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Counting Crows and the New Avatar
Posted: August 05 2024 | Written: August 04 2024
At the end of June I went to a concert, which I don't do very often. The last concert I was at was Iron & Wine at the Danforth Music Hall in February of 2020, just before all the pandemic shit went down. Before that, Third Eye Blind in 2014 I think. I don't go out to see live music very often. But this year the Counting Crows were on tour and I think I bought my ticket in early February, before Bingo got really sick, and one of my bicycles suffered serious frame damage and became unusable.
I never really looked at what day of the week it was on, a Wednesday, I think if I knew early on I might've given it more serious thought about going. I had a long day that day, had to bike home in a rainstorm, change clothes, eat, then take a different bicycle to the show because I couldn't risk my new bicycle being stolen for a concert. I was exhausted when I left for the show at 6pm.
The rain stopped before I left and the ride there was easy. The concert was at Budweiser Stage, where I've clearly never been before but I knew the general area. I locked up my bike to a fence infront of the entrance gate, had my small bag checked by security and I was in quickly. I bought a single large 710ml can of budweiser for $20. A goddamn shocking price.
I made it up to the upper lawn section, there was lots of room and I sat down on the slightly damp grass and sipped my very valuable beer. Another concert goer told me I looked tired, I was, and I simply told him "It's been a long day".
Counting Crows took the stage a few minutes earier than advertised, which was nice really. I was so far in the back I could barely make out the band members, the large screens to either side of the stage helped me make out what was going on down there. The music at this distance was great, loud but not deafening. I relaxed and sat there, in a tired mellow state.
I took a few quick photos before it became too crowded. A few of my view, what little I could see. Then I decided to take a few pics of myself, which I rarely do, to document what I look like at the rare moment of actually going to a concert. I then remembered I needed a decent selfie for a new avatar.
A year or so ago I saw a meme making fun of the average conservative avatar, regardless of platform they all seemed to have the same style of avatar. Selfie camera, inside their vehicle, sunglasses on.
See I understand why anyone would take these pics in this setting. Sitting your car in a parking lot, warm and dry, windows providing good lighting, no wind, sunglasses so you don't look cross-eyed or looking off into the distance. If I still owned a car, my avatar would've been like this too. The problem came up with more and more aweful online posts and people noticed that the people making all these terrible far-rightwing posts had something in common, the drivers seat & sunglasses selfie.
What I've been using for maybe the past eight years wasn't much better.
| Old Avatar. Photo Taken: Sometime in 2016 |
I took mine on my balcony, selfie camera, sunglasses on. I never seem to be looking in the right direction in photos so that's why I went with the sunglasses, it was also bright outside and I wanted good lighting.
I remember it was a cold day, I was out there briefly taking photos and checking them, that's how little I do selfies, I'm not that good at them. My pic had the same arms length as the rest of them so it looks like it should belong to the alt-right brigade of fascist morons. So I've been meaning to replace it for ages, only I don't really care that much about it, so I let it go for months and months and now I'm writing about it to pass the time.
I figured a picture of myself, no sunglasses, somewhere authentic and spontaneous, a concert, which I rarely attend seemed like a good place.
| New Avatar. Photo Taken: June 26 2024 |
I went with a weird upward angle, it could be the cover of a weird folk-rock album, although the ladyfriend says it makes me look angry. I haven't touched an instagram filter in years, there are so many more than I knew of ages ago, but I'm a bit red in the face from biking in the sun and had to use one of the filters to reduce that look because nobody likes the lobster or super-furious look.
| Counting Crows, Albeit Very Small. Photo Taken: June 26 2024 |
Santana was up next, they were headlining but they weren't what I was there for. I watched a young man, nineteen or twenty years old get a very stern lecture from some very serious security guards, and then they confiscated his beer, and walked him out of the venue, only minutes before Santana took the stage.
His friends gushed to each other what happened. I tried to read lips and guestures, I think he was a bit aggressive with the bar staff, too pushy perhaps, or maybe downright rude. I'll never know. But Carlos Santana isn't young and that young fella might never again have another chance to see him perform live because he wanted to be rude.
His friends stayed for the show, there was no solidarity for their impolite comrade.
| Carlos Santana, The Man in the Orange Suit. Photo Taken: June 26 2024 |
I stayed to watch Santana play next for a few songs, they did Black Magic Woman, Soul Sacrifice. Carlos Santana is very old now, and has said some less than kind words about transgender folks, I didn't need to stay any longer than I did. The screens show clips of him playing at woodstock, in case anyone could forget he was at woodstock. I have several of his records on vinyl but I wasn't in the mood to stay and watch him all evening in a bright orange suit and play his guitar. By now all the other members of the band have come and gone. As I was leaving an inebriated older gentleman could be heard griping to his friend "He's just sitting there not saying anything! He doesn't sing, it's just fucking kareoke up there!". And I agree with him. It could've been a Disneyland animatronic of Carlos Santana for all I could see.
I left at 9:30pm, got home at 10:30pm, not just exhausted, but overtired. I was still tired all the next day. But I can finally say I watched Counting Crows perform live.
-cheers
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