Rock & Roll!!

Ahhh...there's nothing like a good ol' fundraiser. Whether it's a bake sale, car wash, or working a concession stand at a national rock-music tour filled with bands I've never heard of, fundraisers can be a great way for teammates to bond over some good old-fashioned work.

This was certainly the case yesterday, as Kristen and I (along with members of our women's basketball team) got to see the Vans Warped Tour up close and personal. Over 30 bands played on numerous stages, each (of course) plastered with corporate names at a concert which originally was rather sponsor-free in its early stages. Of course, that was 13 years ago, and now there's money to be made and myspace.com tents to be visited by the scores of Gen Y-ers who descended upon Riverbend yesterday.

At our stand, we sold 20-ounce drinks for $3.50 apiece. While that certainly isn't a bargain, anyone who has attended any pro sport events or concerts are usually prepared for that kind of sticker shock. My shock came in the form of THOUSANDS of kids dressed in different forms of all-black outfits on a steamy 93-degree day. I kind of enjoyed some of the more creative outfits, as many concertgoers chose some resplendent knee-high socks, ultra-short shorts, and mohawks with spikes of hair big enough to play ring toss with. Needless to say, the piercing count was also high, including a guy who had the ubiquitous "spacer" earrings complete with mini-padlocks in each ear. That gave me nightmares.

And it goes without saying that the ink count was also rather high as well. I was surprised to not see a tattooist on-site; what I was NOT surprised to hear was the amount of angry music. I guess I don't understand at all how people can get so angry on such a nice day.