Going Furthur.

I went to a concert last night. The concert was 'Furthur', who if you don't know is basically a Grateful Dead tribute band, starring members of The Grateful Dead: bassist Phil Lesh and front man/guitarist Bob Weir.

Okay, normally, I really wouldn't write a post about a concert.. but this wasn't any average concert.

For any of you that actually reads this blog and has been to a Grateful Dead concert, maybe you understand. But for the majority that don't, it's definitely something to experience at least one in your life.

Walking into a group of the band's biggest fans called "dead heads" was basically life changing. Other than people just there to see the band play, Thaddeus walked me through a group of tents set up like a village with people seeling all sorts of tye-dye apparel, jewlery, and other hand made things all while looking for people to sell them tickets to that night's show.

I've never been in the middle of so many people doing so many illegal things. Every few feet people were selling nitrous balloons, passing joints, and who knows what else. People were swarming, and I was holding onto my boyfriend's arm for dear life.

I was told about that little "village" beforehand, but nothing could prepare me for the actual thing. What strikes me as odd were that these people follow the band. From show to show, they just follow the band... selling whatever they could to make enough money to buy gas to drive to the next show.

These people just have no care in the world. And I don't understand how they do it when I saw quite a few of them with children.

After walking around the parking lot for a while, we actually ventured up to the venue. For sitting around for quite a while before the show actually started; all the seats were empty. The show was set to begin at 7:30, and people finally started filing in about ten minutes till. While people were filing in; everyone was introducing themselves to one another, asking how many shows the other had been to, and talking about the show from last night (which, apparently, everyone was at.)

And then, with the time inching closer to showtime, the entire scene changed.

Suddenly, everyone around me were passing around pipes, joints... everything.. and offering it to everyone else around them.

I made it through high school without getting offered as many drugs as I did last Sunday.

The air was thick with the scent of marajuana, and what sickened me was all the kids running around. I mean, come on. I had a splitting headache. ...those poor kids.

After the first set; Thad and I took a seat to relax. I turned around to look around and right behind me was a fat guy with a bag of cocaine, snorting it with three other people.

I really felt like I shouldn't have been there.

But at the same time, with everyone around me doing basically everything I disapprove of in life.. they were all such nice people. Everyone talking to each other, bonding over how many shows they've been to, the music, the experience.. It amazed me.

I may have been disapproval of the entire scene, but it was definitely something to see. The idea that these people are just so willing to follow around a band and spend their life doing these things was inconcievable to me, and.. I don't really know what to say there.

I wonder what they do when the band is not touring.

The band, well... I'm not the biggest Dead fan in the world. It seemed like background music to me, and I just couldn't focus on about 2 minutes of hook and chorus in between about 20 minutes of improvisation between the bass, the guitar, the other guitar, and the drummer. (No offense Thaddeus, and any other fans out there.)

Well, all in all, it was something to see. And hey, the music was good. It may not have been my favorite thing; but there was no denying it was good.

Oh, and getting lost in Philly after wards was pretty fun. Nothing like the computerized voice of the GPS saying "recalculating" fifty thousand times.

Peace out,
-Amy Lee

Currently listening to: Nothing!!! :O
Currently watching: The Hills, A Hollywood Ending. (Oh my gosh, the finale SUCKED.)