I got old...

One of the things Keeper and I miss the most about being a train-ride away from New York City is the music scene. I don't pretend I know much about music, but I do know what I like, and I do know that I loved seeing some of my favorite bands on random nights in the city for about $20 a ticket. It just doesn't happen in Phoenix.

A top band on Keeper and I's list is Sigur Ros. We first saw them in March of 2003 at Radio City Music Hall (Keeper took me for my 23rd birthday). Amazing. We saw them again in 2006 at the Beacon Theater (and had really good seats). Amazing. So we not only love their newest album (and DVD) but were thrilled to find out they were stopping in Phoenix as part of their tour. A Tuesday night show? Who cares; we can suck it up and stay out late one school night. A venue we've never been to? It's Sigur Ros; they'll play somewhere good. We should have been warned after first buying our tickets a few months ago when we found out there was not reserved seating at this venue (there are no seats). This is a band you want to sit down, relax, and close your eyes when listening to. We figured we'd go anyway and were very excited about the show last night. We went to Papago Brewery and had a few beers before hitting up the Marquee Theater in Tempe. Not only was security a pain in the butt (very violating in their pat-downs) but as soon as we were inside the venue we looked around and noticed everyone was.... well, young. We headed out to the outside bar and noticed that most people were using drugs other than alcohol for entertainment (hence the bartender's repetitive, "you guys just want water?" to just about everyone who came up to order). Once we purchased our beverages we headed inside.

I will say the acoustics were great, but standing on a sloping cement floor for 2 hours was NOT comfortable. We were surrounded (packed like sardines) with college kids, both very drunk and very high. They were rude throughout the show (shouting, talking during quiet parts of songs, taking pictures with their cell phones/cameras), they were smelly, and they felt the need to make out and grope their significant others throughout the entire show. Some comments I wish I could've made to them:

1) Just because you go to a concert doesn't mean you have to take shitty picture after shitty picture on your cell phone. Your friends will believe you. Especially if you wear the T-shirt tomorrow.
2)You don't have to turn around and shout "this one's awesome!" when the band starts a song you like (or more likely, the only one you know). We know it's awesome. It's Sigur Ros.
3)You don't have to pratically get it on with your girlfriend in front of me the entire night. Why not do that in your dorm room while listening to the cd? Honestly, you'd have more privacy.

The band was good. They are very talented. I am happy that they are becoming more main-stream but the show had a very different crowd and vibe since the last time we saw them. I just felt very old... and I hope that wasn't me when I was 19. Seriously.