Let me tell you a story. Here's a random concert memory. Once upon a time somewhere in the summer of 2003, a friend and I went to see a show at the Mud Island Ampitheatre in Memphis, TN. It was that Summer Jam thing they had going on, where there were 4 or so pretty decent bands playing each Saturday for like $3 or so. It was a great deal, actually. Evidently it didn't take off though 'cuz they never did it again in the following summers, although I looked and looked. This particular show was Everclear headlining, Maroon 5 (when they were just getting big), Kill Hannah, and a band called Field Day as the first opener. We went for Kill Hannah, obviously, since we were both pretty big fans. Me more than him though, since I was the one that turned him onto them. Mat Devine shook my hand for that. I thought that was cool.
Anyway, I had just turned 18 earlier that February, and he was still 17. This will perhaps come up later in the story to excuse our naivity. We had just went through this Web design project at school for Computer Tech (a vocational class if you will) so we were into that pretty big. We started a site called Xcalcker.com, some play on words off Excalibur. Why that? I don't specifically remember, but it was a great name in my opinion. It was there to showcase our photography, which we were getting into at the time as well. The end result never became much and the site was shut down when the domain/hosting expired. Before the show we had planned on taking some urban photos for the site with a film camera my friend had borrowed.
So after getting lost once or something, we got there on Riverfront St on the Mississippi River. There were the those big riverboats nearby, maybe hotels or something. Whatever they were, they were lit up, or at least they were later when it grew dark. So we go around, take a few photos here and there. None of them came out especially well since we didn't know how to use the camera very well. So eventually we figure it's about time to eat. We had just walked off Beale St onto some other street and we see a Hard Rock Cafe. Good idea right? Except it's across this police tape. Turns out it was some sort of gang crime scene. There were a couple cars crashed but we didn't really notice it. There were cops everywhere but we didn't really pay attention. There were people around but we didn't think a lot of it. So this police tape is between us and the Hard Rock. I figured we should go around it, but my friend tells me it's just probably tape put up so people don't get run over. In hindsight, that was a really stupid explanation, but I was just 18 and stupid so I went along with it even though I didn't think it was a good idea to cut across it like we did. But we did. Several feet past some big steriod-infused cop yells at us and ducks under the tape to come yell at us some more. He really was a dick, saying things like are we illerate and not able to read the cross tape, and pretty much calling us idiots. We were pretty scared of getting into some repercussions or something, we were all kissing his ass like we were soooooo sorry and that we didn't realize it was a crime scene. So he eventually tells us to get back to the sidewalk, where we were proceeded to be harassed by yet another cop. Female this time. She basically says the same shit the first one did and tells us we have to leave, that we're not allowed to stand on this sidewalk like the rest of the people there because we don't know how to act. We obviously didn't want to stand there on the sidewalk anyway, as though it was the holy grail of entertainment or something. So we left. I'm sure we were laughed at by all the pedestrians there but we were too zoned out into "please, God, don't let them arrest us" space.
We then find some burger place to eat where we proceed to bitch about the cops that bitched to us. After a while, it was time to head towards the show. We get in and find a seat. Took a while before the first band got on stage so we got something to drink. $3 12 oz. Cokes. Really, that's like anal rape. But we were thirsty. Eventually Field Day got on stage. They put on a memorable show, especially since they were probably one of the first bands I'd seen live. I think only Sammy Haggar was before that, when I was 14 or something. Afterwards, Kill Hannah came on. This was shortly after they had been signed to Atlantic so they played early versions of their Kill Hannah - For Never and Ever material. The songs had more edge to them then, so I think I prefered them actually. They ended their short set with "I Wanna Be a Kennedy," now shortened to just
Kill Hannah - Kennedy. It was a great set though. They played Boyz-N-Grrrlz, Nerve Gas, Unwanted, Kennedy, Big Shot, 10 More Mins. With You, and maybe another one. I used to have the set list Greg wrote out but I lost when we last moved. After their set we went to the merch table where we talked to them for a while. Got their CD they were selling singed (The College Tour EP as it's called nowadays). Took a few pictures. Bought my Welcome to Chicago, M*therfu**er shirt. Had a good time. We also chatted with Field Day for a bit, and told them were were going to write a review for the show and put it on our site and they said they would link to it. We put it on our site, and they actually did link to it! It was pretty awesome. Field Day has changed their name to Goodnight City since that show. I've always meant to pick up their CD but have never got around to it. By the time we got back to the seats Maroon 5 was on, somebody had taken our seats, and it was getting way crowded, so we decided to go, since we'd seen what we came for and we were both pretty tired from the day. As we were leaving we had to fight our way through what looked to be 2,000 people coming in. Seriously, there were a LOT. There was no way they would've all fit since it was almost full when we left. After we left we passed some more people heading to the ampitheater who told us we were missing Maroon 5. We told them they were too.
Overall it was a great time that only could've been made greater if it weren't for the dickhead cops. It still remains as one of the most memorable shows I've ever been to. Even though it was short set-wise for us, it has continued to remain with us in spirit.
Anyway, I had just turned 18 earlier that February, and he was still 17. This will perhaps come up later in the story to excuse our naivity. We had just went through this Web design project at school for Computer Tech (a vocational class if you will) so we were into that pretty big. We started a site called Xcalcker.com, some play on words off Excalibur. Why that? I don't specifically remember, but it was a great name in my opinion. It was there to showcase our photography, which we were getting into at the time as well. The end result never became much and the site was shut down when the domain/hosting expired. Before the show we had planned on taking some urban photos for the site with a film camera my friend had borrowed.
So after getting lost once or something, we got there on Riverfront St on the Mississippi River. There were the those big riverboats nearby, maybe hotels or something. Whatever they were, they were lit up, or at least they were later when it grew dark. So we go around, take a few photos here and there. None of them came out especially well since we didn't know how to use the camera very well. So eventually we figure it's about time to eat. We had just walked off Beale St onto some other street and we see a Hard Rock Cafe. Good idea right? Except it's across this police tape. Turns out it was some sort of gang crime scene. There were a couple cars crashed but we didn't really notice it. There were cops everywhere but we didn't really pay attention. There were people around but we didn't think a lot of it. So this police tape is between us and the Hard Rock. I figured we should go around it, but my friend tells me it's just probably tape put up so people don't get run over. In hindsight, that was a really stupid explanation, but I was just 18 and stupid so I went along with it even though I didn't think it was a good idea to cut across it like we did. But we did. Several feet past some big steriod-infused cop yells at us and ducks under the tape to come yell at us some more. He really was a dick, saying things like are we illerate and not able to read the cross tape, and pretty much calling us idiots. We were pretty scared of getting into some repercussions or something, we were all kissing his ass like we were soooooo sorry and that we didn't realize it was a crime scene. So he eventually tells us to get back to the sidewalk, where we were proceeded to be harassed by yet another cop. Female this time. She basically says the same shit the first one did and tells us we have to leave, that we're not allowed to stand on this sidewalk like the rest of the people there because we don't know how to act. We obviously didn't want to stand there on the sidewalk anyway, as though it was the holy grail of entertainment or something. So we left. I'm sure we were laughed at by all the pedestrians there but we were too zoned out into "please, God, don't let them arrest us" space.
We then find some burger place to eat where we proceed to bitch about the cops that bitched to us. After a while, it was time to head towards the show. We get in and find a seat. Took a while before the first band got on stage so we got something to drink. $3 12 oz. Cokes. Really, that's like anal rape. But we were thirsty. Eventually Field Day got on stage. They put on a memorable show, especially since they were probably one of the first bands I'd seen live. I think only Sammy Haggar was before that, when I was 14 or something. Afterwards, Kill Hannah came on. This was shortly after they had been signed to Atlantic so they played early versions of their Kill Hannah - For Never and Ever material. The songs had more edge to them then, so I think I prefered them actually. They ended their short set with "I Wanna Be a Kennedy," now shortened to just
Kill Hannah - Kennedy. It was a great set though. They played Boyz-N-Grrrlz, Nerve Gas, Unwanted, Kennedy, Big Shot, 10 More Mins. With You, and maybe another one. I used to have the set list Greg wrote out but I lost when we last moved. After their set we went to the merch table where we talked to them for a while. Got their CD they were selling singed (The College Tour EP as it's called nowadays). Took a few pictures. Bought my Welcome to Chicago, M*therfu**er shirt. Had a good time. We also chatted with Field Day for a bit, and told them were were going to write a review for the show and put it on our site and they said they would link to it. We put it on our site, and they actually did link to it! It was pretty awesome. Field Day has changed their name to Goodnight City since that show. I've always meant to pick up their CD but have never got around to it. By the time we got back to the seats Maroon 5 was on, somebody had taken our seats, and it was getting way crowded, so we decided to go, since we'd seen what we came for and we were both pretty tired from the day. As we were leaving we had to fight our way through what looked to be 2,000 people coming in. Seriously, there were a LOT. There was no way they would've all fit since it was almost full when we left. After we left we passed some more people heading to the ampitheater who told us we were missing Maroon 5. We told them they were too.
Overall it was a great time that only could've been made greater if it weren't for the dickhead cops. It still remains as one of the most memorable shows I've ever been to. Even though it was short set-wise for us, it has continued to remain with us in spirit.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
divinetrash:
That made me very happy. I love it.
bodymodified:
great story....ive got tons of shit like that to tell but i cant type fast enough to put any of it in my blog......by the way, im closed on sundays and mondays.