SHARING THE SHOWS
Actually, there were five bands: Behemoth, Testament, Anthrax, Lamb of God, and Slayer, two of which Alan and I actually saw. I was a little bummed we didn’t get to see Anthrax, but Lamb of God and Slayer both put on excellent shows.
Tinley Park is a bit of a distance outside Chicago, but well worth the trip, especially since Alan provided the wheels. After getting in and scarfing down some garbage pulled pork nachos (me) and some ugly-looking sausage pizza (Alan), we made our way to the seats. The crowd was filled with people wearing black and sporting multi-colored hair, and they’re a lot wilder and more aggressive than the hippies I’m used to congregating with at my usual Phishy shows. But, I can roll with it thanks to my high school “metal” years. In fact, I remember practically wearing the heads out on Slayer’s 1994 Divine Intervention tape I bought and attempting to learn to play “Dittohead” on the guitar (epic fail). Anyway, we were in Section 202, which was right next to the walkway leading to the bathroom, meaning no crowds to go through. Some highlights include the repeated yelling of “Slayer” by members of the crowd. Between the Lamb of God and Slayer sets, I was waiting on what felt like the world’s longest line to the Men’s room, I found myself yelling “Slayer,” and following it with “I can’t help it! It’s contagious!” I yelled it the rest of the night. There’s also something about metal that gets me amped. The lady in front of me was taking video of the people around her, and when it came in my direction, I couldn’t resist the urge to flash the peace sign – both times. At the end, I apologized, saying “Something just comes over me when they start playing metal.” Alan said, “Never apologize for photobombing. When they look at the photos, you’ll be the entertainment.” It was a good argument. Now the biggest challenge of the night took place after the show. It came in two parts: 1) finding the car; and 2) getting out of the venue. I’d say the whole process took about an hour and a half. It was reminiscent of the 15 hours we spent at Big Cypress, the big Phish Y2K event in the Florida Everglades, trying to get out of the venue. I mean, the car was parked in a line for hours. Anyway, it was good meeting a new Internet friend. I’ll have another blog on my other page about bromances and how they’re often better than traditional romances. I’m gonna start calling Alan “Brolan,” an honor I reserve for Drew (Brometheus) and Mark (Brodysseus). When I add the word “bro” to your name, you’d better believe I hold you in high regard.
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