sweet jesus help us, the 80s are back

Last night Q and I went to see Alkaline Trio at the Pageant. As usual, it was a great show. I've never been disappointed with seeing them live. Not only do they sound awesome live, but they apparently hate smoke, so they request that people not smoke at their shows. When we saw them at Pop's, no one paid any attention to the request, which is expected, I guess. But the Pageant actually enforced the request, and set up a special area for smoking. It was great. Not that I have a problem with smoking, not at all. However, the smoke is usually so bad at concerts that I come home smelling to high heaven. That's gross. The last thing I want to do is come home at 11:30 on a work night and have to shower before sleepytime because every inch of my body reeks. I actually saw people smoking, too, even after ushers had told them to quit (we were sitting upstairs in the old people section). I just don't get it. If the band you paid $15 or $19 to come and see asks you to refrain from smoking, have some respect and do it. If you can't wait 2 hours at the most to have a smoke, you've got a big problem. Just get over it.

Plus, Tammy, the woman who spearheads the West Memphis 3 World Awareness Day apparently got the Trio to talk about the events in St. Louis (at the Hi Pointe & Lemmons on June 3) and a little bit about the case. They have a song on their latest album about the three (called 'Prevent This Tragedy'), so I'm sure it wasn't a tough sell. I've heard them talk about the case at shows before. I think it's really cool that they do that. The place was sold out I'm pretty sure, so what better way to tell 2000 people about the events? I haven't seen even a mention of them anywhere in the media here, so might as well do this.

It's always entertaining, though, to people watch at these shows - all the little high school kids and the new fashion. Seems like it's turning more and more towards the 80s - a time period which does not, in my opinion, ever need to be repeated. Anyway, there were lots of leggings (under skirts of course), peg leg jeans, crazy colored poofy hair, and cut up t-shirts. Not a good look. I see nothing attractive in this, and will refuse to cave in to these trends. It seems like I say this every year with the new trends, then cave anyway (capris, pointy-toed shoes), but this time I mean it. Never again will I don leggings, unitards, peg leg jeans, tightrolls, t-shirt clips, or any of that crap. No way. It's wrong on so very many levels. Hopefully these trends will be confined to the jr. high/high school crowd, like the stupid lug boots the kids wore (or whatever they're called) with skirts and whatnot. Those are the goofiest looking things.

I guess anything is better than the 90s, though - no one ever again should wear the MC Hammer Z Cavariccis. There's just no call for that type of humiliation and cruelty. Please, Hammer, don't hurt 'em [us ever again with your presence]. U can't [shouldn't ever] touch this [pair of pants ever again].