflatable phallus? And Public Enemy was the opening act, although admittedly I had no idea who they were at the time. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah—parties.
2010 began with bang in January with my band’s CD Release Show at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill. As it happened, a major snowstorm crippled the entire area the day of the show. The guitarist/singer for one of the opening bands lived out in the boonies and he couldn’t even get out of his driveway. The show had been hyped in the local media for weeks, and we had expected several taste-makers and influential people from the local music scene to attend. But it took a miracle (in the form of our drummer’s brother’s four-wheel drive truck) to even get ourselves to the 506, which was one of the only places in town that didn’t close down for the night. Because it was just about the only game in town, we ended up with a pretty nice crowd of jolly wayfarers. Several of our closest friends had come in from out of state to be there, including Chris, the band’s former lead guitarist, whose awesome playing was all over the new record. None of us knew he was flying in from Denver to attend the show. He just strolled through the doors as we were about to go on stage. We had a blast, and it was by far the most fun I have ever had performing (Unfortunately, most times I’m uncomfortably nervous or in a deer-in-the-headlights kind of daze).
Another gathering that deserves mention was the recent Rally to Restore Sanity in DC. Here’s how that day went:
9:30am: Arrived at the West Falls Church Metro station, hours before the start of the rally, which was scheduled to begin at noon on the National Mall (a mere twenty-five minute train ride from West Falls Church).
9:30am – 2:00pm: Waited to get on the train at the West Falls Church Station, as people by the tens of thousands clogged the entire metro system.
2:00pm – 2:30pm: Finally got aboard the Sane Train headed for the mall. Watched a few snippets of the rally on a fellow passenger’s iPhone. Bladder now the size of a regulation NFL football.
2:45pm: Set foot on the mall. Made it! Penned in with about a quarter-million humans. Vaguely heard Jon Stewart’s voice off in the distance.
3:00pm: End of the rally.
5:00pm: Finally found a restroom in which I could relieve my bladder, now the size of a watermelon. Made it!
11:00pm: Home after driving back to North Carolina. Watched rally highlights online.
Sounds like quite a party, huh? It was totally worth it though. Listening to Jon Stewart’s speech (at home, on my laptop), when he got all choked up and said, “…your presence was what I wanted…” – that was priceless. The renewed faith in humanity: Priceless.
Resolution for 2011: More shenanigans!