Etiquette.

Last week I went to see The Weakerthans, who are straight up one of my favorite bands. Everytime I see them I turn into a hyperactive 12-year-old on a sugar high. Or rather, I turn into a drunkass 27-year-old who doesn't give a shit about screaming lyrics into people's ears while spilling beer on their shoes. Admittedly, I am not the most charming person to stand next to at shows. I tend to see shows as intimate interactions between artist and fans where verbal exchanges are not only acceptable, they are practically mandatory. The people around me rarely seem to feel the same way.

The show was at Emo's in Austin which isn't a huge venue but can still pack a pretty good crowd. It was crowded, but totally manageable. You could move around without much of a problem, so I figured wiggling my way up front wouldn't be that big a deal. I went with my friend Kristen (COWP represent!) after bar hopping for a couple of hours, so I was straight drunk by the time my Canadian heroes took the stage, and I was fucking PUMPED. The band starts ripping into their first song and immediately people are jumping and dancing around and singing and throwing fists into the air. Anyway, I start dancing and singing and the chick in front of me (standing with her arms crossed) starts turning around to give me the stank eye because, I guess, I touched her or something. Now, I have been at shows where other people's antics have fucking pissed me off. I can't remember the last time that it actually happened, but I know that it has. So when I saw the girl in front of me wanting me to notice her shitty look, I readjusted so as not to touch her. Honestly, I was so happy at this point that her crappy glances could not have fazed my mood. The second song starts and I am arm and arm with Kristen telling her that I love the song (I think I said this every time the song changed) and she suggests getting closer to the stage. The crowd was sort of broken up and there was room in front of the shitty-look giver, so we swooped around her toward the more openly bouncy people near the stage (MY PEOPLE!!). As we are passing her, this girl literally claws at my shirt. I'm not exaggerating, I'm talking fingernails. What the fuck is that about? She had plenty of room in front of her. And she was standing there lock kneed with her arms crossed, so it's not like she needed the space. I asked her if she was fucking kidding me, to which she rolled her eyes and recrossed her arms, tucking her claws into her pits.

The thing is, once we were in front of her the people around us couldn't have cared less about getting bumped or hearing me hoot and holler. As far as they were concerned, we were best friends, many of them throwing their arms over my shoulder while we belted out lyrics into each other's faces and jumped around like idiots. It was fantastic; we laughed hysterically and often. We left the show exhausted and happy. And wasted. I didn't remember until the next day that along with all my new buddies I had made at least one enemy.

I can't pretend that I am faultless at shows; I've heard audio recordings of shows where I was in attendance. They are testaments of my not-quietness. But it's a fucking rock and roll show. Rock and roll isn't supposed to be totally courteous is it? Am I the asshole for being excited and excitable while watching a band that I frequently blast in my bedroom while I dance and sing into my hairbrush? I can't stand the unspoken code that exists at some shows where to appreciate a band you have act like some sort of music snob who doesn't like to shake booty once in awhile. Get over the fucking posturing already. And put your fucking claws away. The whole head-bobbing, shoe-gazing phenomenon as audience participation has its place (I guess), but I don't think we should accept it as the only option. Sometimes, we should just rock the fuck out.

Strategery

As coverage of the (god damned) elections started last night I placed and received several phone calls. Here are some highlights:
"Yeah, I'm on my way to the bar." -Melissa, NC
"All I know is that it's going to be cold in Canada." -Caroline, NC
"Finally!! We can get back to coat hanger abortions." -Katie, NYC

I had distinct fantasies of throwing my front door open at 2am on election night and as the street filled with the shouts of my joyously relieved neighbors I would blast 'Brand New Day' by Van Morrison and run around my yard singing into my wine bottle. And then me and my roommate and our neighbors would proceed to make a human pyramid because that's what carefree people do. Instead I spent the evening and the early morning of the election in front of the TV having a fit of spastic tics that I could only relieve through tedious house chores and by draining every vessel containing any remnants of alcohol into my gullet. This morning I woke up with a hangover and a clean kitchen and opted against Van Morrison in favor of 'Harder They Come' by Jimmy Cliff. And 'Many Rivers to Cross.' I mean, whatever, the whole album is good for down-on-your-(country's)-luck days... er, years? Fuck.

I have to say that I really thought Kerry could do it. I believed he was the guy. And not in the I-would-vote-for-a-ham-sandwich-as-long-as-it's-not-Bush way. Which, by the way, I would. But he impressed me during the Democratic nominee debates. Not as much as Al Sharpton, mind you, but I was on board. Before Bush did his victory lap this afternoon, every newscaster on the planet was projecting him to say, "The American people have spoken." Yep, they've spoken, and what they've said is that nearly half of the voting public wishes that Bush wasn't the guy in office. What a crushing victory.

So, what now? Sure, our economy is bad enough to affect generations that we can't even conceive of yet, and by the way you're not going to want to be (intentionally or accidentally) conceiving shit for the next four years unless you're prepared to live sans health insurance and to home school your kid because, well yeah, some Supreme Court appointments might be filled by some rather conservative justices. And yes, our country is at war and rapidly depleting human and social resources to fight terror, including the terrorists that take time out of their busy terrorist duties to dance, rosey-cheeked, across our TV screens to patronize our country. And maybe minimum wage isn't a realistic living wage and unemployment is devastating communities all over the country (hey, just send those people to community colleges!). And okay, so Social Security may or may not exist when we are old and riddled with diseases whose treatments couldn't be researched "ethically" according to an evangelical leader who was born again in the cafeteria of a Holiday Inn. I mean, is it really such a big deal?

Sigh. My hope is that people won't lose hope. I hope that leftist folks continue to demonstrate integrity by not abandoning the politics that are just. I think we will get through these next four years the same way we got through the last four: paycheck to paycheck, The Daily Show, biting sarcasm, extended international travel, pearls of optimism disguised as crippling cynicism, and lots and lots of drinking.

God Bless America.