Wait, this isn't my semiotic domain...

Last night I attended a concert in a teeny tiny venue in the middle of nowhere. It was the farewell tour of a band I'm quite fond of, Last Tuesday. I've never been to a show that small before--previously I've only been to mega concerts or semi mega concerts, so this was a bit of a shock. The fact that the guys in the band wandered around before hand and watched part of the opening acts with us was incredibly cool, but very strange. Then there was their portion of the concert. We were right in the frong, so they were pretty much singing in our faces. Again, very very cool, but strange. I mean, where are you suppposed to look when someone is singing in your face? Awkward. It was a really great show, but bittersweet since I know I'll never get to see them play again after this tour.

Anyway. The reason I'm writing this isn't to tell you how awesome Last Tuesday is, although they are and you should definitely check them out on Myspace if you get a chance. I'm writing this because as I stood there at the concert, I realized that my friends and I were completely out of place in that teeny tiny venue. Not because we didn't love the band, because we did. But it's not always about the music at concerts. The problem was, we didn't fit into the semiotic domain featured at the concert: The Hip Concert Kids. Hip Concert Kids like concerts, and will go to any local show even if they don't know the band. They like to wear very tight pants, especially if they are boys. Their shirt must come from the thrift store, and their shoes must either be Chuck Taylors or ballet flats. Hair is also very important to Hip Concert Kids. If you are a boy HCK, your hair must be partially bleached and flopped in a stylish manor over one eye. If you are a girl HCK, your hair must either be very short and dyed numerous colors or long, crimped, and covering at least half of the face. Thrashing about and bobbing your head to the music is also a must, as is confronting various band members at the merch tables in pursuit of autographs and pictures to be used to prove your coolness.

Sadly, my friends and I are not Hip Concert Kids. We wore jeans and sweaters and were there simply to enjoy some good music and support some awesome guys in an awesome band. We did not thrash about as the cool kids did, though we did bust out a few dance moves(you can't listen to Last Tuesday without having the urge to dance.) It was a strange experience, being so out of place, but it was great fun. Who knows, maybe the future will hold another concert in a teeny tiny venue surrounded by the Hip Concert Kids. If so, I'm ready.