Vans Warped Tour
My esteemed colleague E contacted me through Facebook recently with a proposition. We had met last year on the MegaBus on the way to Chicago for Durandemonium 2013. After recently moving to my city, she asked if I wanted an extra ticket to Blossom to see the Vans Warped Tour. I laughed for a moment when this was put before me. For those of you who are not familiar, the Vans Warped Tour is a touring music festival that has been going across America, primarily featuring punk rock music on a variety of stages rather than just one, sponsored, of course, by the shoe manufacturer Vans, which appeals to skateboarders. This year is the nineteenth anniversary of said festival, and I had never been to it before due to schedule conflicts, one thing or another, and, quite honestly, I was never into skating. Also, at some point, one realizes that they are a bit too old to do certain things; and, skateboarding is one of those things that one gets too old to do quicker than most leisure time activities. Although Vans were and remain a very comfortable shoe, that I will not argue.
I picked her up in the morning, as E does not drive, and we took off for Blossom Music Center. For those who may be reading this who are not natives of Northeast Ohio, Blossom Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater in Cuyahoga Falls (between Akron and Cleveland) which is rather famous for hosting the orchestra, national music acts past and present, as well as on occasional non music related congregation (ex. Carnival of Horrors). It was built in the place in which it is located because the land was obviously available and, rumor has it, a city developer was interested in developing the area, encouraging more people to move closer for residential or work purposes. Unfortunately this plan did not come to fruition, as the population did not seem to alter their living or working habits due to the inclusion of Blossom Music Center. If anything, it became a tremendous hassle. For those who already live and work in the area, traffic is almost always bumper to bumper in the summers. Those who come into Blossom for one of these events complain about the bumper to bumper situation, high prices of merchandise and food being sold, as well as having to drive a great distance to get to Blossom for the events in question. Of course, there is nothing that one can do about this except accept and move on; but, one still wishes that things will change. Hence, one in the area learns not to like going to Blossom. Unless you happen to be with a large group in the VIP parking section, in that case it's a more pleasant experience. Under those circumstances and prices paid for a party bus and the VIP parking, it's a shorter walk from the parking lot to the main gates. Only once was this experienced by me to see Radiohead years ago, and I came along at the last minute for said adventure. Off we went into the wild blue yonder, parking my car WAY out in outer Mongolia, and walking with the masses to the main gate. On the way there, E and I caught up as we had not seen each other over McDonalds coffee since our meeting last fall and it was a delightful time.
I hadn't been to Blossom much in the last few years, but used to go in my day when Lalapalooza was touring. At Lalapalooza 2, it rained very solidly for about twenty minutes and left the entire place a filthy, slimy mud hole for the entire day. I had to work very hard to keep myself clean above the waist the entire day, but some, of course, dive head first into it and spend the entire day coated in it. I also remembered walking by someone Z who I went to high school with who pointed at me and announced to the small group around her that I was there. What their reaction was, I do not recall. I do know that at some point she was ousted from the Mean Girl clique for some reason and then she knew what it was like to be the object of ridicule. This story will be relevant later in this blog.
Arriving at this event, I realize this was an odd situation, albeit not the oddest possible. I am nearly forty, and while I can still pass for being in my mid twenties, I walked in fully knowing and feeling old. Things certainly have changed since I attended such festivals when I was actually of the age bracket that Vans Warped Tour appeals to. There were just as many older people there as there were young ones. One will always find the aged hippie burn out here and there no matter what kind of festival (save for, perhaps one for IPC). I think I was surprised to see that there were a lot of older people, approximately my age or thereabout, who said that they were parents of the attendees there. I even saw a toddler or two. Parents come to these events? And not to sit on the sidelines but as actual attendees? Did that ever happen when I was a kid? If it did I was not aware. I think for some there might have been some kind of adult day care nearby where adults could occupy themselves doing more adult things, but they were willing attendees of the event? I guess so. While sitting down for an overpriced lunch, I struck up a conversation with a man next to me. He looked approximately my age, I said I was looking for some civilized company after having seen one of the acts on one of the accompanying stages, watching everyone moshing and sustaining injuries. He said he brought his two daughters to the event, and he asked me if I was a mom. I said I was not (which, of course, is the truth), but I was here with a friend who is seventeen / eighteen years younger than me, so technically I could be her mother. Both situations now seem to be acceptable.
As much as things may change, so many of them stay the same. Looking around I saw all the merchandise and foods were available to be marketed to the obvious youth culture market. Looking at those around me, I felt my inner old lady coming out of me when I saw their face, neck and hand tattoos. What were you thinking?! You can only come to places like this or biker bars without people staring. It also made me laugh thinking that I was such a sucker to said youth culture marketing and capitalism. As for the music and the acts themselves, yes, all that I saw were GOOD. It was not the same four chords over and over. All instruments played were by musicians with skill and talent not just by guys in bands, and the electronics were of just the right balance between human and mechanical role in the delivery of each song. The majority of the festival goers, however, were not concerned with these things, but rather being there and being seen by others. Moshing is dangerous, so please, people, don't do it. With that statement, my old lady came out once again. Back when I was of the market for Vans to market to, I was inexperienced and idealistic, but now I'm cynical, conservative, pro gun, mind my business, and feeling better about myself. And not ashamed.
I was also given a backstage pass by E. E is a fan of one of the bands playing, I Fight Dragons. After giving them a listen, I see why. It's very much nerd rock with video game imagery and themes, and in the brief moments we were together outside of the meet and greet, they seemed nice enough in the bit I chatted with them. I also laughed at the fact that I had this backstage pass. Exactly what good is this if you are not interested in nor had you even heard of 99% of all the acts playing? I'm not even interested in sleeping with any of them. When did musicians / guys in bands stop looking cute to me? Instead they looked like a bunch of burned out losers bedecked in so much ink that they looked like solid blue green Smurfs without white costumes from a distance. And, as most popular music seems to be made by those who are at least ten years older than the target audience, I was looking at it with a certain amount of distaste. True, they were, of course, doing their job which was to appeal to an audience that was ten years younger by swearing and encouraging others to mosh. One unfortunate boy was taken away by the paramedics with blood gushing from his broken nose or knocked out teeth. Once again, moshing, don't do it.
All in all, it was a fun day. Once I Fight Dragons was over and done with, E said she wasn't really stoked about seeing anything else. I said we can hang around for a little longer, at least until sundown. The old me would have stayed until the very end, but, like I said, I am older now and my priorities have shifted. We hiked back to the car, stopped at a McDonalds nearby, and I was home by eight. I even did my 50 push ups that night. It's funny how when you are a kid you think that such things are all about you and that you are so unique when you are actually not. Everyone falls into a group of some kind and goes into some very stereotypical behaviors (jocks play sports, nerds are in chess club, etc.) and the outcasts come to events like this. You come to them because you want a place that you feel that you are a part of, when it's actually just a big commercial that you fell for. And then when that group that you gain the strength from leaves (the Mean Girl example from earlier) you, there is a coldness. What will you do when no one is there? Youth culture events like this come in to fill it. So many things change, and so many stay the same.
I picked her up in the morning, as E does not drive, and we took off for Blossom Music Center. For those who may be reading this who are not natives of Northeast Ohio, Blossom Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater in Cuyahoga Falls (between Akron and Cleveland) which is rather famous for hosting the orchestra, national music acts past and present, as well as on occasional non music related congregation (ex. Carnival of Horrors). It was built in the place in which it is located because the land was obviously available and, rumor has it, a city developer was interested in developing the area, encouraging more people to move closer for residential or work purposes. Unfortunately this plan did not come to fruition, as the population did not seem to alter their living or working habits due to the inclusion of Blossom Music Center. If anything, it became a tremendous hassle. For those who already live and work in the area, traffic is almost always bumper to bumper in the summers. Those who come into Blossom for one of these events complain about the bumper to bumper situation, high prices of merchandise and food being sold, as well as having to drive a great distance to get to Blossom for the events in question. Of course, there is nothing that one can do about this except accept and move on; but, one still wishes that things will change. Hence, one in the area learns not to like going to Blossom. Unless you happen to be with a large group in the VIP parking section, in that case it's a more pleasant experience. Under those circumstances and prices paid for a party bus and the VIP parking, it's a shorter walk from the parking lot to the main gates. Only once was this experienced by me to see Radiohead years ago, and I came along at the last minute for said adventure. Off we went into the wild blue yonder, parking my car WAY out in outer Mongolia, and walking with the masses to the main gate. On the way there, E and I caught up as we had not seen each other over McDonalds coffee since our meeting last fall and it was a delightful time.
I hadn't been to Blossom much in the last few years, but used to go in my day when Lalapalooza was touring. At Lalapalooza 2, it rained very solidly for about twenty minutes and left the entire place a filthy, slimy mud hole for the entire day. I had to work very hard to keep myself clean above the waist the entire day, but some, of course, dive head first into it and spend the entire day coated in it. I also remembered walking by someone Z who I went to high school with who pointed at me and announced to the small group around her that I was there. What their reaction was, I do not recall. I do know that at some point she was ousted from the Mean Girl clique for some reason and then she knew what it was like to be the object of ridicule. This story will be relevant later in this blog.
Arriving at this event, I realize this was an odd situation, albeit not the oddest possible. I am nearly forty, and while I can still pass for being in my mid twenties, I walked in fully knowing and feeling old. Things certainly have changed since I attended such festivals when I was actually of the age bracket that Vans Warped Tour appeals to. There were just as many older people there as there were young ones. One will always find the aged hippie burn out here and there no matter what kind of festival (save for, perhaps one for IPC). I think I was surprised to see that there were a lot of older people, approximately my age or thereabout, who said that they were parents of the attendees there. I even saw a toddler or two. Parents come to these events? And not to sit on the sidelines but as actual attendees? Did that ever happen when I was a kid? If it did I was not aware. I think for some there might have been some kind of adult day care nearby where adults could occupy themselves doing more adult things, but they were willing attendees of the event? I guess so. While sitting down for an overpriced lunch, I struck up a conversation with a man next to me. He looked approximately my age, I said I was looking for some civilized company after having seen one of the acts on one of the accompanying stages, watching everyone moshing and sustaining injuries. He said he brought his two daughters to the event, and he asked me if I was a mom. I said I was not (which, of course, is the truth), but I was here with a friend who is seventeen / eighteen years younger than me, so technically I could be her mother. Both situations now seem to be acceptable.
As much as things may change, so many of them stay the same. Looking around I saw all the merchandise and foods were available to be marketed to the obvious youth culture market. Looking at those around me, I felt my inner old lady coming out of me when I saw their face, neck and hand tattoos. What were you thinking?! You can only come to places like this or biker bars without people staring. It also made me laugh thinking that I was such a sucker to said youth culture marketing and capitalism. As for the music and the acts themselves, yes, all that I saw were GOOD. It was not the same four chords over and over. All instruments played were by musicians with skill and talent not just by guys in bands, and the electronics were of just the right balance between human and mechanical role in the delivery of each song. The majority of the festival goers, however, were not concerned with these things, but rather being there and being seen by others. Moshing is dangerous, so please, people, don't do it. With that statement, my old lady came out once again. Back when I was of the market for Vans to market to, I was inexperienced and idealistic, but now I'm cynical, conservative, pro gun, mind my business, and feeling better about myself. And not ashamed.
I was also given a backstage pass by E. E is a fan of one of the bands playing, I Fight Dragons. After giving them a listen, I see why. It's very much nerd rock with video game imagery and themes, and in the brief moments we were together outside of the meet and greet, they seemed nice enough in the bit I chatted with them. I also laughed at the fact that I had this backstage pass. Exactly what good is this if you are not interested in nor had you even heard of 99% of all the acts playing? I'm not even interested in sleeping with any of them. When did musicians / guys in bands stop looking cute to me? Instead they looked like a bunch of burned out losers bedecked in so much ink that they looked like solid blue green Smurfs without white costumes from a distance. And, as most popular music seems to be made by those who are at least ten years older than the target audience, I was looking at it with a certain amount of distaste. True, they were, of course, doing their job which was to appeal to an audience that was ten years younger by swearing and encouraging others to mosh. One unfortunate boy was taken away by the paramedics with blood gushing from his broken nose or knocked out teeth. Once again, moshing, don't do it.
All in all, it was a fun day. Once I Fight Dragons was over and done with, E said she wasn't really stoked about seeing anything else. I said we can hang around for a little longer, at least until sundown. The old me would have stayed until the very end, but, like I said, I am older now and my priorities have shifted. We hiked back to the car, stopped at a McDonalds nearby, and I was home by eight. I even did my 50 push ups that night. It's funny how when you are a kid you think that such things are all about you and that you are so unique when you are actually not. Everyone falls into a group of some kind and goes into some very stereotypical behaviors (jocks play sports, nerds are in chess club, etc.) and the outcasts come to events like this. You come to them because you want a place that you feel that you are a part of, when it's actually just a big commercial that you fell for. And then when that group that you gain the strength from leaves (the Mean Girl example from earlier) you, there is a coldness. What will you do when no one is there? Youth culture events like this come in to fill it. So many things change, and so many stay the same.
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