The Good:

I had the great fortune of seeing 30 Seconds to Mars live. Opening acts included Neon Trees and Mute Math which both rocked surprisingly hard and sounded amazing. Right up center in the crowd was my chosen spot as dealing with the moshpit and constant pushing back and forth of a sea of people is usually annoying but hardly enough to distract from having excellent bands (and this time an excellent Hollywood actor singing his heart out as well).

Mute Math, 2nd opener for 30 Seconds to Mars. the drummer was absolutely insane… came out and started duct-taping his headphones to his head. i counted at least 2 broken drum sticks. I loved the way they ended the show, by breaking down their instruments but jamming on them at the same time… eventually everyone had part of the drum set and the song turned into a tribal beat with the entire band banging on whatever they could grab. at one point the singer threw a weird theramin into the crowd which i was able to grab and play a few notes as it was passed around.

Neon Trees, first opener for 30 Seconds to Mars. Decent band — singer is like a high-energy, punk version of Mick Jagger. Getting a non-blurry picture of anyone in that group was impossible… made even more so that I was close enough to wonder if I would be nailed with a swinging microphone which would have been awesome, haha.

well… I survived 30 Seconds to Mars. Was one person deep in center pit until some dick stole my camera right out of my hand… chased him down, got punched in the face and another guy nailed me in the kidney but I got the camera back. Spent the rest of the next couple songs gasping for breath amidst the sea of people. But eventually the fun came back to me and the rest of the show rocked!

The Bad:

The next day, I went to the old market in order to play my own music for the masses. The night wasn’t the best for street busking so soon after the sun went down I began making my way back home. Unfortunately I was jacked on my way back up what I thought was 13th St but was 16th street. Five black dudes tried to take my guitar but I beat them back. Thankfully my only injuries were minor wounds where I impacted with the assailants: cut knuckle from a punch, and sides of both palms where I blocked their hits. After I knocked one guy’s wind out of him the rest took off running away allowing me to dart into an opened door that just happened to be backstage at the same venue that I saw 30 Seconds to Mars the night before.  After a song or two by the band on stage, a roadie spotted me and asked for credentials. He surprisingly believed me when I lied that I had lost them but when he asked who I was with, I drew a blank.

Rule 1: If you find yourself one step away from a Roadie letting you stay backstage, it is always a good idea to have at least some clue as to which bands are playing.  I voluntarily left, caught a ride with Shera to home where I nursed my minor scrapes and cuts.

F*ing Hell:

I went back to the Old Market the next night because I found myself playing guitar and realised that I might as well make a few dollar bills while I practice. It was a very slow night so I ended up chatting and jamming with other buskers, eventually just putting instruments away and babbling about music on the porch of Billy Frogs Tavern.  It was after 2 when I took off knowing that I had borrowed a car this night so as not to worry about having an attempted mugging once again on the way home.  Instead, I got lost on the way home driving down 10th street while thinking it was 13th street.  10th ends going south as soon as you approach Rosenblatt Stadium and the Henry Doorly Zoo campus to which I discovered too late. While attempting t o turn around quickly in the narrow one way street, the car hit the curb and possibly a sign. The airbag went off and knocked me out.  I have no recollection of at least an hour after that. I know a policeman issued me a ticket for the collision because I have the ticket. The blankness off the accident and at least an hour after is what is worrying me.  Unfortunately, I have no visible head injury and no seatbelt bruise. My only injuries are still those from the mugging the night before. I say this as unfortunately because at least some physical sign except for a broken car might spur memory or at least show a clue.

I just learned that the car is technically totalled due to the repair cost. It certainly didn’t look totalled but in the end it is better, at least insurance-wise.

© 2010, Jeremy Staffeld. All rights reserved.