Letter of the Week
Like John Lithgow’s character in Footloose, this week’s feature letter writer takes the hard line on public groovin’. Log on tsweekly.com and let us know where you stand in the dance space debate.
In all honesty, I do believe that dancers at shows are, in fact, the harsh signs of the eminent apocalypse. Last time I checked, the people who “danced” at shows displayed slightly lower IQs than those of us not disrupting the space of others. For example, when I was at Pinback on February 13th there was a cluster of girls standing around me who decided it was a good idea to start pushing people around. Pinback is in no way a band that intends to conjure up brutish physical actions from people, so why were these tiny teen girls punching me? Because they wanted to “dance!”
Blaming someone for being the victim of a mosh pit because they were standing on or around it is like blaming a victim of assault for what they were wearing that night. Some people want to be close to the bands they admire without getting trampled for it.
Granted, some bands are there to make you move, but it shouldn’t be required. In my life, I thrive the most when I am a stick in the mud. If you Steve Frandsen’s of the world want to groove, that is fine with me, just give me my stick-in-the-mud space.
Carissa Jean
This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 6, 2008.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Good for you, Carrisa Jean…Hey…you buy a ticket…you’ve bought your space. Sit, stand, dance, clap, cry, pick your nose, commune with aliens, dismantle a Piper Cub, all the same thing. I’ve found in my life that often those ‘not rocking’ are really rocking the most! Zen, baby!
Lame. Why don’t you encourage people to stand in the middle of the highway too. Go all Zen, baby. Show that traffic how to slow down. Ignore the fact that certain spaces in our world are set aside for movement. Be a rebel by imitating a blood clot. Then cry assault when you get hit. It’s all the fault of those unintelligent louts for not respecting “your” space after all.
Check your ticket to the event. Look, it says “admit one”. Not reserved standing. No guarantee of personal meditation space. You get in the door. The most you’ll ever be provided is a reserved seat. So go sit in it and leave the dance floor to the dancers.
And by the way, I was at Pinback too. You looked as lame as you sound.
RJ
Touche Carissa! I must agree with your basic view. The violent “SLAM DANCING” of early punk brought reality to the apocalyptic vision of “A Clockwork Orange”.
Our I.Q. can be low, forming or high, it’s about child spirit. The best dancers and my favorite to dance with are the children and those who ride the short bus.Free spirits no worries, filled with the bliss of sound.
Ettiquette goes both ways when respecting peoples space. I’ve had to neutralize agressive jerks like the girls you mention.
Wearing a sexy outfit to a biker bar, or wearing gang colors in the wrong hood, equals standing in a mosh pit. Would you get near a mosh pit to watch the band? The first 2 rows have always been for screamers, hair pullers, and those who study licks.
I honor your stick in the mud space and suspect that within dances a joyous child. Thanks for dancing. See you out there.