Sketchism

So this weekend I went to the Academy Is concert. I drove up with Johanna thinking it would be a nice little line, since we had our tickets via ticketmaster. We arrived instead to a swarm of giddy emo boys and girls, long hair flowing in a crowd of feisty anxiety. They giggled and pointed and talked about the people standing in front of them in line. It was a scary sight to see, so many white people in their hip clothing, chewing bubblegum and talking nonsense. I even saw two girls almost get in a fight. They called each other names and almost started swinging their Louis Vuittons. When Joey and I approached the line, we realized that it wrapped around the building. I was used to the Culture Room line that spanned a good 30 feet at the most. This was definitely not the Culture Room. From the balcony, some dude started throwing down dollar bills into the den of hipsters. They went even more wild.

Eventually the line started moving forward and we entered the outdoor venue just in time. Hellogoodbye began their set as we stepped in front of the stage. I guess we weren’t really in front of the stage. We were more like 50 feet south-west of it, trying to peer over the thousands of hairsprayed heads in front of us. The balcony behind us was packed with rich juveniles as well, so we decided to stand next to the bar where we had arrived. The first two bands generated a great stir of jumps and claps from the crowd. I was glad to see Hellogoodbye for the first time. I was equally happy to see Acceptance again. I practically know the dudes by now, having seen them four times in the past year. They always put on a good show. As soon as they finished performing, all madness broke loose.

As soon as Panic! At The Disco began setting up the stage, the hormonal teenagers began moving closer to the stage. Not realizing the laws of physics prohibited ALL of them from getting 3 feet from the stage, a lot of people were probably trampled on. Plenty of people definitely fainted. I saw security pull at least 10 people out of the crowd. I couldn’t tell if they were crowd surfing or if they were passing a stretcher above the audience. It was madness indeed. In fact, the crowd swayed left and right, causing the bar I was leaning on to completely lift. The alchohol cooler tipped over and spilled all over the floor, on the feet of the cladly dressed bartenders. Put a bunch of emotional music junkies in an open space and you’re asking for some kind damage, internal or, in this case, public.

It appears that Panic! has developed quite a following, not only from scenester kids but from thirtysomethings as well. A businessman and his co-worker stood behind me, reciting all the lyrics to this young band while smoking their cigarettes and talking to the bartenders. Eventually the madness was so bad that they security had to protect the bar in riot-gear fashion. They lined up in a single line, backs facing toward the crowd to prevent the swaying fans from tipping over the bar for a third time. Didn’t help. The bouncers couldn’t stop the motion. Eventually ALL the liquor was spilled on the floor and some people were cut from the glass. We had chosen the right place to stand. The older folks and my crew didn’t budge.

Not big fans of Academy, my friends and I decided to check out the merch tables and then left quickly. I bought Hellogoodbye’s album for a cheap 8 dollars. Good stuff. We left early and enjoyed some great pizza with Alex and Kristel before the night was over. All in all, it was entertaining night. I guess I don’t always have to jump into the mosh pit to have a good time. Who would’ve guessed?