DOWN WITH PANTS!

Death? came through in the clutch and did in fact secure us two tickets to the Weezer concert last night. It was an outstanding performance by the headliner playing a mixture of new, yet to be released songs and old favorites. They were rock solid and a lot of fun to see. My only criticism is that they don't really do anything different or interesting in concert. I could have sat at home and put in all their CD's and hit random and it would have sounded the same. Nonetheless it was good to see them at least once.

On the other hand, the opening band Ringside was perhaps the worst opener I have seen in my long lifetime of concert going. Wow, you wouldn't believe just how bad this band was. Even the 13 year olds in the crowd turned on them. Most opening bands are at the very least just annoying and boring but usually totally harmless to the bill. But after seeing Ringside play, I actually started to feel mad at Weezer for letting them anywhere near the stage. I kind of think Weezer owes us $10 each for having to sit through that awful opening band.

A couple more quick observations about the Weezer show...

• The crowd was really young with an average age of maybe 17. Weezer has been around since at least 1994 and I really expected a much older audience like myself.
  



• Death? has lamented many times about how bad low-rise jeans look on most girls and has wondered when they will go out of style. I happen to agree with her. Some girls it works on, most it doesn't. But after going to this show and seeing nearly every female in low-rise jeans you kind of have to conclude that the answer may end up being never.



• Is it possible that every young person in America now has a cell phone?



• The Moore, along with most other venues, at the request of the bands, do not let you bring cameras into concerts. However, since most young people in America now have a cell phone and a good number of those are camera phones, this rule has become a total joke.



• Still on the topic of cell phones, during a terrible, terrible slow song by Ringside some people jokingly got out their lighters and did that old cliche. A ton of people also got out their phones with the really bright screens and waved those. It was very, very weird.



• The people behind us in line for the show were wearing homemade t-shirts ripping ticket scalpers for the ridiculous prices they were charging and continued to rant about it while waiting. Then one of them purchased a bootleg t-shirt from a guy selling them on the street. Come on, the scalpers are evil but the bootleggers are not? Make up your mind!



• Finally, I forgot that teenagers will steal anything that isn't nailed down. After the show it was a free for all on any banners, signs or posters in the Moore. I almost saw someone walk off with one of those velvet ropes that usually blocks off the balcony seats when they are closed, but he didn't quite get it off before being pulled away by his friends.