Why Can't We Be Friends?
I don't want to sit at home on Saturday nights anymore. So, I started going to concerts. Sometimes alone.
I joined a meet-up group. You sign up for an event on their website and meet new people who signed up for the same activity. It can be a dating site for making connections, or just an activity group for meeting new people and having fun.
I've met a couple of women on this particular site who became more than activity partners. So there's always that possibility…
Over the summer I saw some great bands at fantastic venues, including the Xfinity Center, but now that it's colder, everything has moved inside. The Norwood Theatre is a remodeled Cinema under new ownership that now features live music, full theatrical productions, touring stage shows, and community musicals. It's great. You buy your tickets online, show up, they check you in, and then help you find your seat. I've seen cover bands there for Pink Floyd, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Cher. And I wasn't crazy about seeing Cher, but the lead singer did not disappoint. She was spot on! A real diva, especially in her many different wigs and skin-tight, sequined outfits.
I recently saw a posting on my regular meet-up site for a concert at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood. In addition to being a place to listen to live music, they record each session. I hadn't heard of The Love Dogs, but after watching a clip, I signed up right away. They're frequent flyers at The Fallout Shelter, where they bring their energetic mix of jump blues, New Orleans R&B, early rock 'n' roll, swing, and barrelhouse boogie-woogie. With a powerful horn section, a boogie-woogie keyboard, lead guitar, bass, and drums holding the beat, it's lead singer Eddie Scheer who brings it all together.
It was Gary's event. He created and posted it, wrote the description, and answered members' questions. He recommended arriving early, and since it's general admission with only a few reserved seats, that made sense.
Five people signed up at first, and then a sixth signed up a week before the event. Howard had been to The Fallout Shelter before, and in the group chat he said we didn't need to arrive early and that we should all meet for a drink first, and that there would be plenty of seats available. That just pissed off Gary, and I could understand why. He had put in the time and effort; it was his event, and either intentionally or unintentionally, Howard kind of hijacked the lead.
They got into it a bit in the chat, where everyone could see. Enough that a woman named Jaz was so upset that she wanted to return her ticket.
Then Gary abruptly resigned from the event, removed his name from the attendance list, and put Howard in charge. My sympathies lay with Gary, even though he may have overreacted a bit.
I posted on the group chat that I had an extra ticket, and a woman named Mary had signed up, but the tickets were sold out when she tried to buy one, so she left the group. When she heard I had an extra ticket, she bought it from me.
I wrote in the chat that I'd get there between 5:15 and 5:30, and because the event was sold out, I wanted to be first in line when the doors opened at 6 for the 7 o'clock start. Jaz agreed.
The venue is in a 200-year-old brick-and-mortar industrial park that was once a tannery and is now called the Winsmith Mill, a multi-vendor vintage, antique, and collectibles marketplace. The Fallout Shelter is in the basement of one of the buildings.
When I first walked in, I could hear the musicians tuning their instruments while the staff did sound checks.
The Fallout Shelter has the look and feel of a '70s Speakeasy. You go down 8-10 stairs when you come in, and you feel like you've gone underground to listen to off-the-beaten-track music. It has that guilty-pleasure vibe. With the walls and ceiling painted flat black, it feels like you're part of a select group of people doing something illegal during Prohibition.
The second to arrive was a woman about my age, who had been there many times, and she filled me in. Apparently, they only sell as many tickets as they have seats, so no one stands. The seats are comfortable, and the small, solid round tables are spaced well so everyone has a place for their drinks.
They asked the early arrivals, including me, Jaz, and Mary, to step outside and wait. We started chatting amongst ourselves, then with other patrons who arrived after us and were also waiting to get in.
One guy in line looked strangely familiar, but I couldn't place him. He was tall, with medium-length brown hair, a sharply defined jawline, and something about him that made me not want to enter his space without asking first…
When you sign up for activities on a meet-up site, it's not just about the music or the venue; it's about mingling with new people. Jaz and I sat in the second row with Mary. When Howard came in, he and his friend sat in front of us. I recognized him immediately from his picture on the site. To Howard's left was an empty seat, and the guy I saw in line, who seemed a little standoffish, sat in the next seat over…
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Jaz and I were talking nonstop; we became fast friends. Mary had gotten herself a drink, so I asked Jaz if she wanted anything from the bar. She said a Sprite, adding that she was a non-drinker. When they didn't have Sprite, I told her what they did have, and she chose Ginger Ale. I went back and got her a Ginger Ale, a Dr. Pepper for me, and two bags of chips.
We still had some time to kill before the band took the stage, and Jaz was the perfect person to kill it with. She's an interesting, attractive woman, born in the Philippines and the second youngest of eight siblings. She came to the United States when she was very young, and speaks three languages fluently.
The Love Dogs have been together for more than 30 years. Once they took the stage, it was clear that every band member is an incredibly talented musician and singer. The music is lively and funny, and despite seeing some very popular bands over the summer, The Love Dogs didn't disappoint; they made the top of my list. They're fucking incredible!
Jaz and I were talking between sets and having a great time when she suddenly leaned in, whispered, and motioned with her head, "See that guy sitting over there? That's Gary…"
That's why he looked so familiar. He was only a couple of seats away from Howard. Jaz giggled and said to me, "Go over and say hello to Gary." To which I replied, "No! You go over and say hello to him!"
I leaned in to Jaz and said, "You know the two dogs in Gary's profile picture, they're probably outside in his truck, and Howard doesn't know it yet, but when he leaves this place, he's red meat!"
We're evil, and at least for one night, partners in crime. Jaz and I had a good laugh at their expense, and we made no apologies.
The Love Dogs did not one, but two encores, and if you'd never heard them before, you walked out a fan for life.
After Gary left, we spoke to Howard, who had no idea Gary was sitting just a couple of seats away from him.
I felt bad for Gary. He sat alone, and the only reason any of us were there was that he created the event and was adamant we get there early so we could all sit together. DRAMA SUCKS!
In the end, I had a great time, made some new friends, and I wouldn't hesitate to sign up for more events, especially those at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood.
Jaz wouldn't have to twist my arm either…