Being in a band that plays regularly you’d think I’d have a stronger sense of the local music scene in Chicago. I mean, I am part of the local music scene.
One of my readers Mary kept insisting I go see one of her favorite bands, Ozomatli, when they were scheduled to play here. Just about every day she’d send a message asking me if I had bought tickets. I relented and purchased one.
As I was driving to the show tonight, I realized that I hadn’t seen a band on my own in well over a year. Maybe two years. Which is a weird thing to say for somebody that listens to at least an hour of music to and from work every day. Also weird for a guy in a band who plays live quite a bit.
Here’s the other thing – I find nothing odd about going to a concert by myself. There’s a certain freedom is being by yourself. Ozomalti is a Mexican/World Music/Jam/Hip Hop band. There’s a lot of dancing and encouraging the audience to put hands in the air, bounce up and down, and yell racial epithets in unison.
Okay, I made that last one up.
At weddings I am so ashamed of my inability to dance that I rarely make it to the dance floor. I pretend that the cake is great and I need to at my table eating it. And we all know that wedding cake sucks.
Tonight, however, it was three hundred Mexicans and me. This cabellero, after about three songs, realized nobody was paying attention to him, and started dancing like a white man at a Mexican show.
I had fun and I’m glad that I went. I did have to sit through an hour of some Mexican techno band, which consisted of a trumpet player, an accordion, and two guys on iPads controlling the beats. It was as bad as normal techno. But they were wearing cowboy hats to their credit.
I also had this thought. Would I eat alone at a restaurant? My first response was yes, I would definitely have no problem asking a maitre d’ for a table of one. (I dine at places that shun the title “hostness.†Uncouth!). I would whip out my phone or a book and keep myself occupied throughout dinner.
But that’s not really answering the question. Would I dine alone if I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me? No texts, Twitter, or Harper’s Bazaar. Just me sitting there staring at the semi-attractive chick barback and alone with my thoughts.
I realized that I would quickly become embarrassed and worried that other people would think I was a loser. It would be a difficult forty five minutes. And, unless I had no other option, I just wouldn’t dine alone like that.
Going to a concert alone, however, was a lot of fun.
Oh, and again, the only reason I went was because one of YOU told me to go. So, I’m putting the rest of my life into your hands. What else should I be doing? Reading? Watching? Visiting? Eating? Caressing?
You tell me. I’ll go do it. Probably.
lifealmostfact says:
I’ll take you camping DJ! of course, I hate outside…and the dirt…but it would be a good bonding experience right?…well, if you’re interested just hit me up on twitter. You know my @ name!
D.J. Paris says:
@lifealmostfact Camping with a dude? Hmm… I need to process that one. Give me a month. Ha.
lifealmostfact says:
@tfpHumorBlog hmmmm….. you did mention you are handsy didn’t you?…crap. Well we could still go anyway lol.. maybe…you know it’s starting to look like a bad idea…let’s go to a theme park instead.
Craziness Abounds says:
Oh No dear me you might get “handsy” lol So you need to hit up the people that live close to you.. I don’t hike I mean camp on that side of the country anymore. My hubs would say there is loud obnoxious drinking around a camp fire, peeing in the woods, eating cold beans out of a can, and drinking. Did I mention drinking? Yep that’s why he loves it. However he loves drinking at home too so other than peeing outside I’m not seeing much difference except I get to sleep on a comfy mattress vs. having a rock perma implanted in my back. Just a thought.
D.J. Paris says:
@Craziness Abounds Wait a minute. What’s the deal about peeing in the woods? Explain! I can’t very well take a dump IN my tent. I love peeing on insects and stuff. Is that against camping code?
Katjaneway says:
My parents and I camped every summer for years. Of course, we camped in state campgrounds w/ electricity and had a trailer. While they slept in the trailer I slept in a tent. Camping as a kid is a whole different experience than when you’re an adult, though.
My husband and I camped up in the mountains at a state camping ground, and it was amazeballs. Camping is a version of vacation. Even though it was 80+ back at our house, it was only 70 there in the shade. Wonderful. We went to a river/lake with mountain snow water and braved the cold. We swam in a lake nearby and basked in the sun. We explored a blocked off road that went deep into the woods, just to see what was there.
We had flushable bathrooms and running water nearby so it wasn’t hardcore, but all we had was a tent, too. No trailer. And that’s how I like it. It’s just about the relaxation and enjoying nature.
You like to cook, so you might be up to the challenge of cooking over a fire just using the uneven grill grate they give you. The hardest part was washing the dishes using the cold water at the bathrooms lol
So, you should really try it. But go to a state camping ground where they at least having running water and campsites. That makes things a bit more like vacation and less like hard work 😛
D.J. Paris says:
@Katjaneway You had me at “amazeballs.” I’m in.
Ericamos says:
I’ve camped a lot and have always enjoyed it, but never really thought about how it would look to an outsider. For a period of five or so years, I used to go camping for the sole purpose of fishing. Once upon a time, i was a decent fly fisherWOMAN! Nowadays, camping is just about spending a few unshowered days sitting around playing cards, swimming in a river, reapplying bug spray every hour, and yes, drinking. With the right people, it’s actually quite fun.
D.J. Paris says:
@Ericamos I have this weird fear of bugs because I’ve never been bit by a mosquito. I know. Weird. The non-showering thing is tough for me. You ladies rarely smell unless you go on a garlic binge. Also, I’m glad one of the five women who fly fish in the world read my blog! Thanks
njsullivan says:
here’s your invite… camping in Inverness county, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada… week of august 4th – 12th. i even have a tent you can sleep in all on your own… you can hit me up on twitter @njsullivan … respect.
D.J. Paris says:
@njsullivan Hmm… Canada? Pass.
JenOsaurus says:
Oh man. Awesome things happen while camping. Once, my dad caught his hand on fire (emergency rooms are crazy far away from the middle of nowhere). Once, we were swarmed by skunks (stay really, really still; your nose will itch like it’s never itched before). Once, we locked my toddler sister in the car with the keys and my toddler brother busted his head open on a picnic table (don’t camp with children). Once it rained so much that the tent caved in on us (so that’s what it feels like to be inside an inner tube). Once, a bear got into the garbage (garbage is one of many things not worth fighting a bear over – just remember to pick up after the bear so that Indian doesn’t start crying again). And for some strange reason, I still think of camping as a fun activity. Can one get camping stockholms?
D.J. Paris says:
@JenOsaurus Jenners – you’ve sold me. Please never stop commenting on my site. It needs you.
Katjaneway says:
@JenOsaurus I know the feeling. We arrived late at our campsite and had to set up in the dark. We set the headlights of the car on the tent spot and went at it. And then… the car died. We carry jumper cables, though. Doesn’t everybody?
D.J. Paris says:
@Katjaneway @JenOsaurus You know, I don’t. But I ought to. I still won’t.
Katjaneway says:
@delfinparis @JenOsaurus People actually find it oddly surprising when they find out that we do. And we’re like “well DUH, why the hell not?” lol
Katjaneway says:
@delfinparis @JenOsaurus I should also say that yes, we were quite lucky. The guy that jumped us said “be glad you had jumper cables because we sure didn’t.”
D.J. Paris says:
@Katjaneway @JenOsaurus “jumped us” – will never not be funny.
dadblunders says:
Alright camping…I want to be honest so I will tell you some of the not so fun things first.
1. You have to watch out for snakes (rattle snakes) since I live in Oklahoma.
2. You might not get cell reception or any electricity
3. You pray that they have toilet paper in the campsite bathroom and that you didn’t forget to bring some extra (just in case)
If you can manage that though there are plenty of benefits to camping.
1. You haven’t truly lived until you see the stars uninterrupted by city lights.
2. If you go with family or friends you often find you actually have things to talk about that aren’t internet related (doesn’t mean you don’t mention them still though)
3. You might not have cell reception. (in the age of everything being so fast paced its a refreshing change to not be connected for a short time)
Camping has its benefits and its drawbacks. i think it is just a matter of perspective. You are more than welcome to experience the great outdoors with me and my family D.J.
Thanks for the warning about the hands though, I will be sure to bring a gun. j/k 🙂
Aaron
D.J. Paris says:
@dadblunders Snakes don’t bother me, no problem with cellphones (bringing a book), can buy toilet paper. If those are the main detractors, I’m good. Let’s do it!
Oh, and Okie accents. I wouldn’t like that.
KarolineRiskowski says:
Okay Del, so here’s the deal with camping: my husband and I didn’t have the money to take “real vacations”, so camping was it for us. We have been hiking, kayaking, etc. It involves some expensive toys at times. However Kickapoo State Park was a jolly good time for us….we did a 15 mile canoe trip and then ended up hiking the 22 mile trail…..all in one day. Bring your favorite libations, light a fire, and you’re in business!