It has been a while but i am seeing a string of shows by a single band over a couple of nights this week. If you have not done this i highly recommend it.
As human beings we have a myriad of emotions and it is important to have a diverse musical taste so that your song catalog can compliment your moods. i enjoy the Grateful Dead (American Beauty is a great record) and i have seen Phish many times but these are not the bands that i have followed for multiple days on tour. No, my passions have taken me on a bit of a different path.
Punk is the music of my soul and the bands i have laid down money to see for multiple night runs of their tour fall into the various sub-genres of punk rock. Although we may have smelt as bad as hippies at times that is where the similarities end. No one stands outside of punk shows with their index finger in the air hoping someone will have an extra ticket that they are looking to just give away. We are self sufficient and expect the same of those around us. Looking for such a handout would result in others holding up a slightly different finger for you at the very least and possibly the sharing of the rest of their fingers (completely clenched) with your face.
No one is going to sell grilled cheese (the vegans would beat you), glass pipes (the straight edgers would beat you), or jewelry (everyone else would beat you) outside of a punk show. The most you will see is modestly priced t-shirts, patches, or pins. Inflated concert ticket or merchandise prices would mean you have given in to the norms of the industry and have compromised your ideals. Both types of fans, however, frequently have altercations with local police outside of concerts.
At a punk show you will not see some kid with dreadlocks climbing out of daddy's old Mercedes or smoke pouring out of a broken down Volkswagen product. No, you will see eight kids jump out of a fucked-up Civic that one of them bought working two jobs. It is all duct tapped together, has an old boombox for a sound system, and is fueled with the tip money earned from delivering pizza. The occupants themselves fueled by the best food a gas station has to offer.
These are the types of people i prefer to spend my time with. Sincere, driven, and crazy. Why though, do i recommend following a band for multiple stops of their tour at some point in your life? Think about how after seeing one of your favorite bands perform you yell to a friend, over the ringing in your ears "that was great, i can't wait to see them again!" Well, with a little forethought you can do just that.
Added to the thrill and anticipation of the show, for the second day you are also excitedly asking yourself: Will they play the same set? What will tonight's show's energy be like? Will the audience be better? Worse? What kind of a snack selection will the gas station near tonight's show have? Will that asshole i punched last night be at tonight's show?
i am getting older but there are still bands out there that inspire me enough to hall my aging carcass across state lines, over multiple days to see for additional tour dates. Those days spent with friends, packed into cars following bands like Quicksand are fond memories i cherish to this day. i am forever grateful that there is still inspiring music being made and that i still have amazing people in my life to share it with. This should be an exciting week.
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