Just Say "No" to Fun
What the hell happened to us? I recall shows when the then-Bald Mountain, Never Girl, Neutral Man, The Guy, and The Plate would all go. Having six or seven people at a show was never the rule, but it wasn't terribly rare either. Tonight I drove into the heart of Detroit to see Mu330 by myself. I understand that people have moved away (Never Girl lives in Sacramento, The Plate in D.C.) and that's not what bothers me. The people who are still here just aren't the same. People have always had conflicting commitments, and I wholeheartedly support the Mountain's decision to forgo tonight's show in order to play for the Genesee County All-Stars. But some people just didn't feel like going to tonight's show. Sadly, that is more and more the pattern; one show becomes two, two become three, and pretty soon you just don't go to concerts anymore, because you have other things you're doing.

I think what I'm talking about is becoming an adult. Adults don't just take off in the middle of the week and go to a rock show (never mind the fact that I was home from Detroit, a solid hour's drive, by midnight). Adults would rather not leave their coat in the car on a bitterly cold winter night; kids going to a show know you have to leave the coat in the car, because there certainly won't be any place to put it once you're in the pit. Slowly, almost so slowly that no one noticed, my friends became anti-fun. The end of childhood is inevitable, but is it also inevitable that one turn against the concept of fun? Tonight's show was more fun than a barrel of monkeys (we did the original Detroit Powerskank), yet I feel as if I've witnessed a tragedy.

Also, Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled today. Neutral Man sez everything that needs to be said. Boldly go....