Roseland Theater, Portland
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Stage Diving 101: A lot of people don't like getting kicked in the head. If a person is about to fall on top of you, a natural reaction for many is to get out of the way. Those sandwiched between each other in the center main pit at a concert have nowhere to go. Their only option is to catch you.
I don't take that much pleasure in other's misfortunes. Sure, watching "less than athletic" folks running to catch a bus is immensely hilarious, especially when they fall short of their goal. Rookie Stage Diver was a more rewarding experience on the comedic scale. He chose the path less taken, and jumped off the edge of the stage where the crowd was less dense. The people surrounding him trying to help him off the ground was priceless. Ahhhh, you silly bastard, you had my ass cracked up.
The Bloody Beetroots are an electronic duo from Italy, who wear masks to hide their identity. Masked man number one is set on the left side of the stage behind his keys/electronic noise makers. At the middle of the stage was masked man number two, perched between a wall of keyboards and electronic devices. To the far right, a new addition, a third masked man playing drums (that's right, an EDM drummer). Actually, the "Death Crew 77" refers to their live performances with the drummer.
I cannot say enough about how cool it was seeing a live drummer performing EDM. Note to struggling electronic musicians, add a drummer to your shows and get people talking. You can find a capable drummer at Pioneer Square who will work for Carl's Jr. chicken sandwiches. Try it out, seriously.
Another grand addition to the stereotypical EDM show was an electric guitar, played by center-staged masked man number two, who also sang what few lyrics they had. Actually, I can't recite any lyrics other than the song they counted to four, because he spent most of the time screaming. At times it felt a lot more like an industrial metal show, which was fine by me. One minor complaint was the nearly non-existing light show. Don't you know half the crowd is rollin?
The usual EDM suspects were there, Shirtless Baggy Pants Guy, Glowstick Girl, Crowd Surfing Somersault Dude (one of my favorites), Put Me On Your Shoulders I Can't See Anything Chick, and Crooked Flat-Brimmed Hat Guy. I was probably the only one there with sandals and long hair. At one point, I felt obligated to hit up the balcony, feeling a little out of place dancing next to teenagers (well that, and I was thirsty). At least there wasn't a line to get a beer, because I was one of the few over 21 allowed upstairs.
Hanging out with myself and three other elders sipping beer, I started thinking, am I the only one here who has seen the Fleet Foxes live? Can anyone here name a Bob Dylan song? What am I going to do when I near my 40s, and an EDM act I really want to see is announced? I'm still going to want to jump up and down simultaneously with 1,000 other people. I think I'm having a mini mid-life crisis writing this. Maybe I'll just wear a mask, baggy pants, and a flat-brimmed hat?
Fuck it. I like electronic music. As long as there are people like Rookie Stage Diver to keep me entertained, I'll still be there.
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