Overwhelming Silence
Currently it is 6:00AM in my time zone, and I think I shall soon make another (fruitless) attempt at sleep. I've been trying to amuse myself and keep the tedium and boredom at bay for something like 5 hours, and it's far too quiet now.
Yesterday started off innocently enough. Waking up in an intensely bright spot of my room, stretching and shaking off the hold of sleep. The phone rings. It's a friend, talking about a concert. Today. I look over at my alarm clock. It blinks back the time, a short while after 12. My friend explains that there is a big concert, and it's not even as far out as Toronto. A few big names will be there, and most importantly, a friend of a friend of his is playing. He picks me up in 30 minutes, following my shower and quick snacking on a few doubles my parents picked up at the West Indian store before I awoke. My friend had recently acquired his licence and was putting the car to good use. I saw 2 familer faces, and met a new one. My friend driving turned up the volume, and we hurtled towards Square One with Skinny Puppy blasting from the speakers.
The concert itself was at Sega City, Playdium. I really loathed that place, mainly because it was something of a gathering for people who seemed to model themselves on stereotypes. I loathed them collectively. Today though, it was dominated by punk rock teenagers, bleached spiky hair, denim jackets and plaid skirts. The concert itself consisted of countless garage bands from the area with an overall punk theme. Simple chord progressions, loud piercing vocals, or happy and bouncy tunes from several bands. I passed the time with Mortal Kombat and Hydro Thunder because mostly everything else had a ridiculous lineup.
The evening finally coming, the bands were progressively becoming better presented and more reputable. After countless hours in the scorching sun the main stage was blockaded off by Playdium security and a few police who didn't seem quite as excited to be there as the fans. The big bands were setting up. I disapeared with my friend into the nearby mall for some food. On my return, the security began to move and the crowds rushed into the worn, grassy and littered area in front of the stage. Bands played, guitars howled, screaming fans launched themselves at each other in frenzy whenever the music would peak in intensity. Eventually the one band that I recognized from TV arrived: Gob. The crowds howled and screamed in appreciation, and Gob's guitarist wove complex vibrations into the air, speakers pounding the earth to the bassist's and drummer's movements. The band led the audience through song after song until it reached a climax with "I Hear You Calling". Before they left the stage, they presented their rendition of Rolling Stone's Paint it Black. The crowd was electric, screaming and moshing. I cut my leg in two places and tore my big toe nail (in retrospect, I shall never wear sandle's to another concert). It was an incredible end to a very pleasent day. I even met an old friend who had moved very far away.
I'm here right now, about 30 miles away from my house because a friend of a friend had no parents at his house and didn't mind if I crashed there. I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up until now reading e2 nodes, and sipping overproof rum. Another friend tosses and turns behind me on a couch, probably because of bad dreams. I think it's time to go to bed.