OPITR (Oldest Person in the Room)

 

My first concert was Journey. I was forever hooked as Steve Perry's voice floated above the crowd telling us to Don't Stop Believing. Concerts have remained a part of my life over the years. I love the energy of the crowd, the lights, and the feel of the beat rushing through my chest. It is in some way a meditative experience as the music moves through me, healing body and mind.

    I listen to many genres of music. Every song tells a story and every type of music tells the story differently. It can be soft or aggressive, but it is one of the most magnificent forms of human expression. I often wonder what it would be like to see the things that I write set to music. I love how music evolves and is recreated for every generation. When I went to Journey I was probably one of the youngest people there.

    Now when I attend concerts, I am often the OPITR (oldest person in the room).   😜 This last weekend I attended 3 concerts. They all started at 8 pm. The Friday 8 pm concert was totally fine. The Sunday and Monday 8 pm start times do not amuse the OPITR. 

    I have to leave my house at 7 am for work. I am no longer able to roll in at midnight and sleep a few hours ready to take on the day. I mean, I have, but then I look like I'm like 100 years old judging from the baggage under my eyes. I reach for the coffee and remember that coffee does nothing for me, damn. I grab an energy drink and while I don't really know what ass tastes like, I am fairly certain energy drinks taste like ass. My ears are ringing and I try to settle down and get productive. If only the concert started an hour earlier! It would be life-changing for the OPITR!

    Opening bands are a crapshoot as Greg elegantly put it in his bit. I have found a few that I like, but often they are really, really bad. Broods opening for Marina, amazing! The opera singer opening for Sleater-Kinney was...odd. Since I listen to a lot of oddball music, I have seen some crazy opening acts. Don't ask me about the Jim Rose Circus opening for Marilyn Manson/NIN! I wonder how many calories are in a lightbulb?

    Parking, ugh. It's always the difficult decision to take Uber and triple the cost of the concert or try to park and pay 2x the cost of the concert, but with a lot of hassle. Red Rocks has plenty of free parking, but then you will spend an hour getting out of the lot after the concert. I am getting too old for that sh**. I would like a hassle-free concert, please.

    Merchandise for me is always a t-shirt on the rare occasions that I get one. I don't think I need the Weezer Day Planner. Perhaps the Sleater-Kinney spatula? Nah, I am frankly too cheap to buy merchandise. That would cut into my book and tea budget. 

    Can I please have a seat? Back in the 80s, we had seats and we could sit or stand. At Sleater-Kinney, I almost passed out because I really needed to sit for a minute. I collapsed on a step and the security guard came over to check on me. A girl in a skull dress (not kidding) also came over to check on me. She was probably thinking, "the OPITR is dying." It's good to know that if I do die at a concert, someone will grab my body for the coroner. I was ok, just dehydrated. That is a big drawback to going out alone.   

    Interacting with people as the OPITR can be interesting. Now, I usually know if I will be the OPITR, but sometimes I am surprised. For example, Marina was mostly LBGTQIAPK millennials, and me. I totally expected that. Yes, I had some odd looks. "Oh Christ, Jim, did you bring your mom?" Nah, it's fine. I really do like millennials, even though my peers are horrified by that fact.  😂 

    The Duran Duran/Cure cover band was a surprise. There were older people, as I expected, but also...a ton of millennials. It was so cute because they were trying to dance like the 80s. Poor lost kids. Step aside, let me show you how it's done! 😁 Yes, just the OPITR performing a public service. It's ok, you can be smug at the next dubstep concert.

    I was also surprised that Caravan Palace was all millennials! I thought fans of the Cherry Poppin Daddies and Brian Setzer would be all over this. Not so much. No matter, I had a blast. I can be the OPITR and be fine with it. A lot of things are about comfort level. I know who I am and what I like. I do what I want, duh. <--movie reference. If I felt uncomfortable, the people around me would feel that energy and they would also be uncomfortable. They feel my happy vibe as the OPITR and we energize each other as humans.  

    Being the OPITR is fine. Well, with one exception. As I was leaving Caravan Palace, the guy behind me looks at me and says, "go ahead ma'am." FML. What a polite guy. I am definitely going to go home and cry now. No, I really can't, crying is aging around the eyes.