Our streak of awesome concerts had to end. Lol
And it ended with a huge groan last night.
We went to see House of Pain. Of the “jump around” fame. They were playing for stampede week at Cowboys bar. Needless to say, outside of live music, neither craig nor I have much reason to go to a bar. Especially a bar during stampede week, where the city dons boots and belt buckles and drinks excessively, perhaps acting a bit like dressing up means they are able to be the asshole they always wish they could be.
Anyway. Doors opened at 7. We got there around 9:30 after doing a bit of gambling. Had a red bull. Waited.
And waited and waited and waited. Surrounded by shooter swilling, drunken pretend Cowboys dancing to hip hop. Perhaps this is one of the levels of hell…
At MIDNIGHT house of pain finally played. They are old, out of shape and seemed drunk- one had a big glass of beer (whiskey)? On stage. The whole time.
We lasted through top of the morning to you and a few other “treats” and hit the road. I only have so much endurance and patience and that was it.
HOP appears to have a complete lack of respect for their fans, who paid to see this disaster.
Fo me, the bar scene is just not it. I’m too old, to sober and much to unimpressed with girls staggering around and guys pushing and shoving.
Hours in that situation were painful. I left and sat outside at one point. I ate a granola bar. I hid in a quiet washroom.
Today I am taking it easy. Even after 2 1/2 years of sobriety loud, beer fuelled bar crowds are just too tiring and draining.
I never had any urge to drink,but I also felt completely out of my element.
Lesson learned.
Ice Cube and Flo Rida are up next….fingers crossed.
Stillness and peace
Anne
ainsobriety 
Yeah, sometimes it’s just better to remember how great a singer or a band was. I remember going to see Wilson Pickett and the same thing happened. He was over an hour late, pissed drunk and had completely lost his voice. He croaked out 1 song and walked off the stage. I feel your pain.
That’s too bad – literally. Onwards lovely lady! x
I remember going to a concert a few years ago. Afterward a friend looked at me and said, “Well, they can’t all be good, can they?” And that was pretty much about it. Bummer that it was no fun, but you get to go wake up the next morning to a feeling of peace and sobriety. I don’t think those boot-stomping beerswillers will be able to say that.
So true.
Sounds like you were in a house of pain… Yeh I’ll get my coat… (And go to sleep…)
Disappointing! But yah, you’ll get that sometimes. I’ve left a few crap shows early, usually it’s because one or more band members are wasted and it’s painful to watch (such as the aptly named House of Pain.) It’s a shame, and you’re right, they don’t respect the fans OR themselves. Better luck next time!!
Perhaps it’s good, it makes me appreciate bands that are on time much more…
I couldn’t see that after 3 hours in a horribly brutal bar….lol
That sounds extremely unpleasant! I’m pretty precious about my venue choices as well.
A lot of musicians seem to get caught up in the world of drug and alcohol abuse. I personally don’t think humans were ever designed for celebrity status because most just can’t handle it hence the turn towards mind altering substances. I don’t think I could make it past 9.30 these sober days! I need my sleep.
The best bands seem to be the ones who are sober!
I agree. I think it would be pretty easy to get caught up in celebrity and money.
My normal bed time is 10. Even red bull barely helped! I love my sleep.
I stopped going to the concerts years ago. Crowds just don’t appeal to me anymore. And I do get feeling quite anxious in the middle of the crowd.
Too bad you didn’t have a good time.
At a regular concert I have really overcome my crowd anxiety. Even on the edge of the mosh pit.
This was a clear issue with worth the establishment or the band…
I think I will be sticking to real concert venues for a while. Bars a just a bit too odd.
Hi Anne, sorry to hear of your experience this time. I’m sure future concerts will be much better. The last concert I went to was the killers. Maybe 5 years ago. It coincided with one of my many attempts to stop drinking. I was on day 1 or 2. The band were amazing but the anxiety and fear I felt among all those people was horrendous!! I hated it. I remember my wife holding my tightly because I was shaking and so nervous. I haven’t been to a concert since.
Even if I was still drinking, that scene would have been hard for me. You have some real strength lady!
I keep saying I’ve got to get out and hear some live music, because I used to love it. The thing is, I usually didn’t drink much or at all at shows. I hate paying for drinks (which never stopped me from dropping coin at the liquor or grocery store) and if I really liked the band, I wanted to be as alert as possible. Of course, there were plenty of shows back in my hometown of Birmingham, AL where I got drunk as a spring hare. These days, I want to take my oldest son and introduce him to live music. I’ll need Red Bull, too, if I’m going to be up late.
That’s no good you didn’t enjoy the show. I love music and have been to some disasters too. Usually bands I used to love but are now a bit past it. Hope you enjoy ice cube! I used to like NWA when I was a teenager!
At least you didn’t drink at a bad gig and have a hangover on top of it all 🙂
How disappointing Anne. Some bands should quit while they’re ahead. I’m sorry you had to sit in that bar and feel so uncomfortable. Hopefully your next band will be better! A x
It was an excellent reminder as to why they recommend ex drinker not frequent bars.
There really is nothing there…
When I lived in Calgary, I avoided anything Stampede every year I lived there except for the first year. The concerts were cool though, I probably went to a few but I don’t remember to be honest… geee I wonder why
What a run. House of Pain! What? That’s incredible.
Ahhhh, that sounds like a nightmare! It was a sorry day when I realised that I was too old for nights out like this, but now I am more than happy to watch videos from home and sit about in my pyjamas eating sweets without 100 drunk cowboys in the room. What’s your plan for the next night out?
If it’s not pouring rain here we will go see the Glorious Sons on Friday at an outdoor stage. That should be much better. I saw them on Shiprocked and I like them.
Then ice cube and Flo Rida on Sunday. It is in a different venue…so I am hoping they play before 10…
I’m definitely not going back to the Cowboys bar this year…if ever.
Sounds like they count on their audience being to drunk to notice how drunk they are. HOP played sold out dates at Red Rocks last month, at least there you can look at the stars. I still sometimes have to remind myself that I don’t have to like doing all the things I liked doing while drunk.
I have to wonder if I just was so aggravated and annoyed that I couldn’t “hear” them.
I expect that even had they been stellar I would have been too passed off to notice.
I kept trying to take a deep breath and just let the craziness be around me. But it was so unpleasant and loud. I would have left, but I know craig would have never let me go home alone, and he wanted to see them…
He was just as pissed off…at least it made for a good story.
Hi Anne!
I have a single friend who used to go to concerts in bars, and she finally said, no more. She is 50, and she said it was hard to watch all the young AND older women throw themselves at the band guys, and most of the women were super drunk. (Including some of her friends.)
She loved the dancing, but she hated the rest.
And she is a normie!
xo
Wendy
I definitely think regular concert venues are where I will be.
She’s right. It’s depressing to watch!
I loved my untipsys post. 💖
Thank you!
xo
I think it’s amazing that you are attending so many concerts and making it through. I just did “Dead and Company” on Wednesday night. I was my sister’s fill in “date” and also her DD so she could get totally obliterated. Which indeed happened and was the only reason I went so I could make sure she got home okay. Amazingly, I never had an urge to drink either. But, like you, I just didn’t want to be surrounded by all of the pot heads and drunks. Some were nice, others just totally inappropriate. — Just more reasons to add to our tool boxes to keep us sober. =)
I don’t think I would go if craig wasn’t sober too…I’m not patient or comfortable around people who are drunk…
Gosh I feel exhausted just thinking about going to that concert. You are going to see Ice Cube?? NOW you are in my music territory. Maybe you needed this crummy evening to realise you can choose to be selective about the venues you attend.
Ice cube and flo rida on Sunday
Wow – they sound awesome – ha ha! When you think about how obscure they are now, and then think about someone like Prince… We went to see him a couple of years ok in the uk and he was amazing. On time, played for ages, just brilliantly. What a shame he’s gone.
Hey at least you got a reminder of how pathetic alcohol makes us xx
Yes, Cowboys is a spectacle isn’t it. I try to look at places like that and use them to remind myself where drinking can lead people. I’m afraid that it is a bit of a badge of honor in this city to go wild during Stampede week -so much glorification of drunken antics and hook-ups. It can really suck people in. Best to avoid the scene.
Wow, feeling your pain on the bar front. Impressed you stuck it out so long. Glad you found some okay morsels for yourself. Hope the coming concerts are far superior and less drink-laden as this one. p.s. Drunken, pretend cowboys dancing to hip-hop may be my new favorite thing.