Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Why Me?

Intro: Last Thursday I planned on going to a Jazz concert at my alma mater with this really cool girl I’ve been seeing, however she found out early that afternoon she would have to work late and wouldn’t get off in time to make the concert. I almost decided to stay home and watch game 1 of the NBA Finals, however since I already had tickets I decided to go to the show. After trying for a quick minute to contact a few friends to see if anyone wanted the other ticket finally I just decided to leave it at the box office for some lucky random jazz-loving soul.

I arrive about 20 minutes prior to the concert, pick up my ticket and leave the extra one at the box office. Now the fun begins…..seating is general admission and the place is already packed with old, mostly very wealthy, white folks. Now I did expect the crowd to be older and whiter than let’s say a Showtime at the Apollo crowd so I’m not too surprised. But there is something slightly disconcerting about being in a room with 300 old, rich, white dudes (OWD) and ladies (OWL) and like 5 (counting the drummer) black folks, plus another brother who was probably just a student worker taking tickets at the door. After checking out the room I find two seats on the end of last row of the middle section. I ask an OWD if the two seats are available, they are so I sit down leaving one empty isle seat beside me. A few minutes later some other old couple walks up and starts talking to the old couple sitting beside me. I guess the two couples want to sit together cause OWD beside me decides to ask if I would mind moving to an empty seat (which did have a much better view) two rows in front. I’m naturally a pretty nice and laid back brother by nature, but I’m also in no mood to get up and change seats. However I think my mind is clouded from being around all those old, rich, white folks because after a few seconds I made sure the seat was unused, then against my better judgement decide to move. So here’s where it gets all (the more) gully. I’m maneuvering to the middle of row to the empty seat, of course saying excuse me as I walk past people. As I past one OWD I hear him say out loud I guess to his wife or whoever wes sitting beside him, “Oh that is the guy that was working at the door, I guess he is coming to watch the show to.”

Now I’ve learned from experience at times you gotta let some inappropriate s..t people say slide, but I’m not feeling that at the moment. My most immediate realization is that OWD is sitting at the perfect height for me to put a Nintendo Double Dragon “Knee Drop” right on his head. In case you don’t know......
To jump and give a powerful knee kick at the same time, wait until the precise moment you've landed from a jump or just as you're getting up from a fall. Then immediately push the CONTROL PAD ARROW in the same direction as the enemy, and press both ATTACK BUTTONS simultaneously.

Well I make a split second decision the knee drop is probably not the most effective way to deal with the situation considering my surroundings. So without stopping or even looking at ole boy I said to him, “No, I brought a ticket and I’m here for the concert.” Then I took my seat, by then in a pretty foul mood and trying my best not to shoot murderous looks at everyone else there. Now you would think all the other white folks would see this brother looking really mad (I guess I don’t pull that look off really well) and leave me alone. But no, during the rest of the short wait before the concert and during intermission people are asking me questions, I assume trying to be nice but I’m not in the mood (note: real question but not my real answers, just what I felt like saying):

ORWL #1: Have you seen any of these performers before?
ME: Yeah and they are pretty good, but you know in the past month I’ve seen Tone Loc and Big Daddy Kane in concert, heard of them before?

ORWL #2: Where did you get that shirt, it’s best looking shirt here?
ME: You cause all these OWD’s can’t dress worth a damn.

ORWL #1: Are you a musician too?
ME: Yes, but I stopping playing the viola in 9th grade to concentrate on my budding gangsta rap career (one part of the statement is actually true).

ORWL #2: The lady can really sing, don’t you think?
ME: Yes, but if I was up there I could sing and dance for you too, got any blackface?

So yeah I was not really cool with my surroundings but thankfully the music was good enough where I could focus on that; the cat on the tenor sax was blowing hard, the pianist looked kinda goofy but he could play, string bass was laying some tight grooves, and the drummer was off the chain. After the first song the vocalist, a rather physically and vocally stunning woman, came out and they performed well together. Even after the comment and all the questions I didn’t feel like answering I ended up enjoying a good show. If I’m listening to jazz I like it upbeat and slightly funky which encompassed many of their musical selections. They also played some Duke Ellington and Count Bassie and they ended the concert with an amazing second line style version of Sweet Georgia Brown.

Overall impressions, yeah I was pissed but the music was ok. I would love to go back to one of the Philip Manuel concert in July. Just gotta get all my boys to ride out there with me, I’m bringing a posse next time.