Going it alone at a show

i do both… i have my girlfriend and a grad school buddy that come to a lot of shows with me, but with my live show obsession it's hard for them to keep up so i inevitably end up going alone (like the second gibbard show last night).

i have a preference for going with someone, but it's not the main reason i'm there. not having someone to not talk to shouldn't affect my enjoyment of the show :) but i'm a horrible trainspotter and like to occasionally joke/comment… which is why i've organized those pre-show meet-ups in the past.

in case anyone's interested, i was thinking of calling a pre-LCD meet-up either at the backbar or DC9.

i just can't get into baltimore. i can count on one hand the number of times i've been there in the last year and it's been for sporting events every time… except one show at the ram's head.

Originally posted by le sonick:

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
hahaha. they know how much i love it actually. at work i've even been dubbed the 'cruise ship director' because im the only one who organizes outings. bah, i just need to meet more people outside of work.

Originally posted by le sonick:

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
i've only been in the dc area about a year and the majority of folks i've come in contact with aren't as into music i am and are fairly indifferent when it comes to shows.

just tell em how much you love shaking your ass and surely you'll find someone to go with!!!

people in baltimore are much more exciting than those in DC! you might have to drive north now and then

I go to most shows solo. Being an old man, most of my old concert buddies are now married with kids. It's hard getting them out of the house at all, much less a couple shows a week.

But really, at any given show there's a good chance I'm gonna run into Bags or bearman, so I'm never alone for long.

Between bands is a good time to become friends with the bartender. That tends to pay off over the long haul.

I'd say I split 50/50 between solo shows and friend shows. I used to have a great show buddy, and we'd go to 90% of shows together. But, as is typical in DC, he moved. I have made a new show buddy, and he's great about going to see bands he's never heard of and appreciating them. But his family life is a little more restricted than mine, so he has to pass on lots of shows that he otherwise would've gone to.

I must say that I'm rarely disappointed to go solo. I've got the 9:30 and BC routine down to a science, and it can be easier to navigate and position when solo.

And I figure as long as the voices in my head keep telling me to start fires, I'll never drink alone.

Originally posted by K8teebug:
(except for Tori Amos shows. I'm always going to them by myself)

I wonder if I've met you before!?

I'm totes going to shows by myself. Certain artists that I like, my friends don't. I end up liking the shows way more…and I dance my ass off, regardless…so…yah.

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
i just can't get into baltimore. i can count on one hand the number of times i've been there in the last year and it's been for sporting events every time… except one show at the ram's head.

well, baltimore has its share of fun activities….sonar is cool sometimes, friday nights presents its biggest opportunity to shake your ass. being 29, the crowd is a touch young for me…21-25 is the average age. and a few friends of mine do some electronic/dance party club night thingies on thursdays.

rams head is not a "cool" venue, though sometimes there are decent shows there. ottobar and sonar more truely represent what goes on in baltimore.

it seems like there is always a show in dc that i would rather go to or just end up going to around the time of the sonar shows. i.e. i went to hot chip instead of spoon. and i'm probably going to go to the rosebuds rather than cursive the next night…

and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

i'd rather be at a show (shaking my ass, obviously) or at a dive bar playing shuffleboard.

Originally posted by le sonick:

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
i just can't get into baltimore. i can count on one hand the number of times i've been there in the last year and it's been for sporting events every time… except one show at the ram's head.

well, baltimore has its share of fun activities….sonar is cool sometimes, friday nights presents its biggest opportunity to shake your ass. being 29, the crowd is a touch young for me…21-25 is the average age. and a few friends of mine do some electronic/dance party club night thingies on thursdays.

rams head is not a "cool" venue, though sometimes there are decent shows there. ottobar and sonar more truely represent what goes on in baltimore.

and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

i'd rather be at a show (shaking my ass, obviously) or at a dive bar playing shuffleboard.

…I like miss pretentious style…I mean her writing style

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

So you've met NKOTB?

I'm shocked to see that I'm not the only one who sometimes goes to shows alone. My friends either don't have the same taste in music as I do or they're too cheap, busy, boring or lazy to go.

I was embarrassed to go alone before so I met 3 concert buddies off CL. Huge mistake. They all should be medicated. Don't try it.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest to go solo to a show. Some of the bext times I've had have been by myself. In fact, I'm doing it next week. I guess I fall in with most everyone else above in that I've reached a certain age and most of my "show buddies" have other commitments.

Eating out solo is different. I travel a lot for work (often by myself) and on the rare occasions that I eat out alone I have to have a book or newspaper to keep me occupied. Otherwise, it's take-out back to the hotel.

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

My bad.

It may be time for a Board gathering, so some of the loners can meet and not be loners anymore! As noted, lots of us on here attend the same shows…

it's all right. i'm sure i was 'asking for it' in my:
a. tight shirt
b. short skirt
c. tight jeans
d. heels

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

My bad.

Originally posted by eros:
Eating out solo is different. I travel a lot for work (often by myself) and on the rare ocassions that I eat out alone I have to have a book or newspaper to keep me occupied. Otherwise, it's take-out back to the hotel.

Now this one I don't get.

Many of you know I was a constant traveller for years, mostly international, and eating alone is the best way to find out about where you are. Wait staff (bartenders in particular) are second only to barbers in giving you information about where you are, what to do, and most importantly what to avoid. My favorite thing to do was to get take out and take it to a bar and have a pint, chat with the bartender and wait staff and figure out how to kill the night away. Good times. That usaully parlayed into the bars regulars or other patrons chatting you up about where you're from and what's going on in their city. You learn more about a country from its regular people then you do from anything else.

NKOTB's 9:30 Club Board Conquests:

1) Kurosawa
2) Joe M.
3) Miss Pretentious

Who's next?

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
and although i am in that 21-25 ageset you put forth, don't think that means i want some drunk frat guy grinding his denim cock against me at some ratty ass dance party. *cringe*

So you've met NKOTB?

I go to shows alone, usually b/c I need to travel solo due to my schedule. However, most of my friends don't go to shows. We have roll calls here, but I've rarely bumped into anyone (except Koz, Bags or sonick). I engage in conversation here or there with people, but generally, the crowd is coupled or in a group; or we don't share the same show etiquette. At times there are shows I'd prefer to go alone if a person is chatty and doesn't share show etiquette. :) The larger venues such as MPP, Nissan, Wolftrap, etc. I prefer to go with someone…probably why I don't go often.
Movies are okay solo, especially a weekday matinee. Watch out for creepies, that includes basically anything done solo, they get the wrong idea. :eek:

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by eros:
Eating out solo is different. I travel a lot for work (often by myself) and on the rare ocassions that I eat out alone I have to have a book or newspaper to keep me occupied. Otherwise, it's take-out back to the hotel.

Now this one I don't get.

Many of you know I was a constant traveller for years, mostly international, and eating alone is the best way to find out about where you are. Wait staff (bartenders in particular) are second only to barbers in giving you information about where you are, what to do, and most importantly what to avoid. My favorite thing to do was to get take out and take it to a bar and have a pint, chat with the bartender and wait staff and figure out how to kill the night away. Good times. That usaully parlayed into the bars regulars or other patrons chatting you up about where you're from and what's going on in their city. You learn more about a country from its regular people then you do from anything else.

You could always do the European thing and ask another lone diner "may I share your table?" That's just not done here in doodleville is it? Then again, we're trusted to be able to seat ourselves in restaurants, unlike doodleville.

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
You could always do the European thing and ask another lone diner "may I share your table?"

If she was cute enough, I would do that in any country, America included.

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by eros:
Eating out solo is different. I travel a lot for work (often by myself) and on the rare ocassions that I eat out alone I have to have a book or newspaper to keep me occupied. Otherwise, it's take-out back to the hotel.

Now this one I don't get.

Many of you know I was a constant traveller for years, mostly international, and eating alone is the best way to find out about where you are. Wait staff (bartenders in particular) are second only to barbers in giving you information about where you are, what to do, and most importantly what to avoid. My favorite thing to do was to get take out and take it to a bar and have a pint, chat with the bartender and wait staff and figure out how to kill the night away. Good times. That usaully parlayed into the bars regulars or other patrons chatting you up about where you're from and what's going on in their city. You learn more about a country from its regular people then you do from anything else.

You could always do the European thing and ask another lone diner "may I share your table?" That's just not done here in doodleville is it? Then again, we're trusted to be able to seat ourselves in restaurants, unlike doodleville.

My travel is almost all European and I've never tried that one (or even heard of it). But I'm also not particularaly good and striking up conversations with strangers.