I stood with my friends and eyeballed the hipsters. Creepy past-middle-aged Peta people milled about and mingled with dreadlocked art students. This guy who calls himself “TV” was wearing cardboard bunny ears. Emaciated post-punk-somethingcore whatevers with painfully tight jeans, dirty chucks, skin-tight T’s, and hideous piercings mixed with the spot bleached punk-prostitute electocrash girls. Kristen had the cleavage. Kyle had the camera. We were good to go.
We ended up at this indie record store in Wynwood after a long detour through Brickell (we took the pastor’s parking spot while we ran to the atm) and through Overtown/Midtown. As we were walking towards the record store (after we finally found it and parked in a nearby shady alley) a girl walking towards us pointed and said, “You’re going to get so much shit for that shirt!”
Kristen and I both looked at each other, “Who was she talking about?” was Kristen’s cleavage too large? What was wrong with my shirt?
When we got into the record store, we understood. It was a vegan event thrown by Peta.
My shirt said “OFFICIAL TURKEY TASTER” and had a turkey drum on it.
So, um. Yeah.
CJ was there (of course) with Pete. Frank was there too. We were there to support Luz, Katrina’s band. We waded through the pretentious herd and then went outside. The muddy backlot of the record store was set up as a sort of mini vegan fairground. Veggie burgers, wall painting, small vendors… I bought a bowl made out of a melted record. Oh, and apparently I’m on the Peta email list… we’ll see how that one goes.
Luz began playing in the center of the mud fair about 30 minutes after we showed up. Katrina turned on the power vocals and impressed all the pierced, tattooed, and ultra-naturals. They had a goofy drummer who kept smiling mischievously as if she just farted and got away with it. It was endearing. Danny and Patrick played some violin-like string instruments which weren’t violins – an interesting touch.
While Luz played I looked at the crowd and had a sense that this was one of those nights that people refer to when they talk about the college experience. This sense of guilt and shame also crept in – a night like this was a novelty I didn’t have time for. Underground parties and local bands will be forever associated with high school. That time of exploration should come at 15, 16, maybe even 17. But wasn’t I too old for this? Standing there I looked at the middle aged – the thirty somethings, the forty somethings… had no one told them? I didn’t want to be the 25 year old attending events populated by people barely past puberty, dressed as clowns and enveloped in their middle school rebellions.
Harvard Law remember? Flex remember? LSAT remember?
I stood in the dark mud fair with friends and stared at the “indie vendors” and their backdrop of dilapidated houses (across the street). Katrina belted out lyrics as I accepted that this night belonged to a time that had already passed.
Reality hit this week. I’ve realized that there are a lot of opportunities and choices closed to me because of my age. Every day there’s one less opportunity for me, something passed, something missed out on. I think part of the problem of growing older is this pervasive awareness… the awareness of so many opportunities and options, and the knowledge of when they pass.
There was an interpretative dance afterwards…
Afterwards Kristen, Kyle, and I drove through Allahpattah, saw some car racing and got caught by a bridge. 20 minutes later we were zipping through traffic on the Dolphin and avoiding a lake on the Palmetto Ramp.
Into Kendall we went. After figuring out which theater to go to we parked at one of Kendall’s massive strip malls-masquerading-as a real mall deals and saw a fight behind Pier 1. Apparently there’s a club in front of Pier 1. Oh, and a Chuck E Cheese across the street. Now that’s class.
Of course we were too late for the movie so it was time for Wal-Mart and an intense discussion about FlipFlops and purses. We also saw the creepy guy who used to work at the bowling alley arcade. Woo… There was a trip to Wal-Mart earlier in the week as well. It was with Kali and Eric I believe. A lot of car dancing and a nice pitstop in Liberty City.
…then Steak and Shake. Steak and Shake made me want to cry. So of course the creepy dude from Wal-Mart who is like 45, with medium length blond hair, a red face, and the creepiest child molesting-clothes on sits RIGHT across from us. We couldn’t stop laughing. Well, that’s not true, we did. But then this semi-homeless guy with a sore throat came and the girl in the booth next to us decided to play peekaboo and the laughter was back on.
Oh Steak and Shake.
So we finally get to the movie theater and the movie turns out to be a documentary about a joke. I did not need to see the father from Full House tell a vile joke about incest, vomit, and poo. That ruined my worldview.
The next day, the week ended where it began – at Oz. (that’s the official name now by the way)
It was packed. The parking lot was as packed as the club and you could hardly move inside. I was so drenched when I came back that my jeans were dripping with sweat. Gross, I know. It was the best night at that club ever. No leprechauns this week but all my FIU and MDC people were there …also some UM people I know but don’t really talk to. Heck, even Loochkartt made an appearance but then disappeared. OH! Even the exchange student was there!
I went with Kristen, John and Kyle… Kristen was mortified… well to be fair she did get a rave review (seriously now) about the cleavage. I think Kyle was a bit freaked (because he’s closeted) and John seemed to have fun. They left early and I stayed until 2:30 (curfew’s at three).
Simply insane, best night ever, I think my ears were about to fall off afterwards. And I think I dozed off during the show. Whatever. One of the best club nights ever.
I’m glad Oz was so amazing since I’m not going out again until November 2nd. This week has simply been too heavy between the late night movies, adventures (like with Kali driving to six different McDonalds at 1 am to get milkshakes and ending up in little Havana, … or during the day to get the hamsters and that THING (with the white wig) walking down Je Leune… oh oh hell nah), class and the project I feel like I’m only available to the guys on my floor in passing. On the 2nd I’m going to go to the Morgue and I’m dragging Rafa there. But nothing else until then.
I got off schedule this week (the hurricane being a very poor excuse) and things have gotten really deplorable. I’m also ‘talking’ to possibly maybe dating someone? Uh… we’ll see how that goes.
And booooooooooks. Ugh. I have a crapload of reading to do and my room is a mess and and and… more next week (I think post day is officially moved to Monday).
