The Shinedown Saturday Story, Part 1
PART 1: The Day
Saturday, The Shinedown Katrina Benefit Concert at Freebirds.
So the show didn’t start until much later but I got there around 4pm. Went up to the Will Call window and picked up my ticket and then called Jess who was coming to the show, too. She was on her way so I called other friends encouraging them to come out and enjoy a good show and help a good cause. Found out after a couple said they were coming that the tix were sold out so I called them back to say "nevermind". Jess shows up, gets HER ticket and we decide to walk along the beach until we get hungry.
On the way saw some interesting folks and sights. Saw the pier. Never been on the pier so I suggested getting up there.
Did you know they CHARGE you to just WALK on the pier? I mean, I understand charging you to fish but to WALK!?!?!? That is such BULLSHIT! Ok, it’s just a dollar but still… it’s the PRINCIPLE of the thing. We debated, tried to enjoy the view from the NON-paying side of the fence and then I said, "fuck this" and paid the buck went thru gate and entered another fricking world!
People of all sorts fishing together. Almost everyone out there was fishing. Some looked like they make a livin off it with all the equipment they bring with them. Carts, multiple poles, pvc pipe pole holders designed to hold their three poles, tackle buckets and boxes and coolers, chairs that look like it would take NASA engineers days to figure out their assembly, umbrellas and other shade covers, their food coolers (hopefully, distinctly marked), radios, books and other stuff. So weird. You could tell the seriousness of the fisherman based on how many of those things they had.
Walking down the pier, we stopped anytime it looked like someone caught something so we could watch them bring it up. First thing we saw caught was an itty bitty fish. Cool. I mean, we were just past the swimming distance for most folk and even the surfers so it was nice to see fish were out there. Then we saw someone pull up a baby hammerhead shark. A baby HAMMERHEAD shark. He threw it back but it was THERE. From that point on, all we saw were sharks. Not hammerheads but still SHARKS. Various sizes with the biggest being maybe two feet in length but there were bunches and bunches of SHARKS!!
Jess got uncomfy watching the guys being all tough and stuff by killing them. Chopping off heads or pinning them onto the ground by standing on their necks. Real class act. Yeah, they sure were tough. Killing a critter that would die if it just stopped for a minute. Even in the water. And here they were "fighting" up on land (well, pier) outside its element. Oh, and it was a BABY! Real tough guys! Right up there with fighting thirty opponents at once… by ramming a schoolbus with a semi. I got wet just watching it… I was so turned on. ESPECIALLY with all their hoopin and hollerin.
Anywho, once I felt I had gotten my dollar’s worth on there, we headed to get something to eat. On the way back we heard some bagpipe music coming from the nearby Irish restaurant and pub (not Lynch’s) and a coouple of black guys were arguing about it. One turned to us and asked if we liked bagpipe music. I answered back, "Hell YEAH!!" and he said "SEE!?!?" to his buddy. I commented that I loved it when Black March would come thru here. It’s been YEARS but it was awesome when they did. And the scottish games are fun, btw. I know I have some scot in me but that ain’t why. I just enjoy the sound. It’s not beautiful or the BEST but groups like Brother and Seven Nations are fun cause they incorporate bagpipes into their rock songs.
We make it to the pizza place right across from Freebirds and order up some slices. Yummy. Greasy but yummy. We notice the line forming and decide to wrap it up and head over. We’re all confident cause we have our tickets already and won’t have to wait in the willcall line behind everyone trying to pick up their tix THEN in the other line to get inside.
Freebirds decided to merge the two lines for the first time in my own experience with the place. And everyone in front of us still needed to get theirs. SUNNOVABITCH!!
So Jessi runs to her car to get some gum (after-pizza breath ain’t as yummy as the pizza!) and finally someone gets behind me in line. One thing I hate about lines is being closer to the back than the front. And it’s worse when I AM the back of the line. Don’t worry, ultimately the line got MUCH longer. So I start talking to this chick behind me as she asks about the band. She’s from Alaska and had just moved here. Her hubby was off parking the car (DAMMIT!) and she was excited. Even though the band is made up of good ol’ Jax Boys she had their cd up in Alaska. And commented that her friends HERE had never heard of them. Jess makes it back with the gum and hears the new friend mention being from Alaska and asks if her hubby drives a jeep. Turns out there was an incident in the parking lot involving some other driver and Jess noticed the license plate (I’ll let Jess tell that in a comment here). HE finally joins up, we chit chat until the line starts moving. I also talked a bit with the girls in front of us. Especially this tall gloomy goth lookin chick. She seemed interesting and was cute. Most of our talk involved making sure I got MY spot at the railing up top. They had threatened to get it but her own friends wanted to be right up at the front of the stage. Good! Let ‘em have it! But she DID promise if they went upstairs, she would make sure to save a spot for us. Ended up not being necessary since they did let those WITH tix go straight in once you made it to the door. Ugh. So we got a good spot and waited for the show to start.
But that will be PART 2!!
Saturday, The Shinedown Katrina Benefit Concert at Freebirds.
So the show didn’t start until much later but I got there around 4pm. Went up to the Will Call window and picked up my ticket and then called Jess who was coming to the show, too. She was on her way so I called other friends encouraging them to come out and enjoy a good show and help a good cause. Found out after a couple said they were coming that the tix were sold out so I called them back to say "nevermind". Jess shows up, gets HER ticket and we decide to walk along the beach until we get hungry.
On the way saw some interesting folks and sights. Saw the pier. Never been on the pier so I suggested getting up there.
Did you know they CHARGE you to just WALK on the pier? I mean, I understand charging you to fish but to WALK!?!?!? That is such BULLSHIT! Ok, it’s just a dollar but still… it’s the PRINCIPLE of the thing. We debated, tried to enjoy the view from the NON-paying side of the fence and then I said, "fuck this" and paid the buck went thru gate and entered another fricking world!
People of all sorts fishing together. Almost everyone out there was fishing. Some looked like they make a livin off it with all the equipment they bring with them. Carts, multiple poles, pvc pipe pole holders designed to hold their three poles, tackle buckets and boxes and coolers, chairs that look like it would take NASA engineers days to figure out their assembly, umbrellas and other shade covers, their food coolers (hopefully, distinctly marked), radios, books and other stuff. So weird. You could tell the seriousness of the fisherman based on how many of those things they had.
Walking down the pier, we stopped anytime it looked like someone caught something so we could watch them bring it up. First thing we saw caught was an itty bitty fish. Cool. I mean, we were just past the swimming distance for most folk and even the surfers so it was nice to see fish were out there. Then we saw someone pull up a baby hammerhead shark. A baby HAMMERHEAD shark. He threw it back but it was THERE. From that point on, all we saw were sharks. Not hammerheads but still SHARKS. Various sizes with the biggest being maybe two feet in length but there were bunches and bunches of SHARKS!!
Jess got uncomfy watching the guys being all tough and stuff by killing them. Chopping off heads or pinning them onto the ground by standing on their necks. Real class act. Yeah, they sure were tough. Killing a critter that would die if it just stopped for a minute. Even in the water. And here they were "fighting" up on land (well, pier) outside its element. Oh, and it was a BABY! Real tough guys! Right up there with fighting thirty opponents at once… by ramming a schoolbus with a semi. I got wet just watching it… I was so turned on. ESPECIALLY with all their hoopin and hollerin.
Anywho, once I felt I had gotten my dollar’s worth on there, we headed to get something to eat. On the way back we heard some bagpipe music coming from the nearby Irish restaurant and pub (not Lynch’s) and a coouple of black guys were arguing about it. One turned to us and asked if we liked bagpipe music. I answered back, "Hell YEAH!!" and he said "SEE!?!?" to his buddy. I commented that I loved it when Black March would come thru here. It’s been YEARS but it was awesome when they did. And the scottish games are fun, btw. I know I have some scot in me but that ain’t why. I just enjoy the sound. It’s not beautiful or the BEST but groups like Brother and Seven Nations are fun cause they incorporate bagpipes into their rock songs.
We make it to the pizza place right across from Freebirds and order up some slices. Yummy. Greasy but yummy. We notice the line forming and decide to wrap it up and head over. We’re all confident cause we have our tickets already and won’t have to wait in the willcall line behind everyone trying to pick up their tix THEN in the other line to get inside.
Freebirds decided to merge the two lines for the first time in my own experience with the place. And everyone in front of us still needed to get theirs. SUNNOVABITCH!!
So Jessi runs to her car to get some gum (after-pizza breath ain’t as yummy as the pizza!) and finally someone gets behind me in line. One thing I hate about lines is being closer to the back than the front. And it’s worse when I AM the back of the line. Don’t worry, ultimately the line got MUCH longer. So I start talking to this chick behind me as she asks about the band. She’s from Alaska and had just moved here. Her hubby was off parking the car (DAMMIT!) and she was excited. Even though the band is made up of good ol’ Jax Boys she had their cd up in Alaska. And commented that her friends HERE had never heard of them. Jess makes it back with the gum and hears the new friend mention being from Alaska and asks if her hubby drives a jeep. Turns out there was an incident in the parking lot involving some other driver and Jess noticed the license plate (I’ll let Jess tell that in a comment here). HE finally joins up, we chit chat until the line starts moving. I also talked a bit with the girls in front of us. Especially this tall gloomy goth lookin chick. She seemed interesting and was cute. Most of our talk involved making sure I got MY spot at the railing up top. They had threatened to get it but her own friends wanted to be right up at the front of the stage. Good! Let ‘em have it! But she DID promise if they went upstairs, she would make sure to save a spot for us. Ended up not being necessary since they did let those WITH tix go straight in once you made it to the door. Ugh. So we got a good spot and waited for the show to start.
But that will be PART 2!!
posted by wmjwatson at 11:57 AM
6 Comments:
Well here's my story about the parking lot:
Some football fans who were parked along the curb stoppped me and this guy in an orange shirt driving a jeep. They asked the both of us if it was ok to park where they were. The guy in the jeep (the chick's husband that Will was talking to) responded by saying he didn't know since he was from Alaska. I told him I didn't know either but since other people were doing it, chances are they wouldn't get a ticket. So after I arrived back to the long line with gum, I was surprised when the chick mentioned that she was from Alaska. I mean come on, how many people from Alaska do you run into down here? Especially when it's been two in a matter of five minutes. So that's why I asked her if she knew the guy in the orange shirt. Just wanted to make sure there was a connection there.
Jessica
Thanks for the info but you know better than to call me Will.
You know I don't normally call you that, but you don't usually call me Jessi or Jess.
I do when I write.
Thanks a lot. I already have to convince myself that it's safe to go into the water when I go to the beach. Now I have to make myself forget that people catch sharks where I swim. *whimper*
It's WAY out there, Julie. VERY unlikely you will encounter a big shark.
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