best. concert. ever.

i didn't bring my camera because i was feeling a little cynical about live music, even though i was going to see my favorite band of all time. sometimes i'm in no mood for crowds, for arrogant door people, for six dollar heinekens, for little fourteen year old tweakers sparking a bowl within four inches of me. BUT.

it was State Radio.
that show was one of the best shows i've ever been to. it started as awkwardly as i'd anticipated, i was surrounded by a bunch of high schoolers and yes, there were a couple of those potheads in the crew. but then i ran into three boys that ran the merch booth when we did the Dispatch movie premiere, and they pulled me up front with them two songs before SR took the stage.

i didn't know there were going to be four bands on stage tonight... SR was third, and blew the top off the building. the energy was visceral, rugged, palpable. they opened with my favorite song (Mr. Larkin) and all 200 of us in the crowd started jumping and didn't stop until the set was over. the room was so full of people and sweat that the Beat Kitchen opened all the emergency exit doors and the cooler air breezed in over the top of us. i was shoved around, i was burnt with a lighter, but through it all i was ten feet from a huge speaker and i got lost in the pro-revolutionary reggae funk. Chad Urmston is brilliant.

after SR made way for RX Bandits, i decided i'd had my fill and went outside to say hello to the band. i've gotten to know chad and his bandmates and his girlfriend a little because Chad is one of our Elias Fund founders, and Owen is SR's merch person when they're in Boston. so it's like we all know a lot about each other second hand, and it gets more personal every time, but i still keep it short and sweet to avoid any chance of awkward... it was great to see them. there's a lot of respect in every angle, they're very cool people.