Monday, October 31, 2005
Friends, Romans, Countrymen!
There are few things Mark Monz enjoys more than hearing about the editors show-going adventures. Unfortunately for Monz, the editors are aging and it takes a lot to get them out to a club for a 2-opening band late night gig. Yet this is what happened on Saturday, as the music editor bravely ventured into the crrrraaaayyyzeee Halloween weekend, hopped on the bus, made the 30 minute ride (usually 10 but with all the clubs on Clark Street...) to the Metro to see his favorite band-of-the-moment,The Go! Team. As he stepped to the ticket window, a young woman approached him with a laconicly pleading tone: could he buy her extra ticket? Our music editor was torn between two impulses: the desire to help a struggling young-un out and the memory of a Bedouin trader who, after hounding the ME to purchase some of his wares, was somewhat reluctant to make change for the purchase. But this night the ME had exact change, so the ticket was purchased. What's this? The ME was carded? This show was sponsered by WLUW-FM, Loyola University's radio station -- and since his friends TTTina and beau were not in attendence this meant the ME was undoubtably the oldest person in the joint. Next came a decidedly mixed blessing: ME arrived about 30 seconds into the first song, which means he had avoided the opening bands, but didn't have time to get a beer. This annoyance was offset by the snagging of a good location in the surprisingly crowded main floor -- in the back but dead-center stage with clear sightlines. Even the handful of college boys dressed up as Romans took care not to stand right in front of the ME or blow their cigarette smoke into his face. Best of all was the show itself. Now we know that it is easier on the vocal chords to rap than to sing (Go!Team songs boast a 3:1 rap-to-singing ratio), but DJ Ninja is by far the most impressive vocalist the ME has seen in terms of sheer aerobic onstage activity without getting winded. Few artists even try to do this live -- the ME has witnessed Paula Abdul make a valliant stab at such efforts but couldn't make it through "Vibeology" and Bobby Brown was practically wheezing through "My Perrogative." When Ninja started pointing at various people in the crowd and shouting "Now I'm going to dance like that guy!" (proceeding to change dances) the ME almost started a "We're not worthy!" bow.
And then it was over. The ME walked out, realized it was too cold to wait for the bus, and decided to walk home (making strategic warm-up stops at Walgreens along the way). And when he got home, he was hungry. Maybe if there was a Turkeybuffchickand Horseradish sauce on mountain bread (a roll-up of sorts)in the fridge he would have satiated his appetite, but there wasn't, so he went to bed. And because the editors live in apartments, they won't be handing out trick or treat candy to kids like Monz (though they do put a bowl out for the newspaper delivery folks and stragglers at the elevator).
There are few things Mark Monz enjoys more than hearing about the editors show-going adventures. Unfortunately for Monz, the editors are aging and it takes a lot to get them out to a club for a 2-opening band late night gig. Yet this is what happened on Saturday, as the music editor bravely ventured into the crrrraaaayyyzeee Halloween weekend, hopped on the bus, made the 30 minute ride (usually 10 but with all the clubs on Clark Street...) to the Metro to see his favorite band-of-the-moment,The Go! Team. As he stepped to the ticket window, a young woman approached him with a laconicly pleading tone: could he buy her extra ticket? Our music editor was torn between two impulses: the desire to help a struggling young-un out and the memory of a Bedouin trader who, after hounding the ME to purchase some of his wares, was somewhat reluctant to make change for the purchase. But this night the ME had exact change, so the ticket was purchased. What's this? The ME was carded? This show was sponsered by WLUW-FM, Loyola University's radio station -- and since his friends TTTina and beau were not in attendence this meant the ME was undoubtably the oldest person in the joint. Next came a decidedly mixed blessing: ME arrived about 30 seconds into the first song, which means he had avoided the opening bands, but didn't have time to get a beer. This annoyance was offset by the snagging of a good location in the surprisingly crowded main floor -- in the back but dead-center stage with clear sightlines. Even the handful of college boys dressed up as Romans took care not to stand right in front of the ME or blow their cigarette smoke into his face. Best of all was the show itself. Now we know that it is easier on the vocal chords to rap than to sing (Go!Team songs boast a 3:1 rap-to-singing ratio), but DJ Ninja is by far the most impressive vocalist the ME has seen in terms of sheer aerobic onstage activity without getting winded. Few artists even try to do this live -- the ME has witnessed Paula Abdul make a valliant stab at such efforts but couldn't make it through "Vibeology" and Bobby Brown was practically wheezing through "My Perrogative." When Ninja started pointing at various people in the crowd and shouting "Now I'm going to dance like that guy!" (proceeding to change dances) the ME almost started a "We're not worthy!" bow.
And then it was over. The ME walked out, realized it was too cold to wait for the bus, and decided to walk home (making strategic warm-up stops at Walgreens along the way). And when he got home, he was hungry. Maybe if there was a Turkeybuffchickand Horseradish sauce on mountain bread (a roll-up of sorts)in the fridge he would have satiated his appetite, but there wasn't, so he went to bed. And because the editors live in apartments, they won't be handing out trick or treat candy to kids like Monz (though they do put a bowl out for the newspaper delivery folks and stragglers at the elevator).
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