Lately I have been attending numerous live concerts after ‘going on a break’ from ‘going to shows’ since the audiences got too tweeny. I have been going through a very concertially existential crisis, and really thinking about ‘why am I here?’ ‘Why did I make the extra effort to see this band?’ ‘Am I trying to connect with a group of like-minded people?’ ‘Do I really ‘get something’ out of seeing a band’s music performed live?’ ‘Should I just listen to things on headphones while staring at a computer screen?’ ‘Do I not like going to concerts because of people who have a personal brand that says I<3music, but don’t really ‘get’ what it means to be alive in the modern world?’
As I have grown older, I have started to see ‘the larger picture’ about ‘the concertgoing experience.’ The truth is that concerts are ‘always the same’ but the only thing changing about the concert is U. You are growing older, moving from demographic-to-demographic. The way you feel about ‘life’ is constantly changing, and based upon the version of ‘loneliness’/'fulfillment’ that you feel, you will interpret any experience differently–concerts are an essential part of the modern human experience.
These are the general age demographics who ‘attend concerts’ and a synopsis of ‘their general conscious experience.’
Ages 12-17: The era of idealizing ‘the modern indie concert experience.’
You don’t really understand what ‘indie rock’/etc. usually is, and experiences like Warped Tour, Coachella, and Regional music festivals are ‘lumped into a category.’ You see music as something that brings people with similar interests together. You are going to graduate from high school soon, and after that, who knows what might happen? Maybe u’ll be able to go to famous clubs, see famous bands, meet internet-famous people, and live the idealized life that is somewhere between ‘Almost Famous’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ or some other tv show/movie.
This is just an era of ‘being naive’ and ‘not knowing the correct websites to view’ in order to stay relevant. You have a lot of important formative experiences, but generally every1 experiences the same thing at this age. How much money your parents make ultimately decides ‘how alt’ u will be.
Notable stereotypes in this demographic:
- teen bros wearing crombie but liking indie music,
- entry level alts in Am Appy,
- tween bros who only shop at name brand places and come out with t-shirts that have designs on them that theoretically ‘look cool’ but are obviously from Old Navy/Billabong/J.C. Penny’s ‘trying to be cool’ type of clothing line,
- groups of kids who seems scared to make decisions on their own and end up making group decisions where 10 kids get the same t-shirt and wear it to high school the next day to ‘prove that they went to a show’
- tweens with older siblings who are ‘authentic and chill and let them drink beer 1 time’
- tweens who will 1 day ‘be self-aware’ and reconnect with some1 about ‘that terrible band we both used to like!’
Ages 18-20: The ‘being old enough to get in’, but ‘not old enough to drink.’
This is usually the most ‘thrilling’ era of ‘being a bro who wants to see live music.’ This is the age at which various subplots ‘beyond the music’ can evolve, such as ‘getting into a 21+ show’, ‘getting drunk before the show’, ’sneaking in a flask of ______’, ‘meeting people from ur local college who like indie music too!’, and other experiences that you have theoretically ‘been waiting for your whole life. This is sort of when ‘meaningfulcore’ music appeals to you the most, because unlike in the previous era, u have the means to ‘truly appreciate’ what ‘life is all about.’
To some extent, ‘your whole life is still ahead of you’ and you have started to enjoy your context. You feel like your ‘personal connections’ with people are the reason that you are on this Earth, and you seriously feel like you have an unmatched group of friends who really ‘get’ it more than any other group in the world. You want to have the most amount of friends possible, and just share experiences in large groups.
You do not feel alone. This crowd of people. This independent music. This is you. You have arrived. Back when the Arcade Fire ‘first came out’ 75% of ‘alternative music lovers’ somehow had the mindset of this demographic.
Notable Stereotypes in this demographic:
- Entry level alt girl covered in am appy
- Proud Bro in first Am Appy tshirt/hoodie
- Packs of bros/broads
- Mixed groups of people who ‘get into drama’ about dating/drugs/being straight-edge
- Bros who just moved to college and are lookin 4 new friends
- People with fashion choices that mix their mainstream past with their desire 2 be more authentic/alt
- People who accidentally like ’shitty generic indie rock’ bc they just want to identify with an aesthetic
Ages 21-23: The era of ‘having legal fun’ while still ‘feeling like your life is ahead of you.
This is a pretty useless era. It is usually dominated by mindsets from the previous two eras, except you are ‘having legal fun.’ Probably ‘the most costly era’ of them all, since you are ‘buying sooo many drinks’ and usually ‘have to buy your tickets early’ [via online ticketing website]. Some people ‘are in a relationship’ that is probably ‘too serious’ during this era, and concerts are a place for both them to ‘get insecure’ about all of the other attractive ppl around.
This might be the ‘prime’ of ‘being alt’ in terms of ‘ur last days of glory.’ Soon you will graduate from college, and you will ‘become a different person’ after you ‘enter the work force.’ You just want to enjoy this time, and ‘be sillie’ or ‘absurd’ and have as much fun as possible, before your parents ‘expect u to get a real job.’ This is sort of the mindset that fueled ‘the bloghouse/electro’ era.
Notable Stereotypes in this demographic:
- Couple who ‘are looking forward to breaking up after college’
- Bro who spends 50% of his income on weed, liberal arts major bro,
- entry level alt in Am Appy/headbands,
- girl ‘dressing alt’ for the first time,
- Person who is ‘new in town’ and decided on a personal brand makeover after not fitting in their previous context/life
- Girl who still acts like she is 17
- bro ‘trying acid’ for the first time after ‘weed and booze got boring’/not ‘eye-opening enough’
- bros ‘preying’ on girls who are between 17-21, and being some sort of ‘mentor’ about ‘the scene’ in exchange for sexual favors/attention until girl ‘piggybacks’ the bro and finds a more valuable member of ‘the scene’ who wants her sweet vagina more than the previous bro
- people who ‘twitter’ the whole show
- Ppl who ‘get too drunk’ at shows
- the bro who ‘grinds on tons of bitches.’
Ages 23.75- 25.5: Feeling ‘disenchanted’ about where ur life is, and finally realizing that you’re not 19 any more/the people you are watching on stage are living the life that you thought you would be living.
This is a post-college, post-being fully supported by your parents era. ‘Concerts’ are sad reminders of where your life is, and how you have theoretically been ‘the same simple person.’ You might be in a serious relationship, and you might ‘resent this person’ since they are the first direct representation of ’settling’/'becoming complacent’ with your life. You see people who are younger than you, and feel ‘incredibly old.’
This is probably the last era where you are most likely to ‘find a good mate’ but at the same time, there are still feelings like ‘u have a lot left to do with your life’ even though you probably ‘aren’t as young as you think’, at least in terms of ‘accomplishing your goals.’ Feel hopeful, but more of a ‘false hope.’
Concerts are ‘okay’ but you should probably be ‘burnt out’ on ‘going out’/’seeing kewl bands’/'finding new music’/etc pretty soon.
Notable Stereotypes in this demographic:
- Bros who are still trying to ‘make it’ as a band and go to a show to ’study’ the band
- people who ‘twitter’ the whole show
- Couples who are in what seems to be a fight
- Bros who ‘won free tickets’ since they have no job and waste time on the internet all day.
- AngstyBros
- Bros who are ‘raging against’ society/the machine
Ages 26.7-35: Admitting that you’re ‘an old bro’ and ‘going to the concerts to see a good live show’ and as a night out with your wife.
When you are this old, you can only go out to a concert if you ‘really, really, really like the band.’ The band is most likely only 14% relevant by this time, and you might actually ‘have the best time you’ve had in a while’ listening to this band that ‘used to mean everything to you.’ You will more than likely wear a slimming plaid shirt, or some other ‘comfy apparel’ that hides some of the weight you’ve put on.
Your alternative life is basically over, particularly if you are ’successful.’ You go to the concert and walk around meaningful parts of the city–life seems to have ‘passed u by’, but you feel okay when you see a ‘guy who is 35 and works at the door’ or like ‘oldbro who has some stupid altJob.’ Most of you feels ‘relieved’ but you also sort of question ‘why u r on this Earth’ and wish you didn’t drive such an affordable, untrendy car.
You might also be bald, and have a difficult decision to make about ’shaving your head’/'wearing a cap’/etc, but you realize that ‘balding’ is a natural process. It’s okay to be bald–it is out of your control, and young people who don’t ‘get’ that scientific fact are ‘idiots.’ It’s just part of growing old. One day you will die, but tonight, you will enjoy this concert with 2.5 beers, and grab on to your significant other’s love handles–bc 2nite they are actually full of love.
These people are the probably the most valuable bros to ‘good bands’ because they are the assholes who buy albums off iTunes/buy pre-sale tickets for shows. Not sure if this will ’stay the same’ when the current younger-generations ‘grow up’ after years of knowing how to ‘find leaks.’
Notable Stereotypes in this demographic:
- general cool dads in plaid,
- somewhat insecure prematurely balding bro
- people who are ‘alt for life’
- free spirited moms
- girls with huge thighs who wear ’summer dresses’ that go down to their ankles
- Dudes who ‘limit themselves’ to two beers
- Bros with hands on the hips of their girlfriend’s expanding waistline.
Ages 35+: You ’should probably just focus on your kids’
I think that the only time you should go to a concert when you are over 35 is if it is in some sort of seated auditorium, or if you have to chaperone your kids to a music festival/concert for his/her birthday party. Sort of like the modern version of ‘taking your kid to a baseball game.’ Ultimately, you do want your child to be cultured, but at this point, it seems like a circus/spectacle. You look back to when ‘things meant something’ and you wouldn’t look at things like ‘fuck–i paid $50 x 3 for my son, his friend, and me to get in here. Could have paid my utilities bill.’ You used to have a dream of learning the guitar/synth and starting a meaningful band that got tons of ‘press’/'internet buzz’, but now you are older, and the majority of your life is behind you. You are happy with the concerts you attended, the moments you shared with your friends, and don’t feel as resentful of the person who used to ‘have a meaningful experience’ at concerts.
Notable stereotypes in this demographic:
- Out of place mom rubbing sun screen on her embarrassed son’s face
- Dad who ’secretly drinks 10 beers’ while his son moves to the front of the show
- Dad cheating on wife, using blackberry to text mistress the entire time
- Dad with kids who have ‘a spunky personality’/'long hair’
- Mom with daughter who will ‘grow up 2 be the indie slut she never was’
WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC R U IN?
WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC R U IN?
WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC R U IN?
WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC R U IN?
DO U ‘DIE’ AFTER U TURN AGE __?
///////
Every time you go to a concert, you are surrounded by a group of people who have something in common with you–they paid $10-100 to see the same artist as you. They most likely made the same consumer decision to purchase the same album that you did. They had the same convos about ‘what their fave song was’ and even had ‘the same moment alone in the car where you felt happy while listening to this band’s album.’
Life is a battle against your insecurities. There are things you want to do with your life, and an image of yourself that you think you will eventually ‘be.’ Some days, you feel closer/further away from accomplishing this
Life is a choice–do you want to be an individual, or do you want to find a group of people who ‘understand u.’ Concerts are theoretically one of the best places to find people who ‘are living a similar life to you. Either you can be threatened by the 10-15% of people who look like you, or you can ‘find solace’ in knowing that there are people out there who are just like u.
Which will u choose?
Activity Questions for this post:
- What do concerts mean 2 u?
- Why do u go to concerts?
- Do u feel like u are ‘just a stereotype’ when you go to concerts/shows and see people ‘dressed like u’?
- Is it more authentic to call a live musical experience a ‘concert’ or a ’show’?
- Should I commit suicide at a ’show’ as a ‘thinkpiece’?
- Is this post ‘fucking bullshit’ because it never mentioned ‘actual music/musicians’?
- Do u just ‘enjoy the music’ and ‘avoid all thoughts’ about ‘the people who surround u’?
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IAmCarles.com
81 Comments
Haw
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//////////Reply by ._.
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
@&^_~!,
Hee
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//////////Reply by anonymoose
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
.______________.
*derp
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//////////Reply by anonymousse
//////////Posted September 6th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
@anonymoose, clever.
was listening to grouper while reading
this post is ‘epic’
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//////////Reply by vnck
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
@truth, i’ve seen grouper live. she opened for animal collective in toronto. i enjoy her music at home, from headphones. live wasn’t a great experience. AnCo ruled though!
speaking of live shows and concerts, i enjoy them very much. and speaking of animal collective, that show was amazing. everyone who is a fan should see them at one point in their life. such a different experience. amazing, bro.
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//////////Reply by DNK
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 4:38 am
@vnck, i feel like yr a satire… r u a satire?
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//////////Reply by vnck
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@DNK, am i being satirical? no.
//////////Reply by danteller
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
@vnck,
in the context of this post, u r a satire
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can’t wait to be a cool dad. going to leave my kid a nugget and a USB key with some sweet remix that i did in college and he will know that i was not always a tool who repaints the basement while listening to Black Dice just to get my huff on
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thats deep…
now im scared of getting old.
thanks.
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//////////Reply by GLDFSH
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
@omg,
me 2, also feel kinda scared of going to festivals in the future incase i think of this post and the difficult issues it confronts….
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first
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//////////Reply by anonymoose
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
@mike tyson,
i see wat you did thar
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this post was disturbing yall. h8 when crls hits me sooo deep.
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I always somehow hoped that, when someone did get around to speaking for my generation, it would at least be flattering.
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damn dude
im 22.5
i kind of feel like im in post-college phase
i dont wear american apparel, does that make me lame?
i went to see wilco at the fox theater in pomona on saturday with my girlfriend who ive been dating since sophomore year or something and i kind of watched the opening act (not wilco) feeling like i should probably be opening up for wilco if i didnt give up on my dreams of being an awesome rockstar
there was also lots of hot bitches there and i kept looking at my girlfriend and then at me and thinking that we’re def. too fat and unhappy and comfortable
kind of sucks
i also sat in between two asians dudes who were older than me. they literally slept through the whole concert
my girlfriend posted semi-constant twitter updates from her phone.
i dont really know what hte fuck twitter is and it makes me kind of nervous / scared / uncomfortable that it exists and also that she has one, ie that she has this internet identity which i am maybe not really welcome to be a part of because i dont twitter
makes me nervous really
but also, i felt kind of old at the wilco show and i felt kind of depressed and i felt like when i saw wilco last summer at mccarren park or two summers ago at bonnaroo the experience was better / more meaningful / more worthwhile etc…
on saturday i just felt sort of like i had lost and spent 45 dollars on concert tickets (90, really, cause i bought her tickets too) so that i could say i did something real on saturday night instead of making dinner / watching tv / sitting on my computer with a tub of ice cream feeling lonely and sad
kind of sucks i guess, life’s over i guess
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//////////Reply by MAN WOOD
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 9:43 am
@thomas p levy, hold ya head.
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//////////Reply by brobro
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Carles, this post was too long. I did not read it. I also did not read any of the comments. Please don’t be angry at me. :((((
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//////////Reply by danteller
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
@thomas p levy,
<3 u thom
wish crls had more answers; less questions
post-_______ is scary
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//////////Reply by nicole
//////////Posted October 17th, 2009 at 6:33 am
@thomas p levy, are you still with your girlfriend? i just turned 23 & went to a show for my birthday, i felt old and sad haha :( would love to talk to you. x
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i dont go to “concerts” i go to “shows”
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deep crls. feel sad about being 29, realise my life is almost over.
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//////////Reply by brobro
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
@Northsidelady, lolloloololollol
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its official… im in love with summer!
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//////////Reply by natalee hologram
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
@fredMS, im in love w masachusetts [ft. the radio on]
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pretty accurate. Question for carles (after months of reading HRO): “Why should I not kill myself?”
don’t worry i’m not suicidal, the question should be rephrased as: “How are you this persistently depressive w/o having already killed yourself?”
ads pay well I suppose
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//////////Reply by virgin
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
@person, it’s hard to off yourself when even offing yourself would be a joke within this sick joke.
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Seems like alot of my alt friends don’t ‘get’ that they wont be alt 4ever. Most of them r nvr going 2 be pro art/party pix photographers/graphic designers/relevant bands/djs yet they r unable 2 realize that their art is crappie/not relevant/contrived/sourced soley from their desire to be alt.
Seems like the desire to be alt comes from a vaguely artistic temperment, desire 4 tugjobs immpossible to obtain from mnstrmers and wanting 2 be relevant. Most alts are ‘chill bros/broad’s who have accepted limited ambitions. The most u could hope for would be a hot (slighty above average by mnstrm standards) altdiva girlfriend and a weekly dj night/buzzworthy band. Guess I am looking 4 a little more from my alt existance
At the risk of seeming mainsteam 2 other alts I think it is good to have a post-alt transition plan. For example one of my aging altbros is in a locally popular alt-electro band/has accepted his band is a gimmick with a limited life span while also finishing a MSTR(KRFT) degree in biochemistry. He has accepted that one day he is going to be a scientist/cool dad. Its going to be better 4 yr overall wellbeing 2 be prepared for the ‘real world’ rather than become a struggling alt-4-life unequipped to enjoy his/her life beyond age ~30
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//////////Reply by daffy
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
@the robedoors, i shoulda taken that alt appreciation class at UC__.
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//////////Reply by METALFACE
//////////Posted November 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 am
@daffy, ya ya ya knowledge is power
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damn, i’m only 19 and this post cut pretty deep
feel like ‘concerts’/’shows’ are still fun/relevant/meaningful
but at the same time, feel like it’s a waste of time + money when i have the song… why do i pay for the experience? why do i go to be in the presence of ‘like-minded ppl’ when i rarely if ever talk to them @ the show?
thx 4 gettin’ vulnz w/ us, crls
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//////////Reply by Lee
//////////Posted November 9th, 2009 at 3:11 am
@peter pan,
Same here…I’ll be 20 in March but I go to school parttime, work 20-30 hrs a week, and live with my parents, yet I managed to sneak away from them to go to a show by myself bc all of my friends are too freakin’ broke, live 2hrs away-almost all my highschool friends, or have such different taste in music, and then they got pissed off that I went by myself-should I just lie or what?
My parents are in their 50s and the only person who I can sometimes convince to go to a concert is my just turned 22 yr old brother(whose roomates and friends give me beer and whiskey, and who I’ve been drunk around before, the one and only time I’ve been drunk…and it was off red wine with a kangaroo label.)
Anyway this article just reaffirms my discernment with the bands I see, but I live in freakin’ SC-and not Charleston either so I usually go to NC or GA for shows…Anyway really good article, also I look young for my age so I couldn’t get into a 21+ club(and neither can my older brother without his ID!heh). Going to have to take a look at some of your other posts.
-Lee
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Bravo. Bravo.
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people watching I live for at concerts.
I’ve been to all different types of concerts: Ashlee Simpson,Black Eye Peas+PCD’s,Papa Roach+Hinder+BuckCherry,Bright Eyes,Mastodon,Kelly Clarkson.Flight of The Conchords.
I’m not a stereotype,labels are stupid.
I’m going to see Bat For Lashes in August. I adore her.
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//////////Reply by Cray
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
@Pam,
that kinda reminds me of my sis who is kinda aware of indie bands, but just wants to have m8nstream fun just cuz its exciting. never really got those ppl.
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//////////Reply by Pam
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
@Cray, I’m a type of person who has ecelentic taste in music. I’m VERY aware of indie music and like some mainstream. Is it that complex for you?
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
@Pam,
those concerts are all the same type, bad.
sry FoC
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That shiz was the most meaningfulcore stuff I’ve read in ages. This will def be one of 2k9’s BEST ALBUMS(posts).
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i read that
and felt sad a little
then happy a little
then confused
then i read evrything on my chapstick container
and it was beautiful and maybe changed my life for the better
Blistex (Federal Registration)
LIP MEDEX (Federal Registration)
EXTERNAL ANALGESIC/LIP PROTECTANT
NET WT .25 OZ (7g)
COOLING RELIEF FOR LIPS
RESTORES MOISTURE BALANCE
NDC 10157-8407-1
Sealed for your protection
(Copyright) 2004 Blistex Inc., Oak Brook, Il 60523 Made in U.S.A. #33317
120801A
Reply
//////////Reply by natalee hologram
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
@aw, fukk, *mind = being blowed*
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lol you’re really showing your age. That’s not what being 23 is all about at all. 23 is so much better than being 19-21 type shit. And 23-25 is still fucking sick.
19-21 is the worst probably, because those people think they’ve “figured it out” when in reality they “have not”
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//////////Reply by pimpslap
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
@tugbro, thx for encouragement
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//////////Reply by anonyt
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:13 am
@tugbro, yeh 23-25 “were the best days of my life” [via Brian Adams]
had to get a job this year.
h8 u 2k9
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crls, this post was a monstr. but ch33r up brobro! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
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This belongs in memorable posts. srsly. Put this on the fucking sidebar.
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//////////Reply by aannoonn
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
@Anon, i was surprised not 2 see it there already
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Crls, most people arent/will never be burdened with the existential issues we face. At least not at the level of awareness and preoccupation, that people like you and me find. It’s a burden of ‘really being able to understand the obvious nature of the world’. Oops said too much.Go back to your concert, and lose yourself in the energy of air pressure waves designed to acquisce a particular arbitrary tonotopic arrangement of hair cells in our cochlea. No, we’re not being anthropocentric at all. There’s meaning there i swear… see you at grizzly bear tonight.
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//////////Reply by anonymous
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 pm
@jack, what?
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//////////Reply by ColanderBolander
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 2:15 am
@jack, I got it, don’t worry
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//////////Reply by danteller
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
@jack,
makes me sad that tho we can see the “big picture” all there is for us is grizzly bear
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Been reading this blog for a while and that has to be the most depressing article that I’ve read so far. Even more depressing than the long Animal collective rant/essay. I come here every day to smile/laugh/feel superior (via categorising and criticising the people that look cool and hip and generally make me feel insecure in my day-to-day existence). Just feeling really down right now.
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//////////Reply by DK
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
@Torr, if you find this shit depressing then you’re one of the fucking classifiable morons that he’s talking about and maybe you should kill yourself.
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//////////Reply by pfft
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 pm
@Torr, did you catch the ‘fuck everything’ post?
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//////////Reply by tmc
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
@Torr,
I just bought a ticket to see Fever Ray and now I’m sad. Feel like I’m just paying to assert my existence.
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What if you dont go to shows/concerts? What if hate getting your picture taken and despise the ever fluxing fashion of culturally relevant demographics who are only immersed within their pseudo-culture because they have no grasp on reality and feel they shouldn’t because they are nothing more than accidents and that realization only leads them to just enjoy being an accident as long as they remain within their culturally relevant age bracket. So, while these culturally relevant individuals are culturally pertinent, they do their best at absorbing the attention and placation of other individuals who are not as culturally relevant as thou. But, once they are removed out of the age bracket of cultural relevance, the potent realization of their existence, being nothing more than an accident, a pathetic imbalance of chemistry, an irrational equation, they decommission their blog, soak themselves in bitterness, looting the innocence of oblivious females in search of rich culturally relevant experiences and at least one night of feeling the belonging that every aspiring relevant culturist yearns to feel, but doesn’t, and in turn, implements a blog solely for pathetic placation and culturally relevant masturbation.
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//////////Reply by zaza
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 am
@zoetrope,
tl;dr
you are a dopey shitbrain
eat shit&diekthx
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//////////Reply by zoetrope
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 am
This blog terrible. Hipsters are absurd and only survive within a 5 mile radius of an AM APPY. Just another boring American fad full of psuedo radicalists. kthnx
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//////////Reply by zaza
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:31 am
@zoetrope,
I bet your life is sooo meaningful because ur way beyond AM APPY. thx for using less words this time
//////////Reply by lol
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 am
@zoetrope, lol u r a turd
Reply
//////////Reply by zoetrope
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 2:23 am
@lol,
You arent clever. None of you are.
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//////////Reply by aw, fukk
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 am
@zoetrope,
damn bro
u r just so transcendent of humor/ hipsters/ concerts/ life/ not being the worlds biggest _______/ chapstick/ aging/ bros/ choose.your.own.response.
if you were killed in an elaborate and impractical fashion by the ruling ______ government at the behest of a religious majority, i would worship at ur temples, probs
ugh
just realized u r a huge sack of shiitt and dont deserve to comment on HRO
gtfo fggt
//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:38 am
@zoetrope,
lol this post is great
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//////////Reply by zoetrope
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
@aw, fukk
Sorry, you arent being original with your argument or writing style so just continue on hopping to blase electro beats and once you bump into an AM APPY store, ask them if they can sell you original thought/character. When you get back to your flat, blog about your pathetic attempt at living and check your Chase bank account because your parents just might have cut you off.
HRO4lyfe
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//////////Reply by aw, fukk
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
@zoetrope,
shhhiiiittt bro
sorry, but i use USAA
and get no monies frm my parent
have nvr been inside a AmAppy
but i did walk past one once, afterhours
and i dont blog
but i do luv electro
so u got me there
however, your word choice and rhetoric in your overly long post that started this flame
are sillie
and come across liek u are trying sooo hard to sound smart and above evry1
and make u look like a bucket of dicks
feel bad 4 u
:-/
also u said flat
wtf?
hro is in america
asshat
<3<3aw, fukk<3<3
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//////////Reply by zoetrope
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
@aw, fukk,
Funny how you try so hard to be exceptional with your mangled form of writing lyke dis. We all no u dont rly thnk lyk dis, BUT u prbly waste alot of time typn sooo incorrctly just to seem sooo obscure.
I feel sorry for you. You succumbed to the most pathetic stage of your life just to get in the relevant crowd. You gave up all those elementary years of English spelling and grammar just to seem like a complete idiot because idiocy is relevant. The 5min-10hrs you spend on the internet researching how to be hip and downloading Mstrkrft new remix, you could develop some actual character and perhaps when you wage arguments, on and offline, you can articulate a defense rather than resorting to call others buckets of dicks or sacks of shit…
Its ok aw, fukk, not all hippies are perfect.
heart
//////////Reply by aw, fukk
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
@zoetrope,
lulz!
damn bro
ur just so serious all the time
shudnt get so defensive when someone calls u out on being a pretentious asshole
might make ppl think u are only upset cause its a little 2 close 2 the truth
haha, thx for attacking my spelling and grammar, i really appreciate that and it means a lot on HRO
lol
not sure u really ‘get’ anything
still feel sorry 4 u
<3
<3<3
<3<3<3
//////////Reply by tolzywolzy
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
@aw, fukk,
epic fight
wish pseudo-intellectuals wouldn’t get so angry all the time
26.7-35 is definitely all about learning to accept your fat self and your fat girlfriend/wife. and spending too much 2 see your favorite band from 1992-97 (prob. Pearl Jam, Chill Peppers, or some washed up rap group like Pharcyde). that’s my demo, Carlz – and they’re all mediocre.
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i’m 35. i’m officially an olde. i don’t understand people who are my age and have given up on life and moved to the suburbs and had 2.5 babies and bought a gas guzzling suv. they stopped listening to new music a decade ago and are excited by pearl jam because it reminds them of their college days.
i am living the life i’ve always wanted. i had my time on stage and didn’t like so i’m not jealous of those who are now. i still go to shows and bonnaroo and apw. but at 35 i’m making lots of money and can live my life as i choose all over the world. last year i saw radiohead in europe and next year i’m going to glastonbury. i have a german girlfriend in africa and a french girlfriend in vietnam.
to the young people, life doesn’t end at 35. live your life as you choose. don’t let preconceived notions of how you’re “supposed to act” at a certain age define how you live your life. at 35, you finally realize it’s your life and you have no one to answer to except yourself.
plus i’m half azn so people think i’m 25. haha suckers.
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//////////Reply by scared 22.5
//////////Posted June 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
@alt 4 life, thx aznbro/2. making me feel better. be like u someday
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//////////Reply by Double Negative
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am
@alt 4 life, I concur. I’m 26 and life is pretty chill. Youth can be overrated.
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//////////Reply by ColanderBolander
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 2:17 am
@Double Negative, I’m 27 and this post ’scared the shit out of me’
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//////////Reply by LoBr0
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:28 am
@alt 4 life, srsly? You really wish you were 18 like me,
amrite?
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//////////Reply by La S
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
@alt 4 life, just turned 26. Felt weird abt it. But life sure is good at this age. Making enough money to do what I want, going on tour with friends and travel. Glad I’m not 18 n e more
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//////////Reply by meech
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
@alt 4 life, coulda jus sed ‘age is jus a numbr’ instead of makin me jealz of radiohead in europe
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//////////Reply by bamboomz
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
@meech, I’m 30, a single mom, and broke as hell. It’s different for women, guys can stay hot and interesting (even with kids) well into their 40’s. I’m not in a shitty marriage any more but I can go out, read blogs like this and make up for lost time (my 20’s) – realistically though, I’ve got about 10 good years left b4 I’m just embarrassing my tweeny kids…
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//////////Reply by alt 4 life
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
haha y’all. i just reread my post and it might sound like i’m a bro. i’m not. i also hope i’m not “that guy” who is too old to be partying, like the bro who hangs out at his frat 10 years after graduation.
@LoBr0, no no, don’t wish i was 18 again. but i do wish i was 26.7 again. because 26.7-35 is the best part of life. believe it.
but it’s a good time to be 18 again. times are tough, they’re always tough. every generation has some problem to focus on and commiserate about. but the music is good now and the jocks are out of the white house finally and it’s meaningful to be a nerd finally.
if i’m jealous of anything, it’s that you get to live these times in your innocent youth instead of my jaded olde age.
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//////////Reply by LoBr0
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 3:41 am
@alt 4 life, <3
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//////////Reply by Tuggie
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
@alt 4 life,
wish I was 1/2 AZN.
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//////////Reply by tolzywolzy
//////////Posted June 24th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
@Tuggie,
<3<3<3<3<3 evry1 in this thread
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damn crls, r u one of those quiet observer bros who really ‘get’ people
this is ‘bittersweet’, sweet if ur 12-17 but really ‘fucking bitter’ if u had 2 stop partying because you
got preggers/some girl preggers
2009, time 2 get on stage
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//////////Reply by hey anony anony
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
@louis, carles is one of those quiet observer bros, part yet apart. he ‘chills among us’ and ’speaks our language.’ he is a notable stereotype in the 23.75- 25.5 demographic. he is a ‘reportagebro’ (via the new journalism). wonder if he wears monochrome AmAppy when he goes 2 parties 2 look like a ‘fucking asshole.’
j/k, <3 u carles. hope u get in a ‘blog fight’ with LATFHbro (miss u norman mailer).
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wish i were ben button
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crls, i feel safe at yur website, i luv u
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Jokes on you kid!
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I’m never getting fat.
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I go to ’shows’ to ‘ppl watch’ and meet new ppl. Fuck AmAppy.
Crls you failed to mention the drug use within a demographic, it changes sorta like Dewie Cox movie
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https://twitter.com/elaborate
yall can add me on twitter, uckin pored, bored, i mean, shit whats up yhall, whats ckhrakin
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16, feel like I could never become “successful/recognized” at ’something I like’ unless I reshaped my life around it right now – still a stretch
“hoping” for a windfall but realizing I should just get my shit together, ‘glad’ that I’m ‘young-ish’ and may be able to make a difference
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this post explains why i felt so awkward when i was waiting for animal collective to play at pitchfork 2k8, and during this wait had to watch The Hold Steadies. I was at the very front and there were many tweens around me jumping up and down and shouting every word to THS songs. And I looked up and saw a bunch of old balding dudes who couldn’t dance and had somehow tricked a bunch of people into thinking they were rockstars.
I tried to stay still and act like I wasn’t interested, but there was just too many tweens bumping into me and screaming and fist pumping.
was awful yall
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im in the 21-23, but im in australia so its really 18-23, cos we get to get drunk when we’re 18 here, so im only in the second category. my life’s not over yet…
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25.4
Parents still fully support me financially. How much longer can I live the dream?
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The only good thing about being at the age I’m at is that I got to see Daft Punk 6 times in the years between 1995 and 1997, all in 200 capacity-or-less venues, very little has impressed me since then, except my beer gut.
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 am
@Peebs, fuck
daft punk now that is livin the dream
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read the first two paragraphs
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anyone read LATFH? I looked at it once and the comments made me angry, because they are shit
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//////////Reply by natalee hologram
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
@has, more like ‘look at this lame fucking hipster blog’ amirite? entry level satire.
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18 -20
I go to ‘concerts’ to try to ’share a moment’ with the artist. Trying to decide what makes them so ‘cool’/'relavent’/meme.
<3 Alice Glass smiled at me.
Just trying to become ‘meme’.
Keep blogging Carles.
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gosh sometimes you are so smart carles.
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“people who ‘twitter’ the whole show”
crls= 21-25.5?
feel kinda mnstrm for saying this, but music festivals have been the best times of my life.
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//////////Reply by jackie jormp-jomp
//////////Posted July 13th, 2009 at 12:09 am
@Mari, oh no!1 your whole life has been a sham!
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THIS IS A MEMORABLE POSTS – MOAR SIDEBAR NEEDED
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i feel like a lot of your posts dance around the point that you “wish you were in a meaningful band” / “wish you were going on tour”.
it’s never too late, unless you are already dead.
i love what you do; you’re the barbara kruger of the blogoshpere.
keep on blogging in the free world.
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dang i’m a somewhat insecure prematurely balding bro but im 24
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I’m 26, work 8-5 M-F, and all I do on weekends is go to shows. I drink 15+ beers, take pills and act like I’m still in my college years. This balance makes me feel like I’m still relevant, but maybe I’m just the old drunk guy.
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//////////Reply by iseecolorbars
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
@monster, i feel the same only im the old drunk girl, till i hung out with 25 year olds last night who had to “take care of the kids”. we are more relvant than that i thinks.
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BEST POST SINCE ANCO!
awesome how everyone goes essentially through the same experiences.
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not sure why concerts are so meaningful, does it really make you relevant to go to shows and go out to bars and shit? it really just seems like a waste. Maybe you should find other things to go other than consume shit because that’s all it really is. Yeah, supporting your favorite band is cool but it’s also just entertainment. not sure that it’s really that cool to wish you were a teenager again, stay away from too many shows and bars. It’s just a nicer form of consumerism.
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oh, now I see why it seems so meaningful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology
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:(
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Isn’t there an alternative to 26+ where you get involved in more ’serious’ experimental music scene…Move beyond P4K and start reading the Wire, hunt down limited edition vinyl, run a small label and press your own vinyl, record mixes and send them to friends, buy ‘relevant’ contemporary art, shop your clothes from Colette / Reed Space and hit up ‘relevant’ cities for 3 day weekends to check out ‘the local scene’?
I’m 25 and if the above is unviable my alt-life is expiring by December…However, I believe you can have a slightly longer alt existence if you can manage to live in NYC / London / Berlin…???
B
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I’m 12-17
I go to concerts, that my friends call “shows,” and listen to them trash the band and the people seeing the band, and secretly wish they would just shut up and get me to the barricade so I can touch the Passion Pit/AnCo/Jenny Lewis. I search for days for someone to go to said concerts with because no one around me appreciates the “relevant” music I find on Pitchfork. I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing AmAppy/trendy stuff.
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//////////Reply by lol
//////////Posted July 22nd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
@lam, “I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing trendy stuff.”
“I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing trendy stuff.”
“I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing trendy stuff.”
“I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing trendy stuff.”
“I also buy all my clothes at Urban Outfitters and make fun of kids wearing trendy stuff.”
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//////////Reply by Lee
//////////Posted November 9th, 2009 at 3:34 am
@lol, Urban Outfitters is what ALL the kids in Chicago wear-no seriously they have so many freakin’ stores there it’s insane..I shop at TJ Maxx and Ross yet these “Trendy people” diss my clothing for being to mainstream/what have you, and my friends are thinking wtf? original as hell, then again I look sort of average with my brown hair blue eyes but I’m so fuckin’ short…5′3-Ish, (so is my older bro.) wear clothes that are actually unique but I’d have to admit that I have a hell of a lot of clothes…and a couple of shirts that my former roomate (when I was 18) never once thought were from Urban Outfitters and he shopped there all the time,… irony.
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//////////Reply by Justaguy
//////////Posted November 9th, 2009 at 5:18 am
@Lee, I’m from la, my cousins live in chicago. ’skinny jeans’ and v neck shirts have them freaking out. they all wear retard jeans and flat brimmed hats with stickers on them.
Carles, you make me feel weird about everything.
Also, I think this post deserves a picture link on the side. It was almost as meaningful as the epic AnCo post.
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my parents went to a Sade concert last summer. They drank white zinfandel and got a ‘contact high’ from some bros smoking a doobie in the next row.
kinda wish peter cetera was still in ‘chicago’
miss u peter.
“we did it all for the glory of love”
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free spirited mom who’s got 5 years left b4 she is really old and should just off herself
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I’m in the over-55 demographic. I go to concerts with my wife when there’s a band we really like and it’s OK to be mortgaged the next day. The places we go seem to tolerate old people, who knows why. We don’t have kids but sometimes when the lights go up I feel like a chaperone. But there is nothing like electric music live — ANY music is better live and it’s great to be around people who can listen to it standing up. Do this while you’re still young, before the knees start to go. I used to be good at picking the best time to go so as to miss lame opening acts and conserve energy and learned much patience in the waiting between sets and how when they bring out the towels it means the band will show up in about 20 minutes. But today concerts at the bigger venues actually start on time and often end before midnight! This doesn’t seem right.
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//////////Reply by the lab
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 1:00 pm
@oldguy, 55+?!?! sursly bro?? shouldn’t you be considering the benefits of AARP auto insurance or checking on your 401k or some shit?
please leave this website k? i can smell your old man stench through the internet.
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//////////Reply by oldguy
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
@the lab, AARP? 401K? Sounds like it’s time for you to move out of your parents’ basement.
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Holy hell. This is why I check ur blog everyday carles. i’ll stand by u through the highs and the lows.
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dang. feeling ahead of schedule. might be an altdeity by the time i’m 23.
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dont like that im in the old category at 26. still wear american appy, still think bands are relavnt, just wanna see animal collective before im 35 with huge hips and babies.
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This post was especially disturbing to me as I operate in cliches and am the biggest stereotype of a recent grad in my early 20’s having an existential liberal arts crisis.
Now what do I do?
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//////////Reply by May
//////////Posted June 23rd, 2009 at 11:03 pm
@larbage, become an hero
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Oh for fuck’s sake if anyone is seriously “depressed” by this you need to get a fucking life. a REAL life, not one defined by this nonsense. I’m 26 and do you think I care about the teens/olds at the shows I go to? Or will ever care? No. And if you never have kids you never get old FACT.
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The mind of a 25 year old is a sad, scary place. Don’t worry “y’all” – it gets much better.
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I’m 29 and none of this pertains to me. The fact is…i don’t care about this bunk ass demographic. Once you turn 25…it’s all the same from there…..depending on if you have kids. You income might increase, and yes, you might be more serious when it comes to relationships. But nothing ever really changes…unless you actually make the change. Also…..it’s never to late to play music….look at the fucking BLANK DOGS dude (hipsters unite)….that dude didn’t release anything until he was like 30-35.
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//////////Reply by skybread
//////////Posted July 16th, 2009 at 3:38 am
@dumb,
you made me feel ‘relieved’
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I will do as i have always done and avoid all stereotypes in the future.
I will go to shows & never stop bein’ cool to 75%+ of the peepz at da show cuz i will always be 134% authentikker than the rest.
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They’re neither concerts or shows. They’re raves.
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be 40 in Nov. You are all entry level.
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Very insiteful. Made me want 2 die.
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i can see how you’re depressed. don’t worry so much about what others think about you, or feel like you can’t do/say/think something just because of your age.
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Where are the titties at?
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doesn’t it all seem so boring? like, where is there to go? like, where is the future? didn’t our parents and their parents and their parents already ask the same questions and then come up with all the answers already? i’m sure that all the answers have been come up with already because all of the questions have been thought of. there will never be anything new ever again and life will continue marching forward with no semblance of change beyond an increase of whatever it is that we currently know how to do.
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we need to get off the inter webs
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going to a festival tomorrow near berlin. they have an entire campsite for people with kids.
the other day at an outdoor club i saw two pregnant ladies. one was dancing like crazy and looked like she was about to have her baby right there.
i know a couple who has a kid but they go out on the weekends and do ketamine and are kind of big djs.
kind of weird. people dont give up here.
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This post was incredible. Carles, YOU + ME = US.
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this shit change my life
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//////////Reply by jackie jormp-jomp
//////////Posted July 13th, 2009 at 12:11 am
@renato lizarraga, Don’t let it. It’s like watching fight club and believing all the stupid shit Tyler Durden says [via seeing things from a depressing pov].
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Wow…
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1) depressing
2) everyone at coachella was wearing the same AA white / light grey stripes v-neck / tank, so i was glad i didn’t bring mine
3) concerts are boring, i only go for appearances sake
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I feel a part of hro when I’m blaz’d
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Hi. I’m going to be 32 next month and I want to tell all of you youngin’s that it’s actually really cool, believe it or not, to be in your 30’s. I know that this might blow your mind but your life is NOT over once you hit 30. I feel like I know myself much better and I even have some money now! I’ve found that when I was in my 20’s I would worry about shit and freak out about the future. Now though there is an inner calmness in me and I feel like I can cope with stuff better. So all you people in your 20’s, don’t despair, it does get better, I promise!
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I used to think when I got older, I’d be established in a career & i would then have enough time and money for leisure activities like supporting live music venues and beer distributors and parking attendants and such. Now I’m older (38) and I’m not established in any sort of career and i get all my music free from blogs. And in answer to your obvious question: NO! you can’t come to my pity party. (you couldn’t afford to park anyway.)
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//////////Reply by anony
//////////Posted August 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
@josh, The key to happiness is lowering your standards. Actually it’s enough to just not be too depressed, happiness was invented in love songs and refined by marketing departments.
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That was the most depressing article I have ever seen. Its a shame that someone has turned a fun event into something sad and focused around negative elements. I love going to concerts and have gone to them my whole life.
Shame on you for ruining something which is often just innocent fun for people!
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