or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Enjoy a Pop Concert
Here’s the thing I’ll say about mainstream pop shows: people get fired UP. That’s kind of nice.
These little indie rock shows I attend are amazing and intimate, but on some nights, the people who show up are…how do I say this…too cool for school, I guess? There is an art to hipster nonchalance and non-committal dancing – which is fine, that’s the scene, or whatever. But let me remind you that I’m the girl who drunkenly yells at people for not being awed in the presence of Harry Belafonte.
So I went to a Maroon 5/Train concert last night.
First of all, I was sober, which is the weird thing, because I really quite enjoyed myself (At one point in the night I actually exclaimed to my party, “Aren’t you proud of me that I’m not DRUNK right now?” Classy.) But this concert really ended up taking on a special meaning as a benefit show for the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund. Everything from the talent’s performance fees to ticket sales, venue cost and labor, catering and concessions, etc - all went to the cause. I heard the bands’ costs totalled at least $500k alone, and the Indy Star is estimating it will likely be a seven-figure fundraiser, which is awesome.
Bess and I grabbed our Conseco Fieldhouse dinner and were just about to sit down when the show started. We both wished for Train to be first so we could sit and eat. No such luck. Maroon 5 came on playing their latest single, and because this is Bess’s Song du Jour, she glared at the hot dog I was shoving into my mouth and yelled, “PUT THAT DOWN! IT’S MOVES LIKE MICK JAGGERRRRR!!!”
It was fun. Maroon 5 was fun. I just wish they’d embrace being poppy and dancy, instead of ending songs with these weird “rock” interludes. Hey Adam Levine, “This Love” does NOT need a five-minute guitar solo. The disco ball above your head should be your first hint. Earlier I claimed no knowledge of any songs beyond their first album, but was surprised to know EVERY chorus of every song, because of POP MUSIC OSMOSIS. A song would start and we’d be like, “I’ve never heard this song in my life,” and then the hook would come in and we’d mysteriously belt out every word. POP.
We started making bets on how long we were going to last through Train’s set. I withheld my guilty desire to at least stay for “Drops of Jupiter,” because it reminded me of being in love the summer after my high school graduation. (If you’re playing the home game, getting drunk on Nostalgia is a common thing we like to do here at TYK.) Train’s set starts with - I shit you not - the sound effect of a train pulling into the station, and Bess’s sister Carrie, who drove us, was ready to bolt. We were like “NOOOO GIVE IT A CHANCE?”, which is something I never thought I’d say about Train, ever (but also, DROPS OF JUPITER, shhhh).
The Train set was WEIRD - like, there were awkward audience participation segments, and this cello player danced the flamenco, and the lead singer did a yoga pose on a stage ramp? In the row behind us were three sets of teenagers, all couples, and during that ”Marry Me” song, one pair got up and started dancing. I was like, “You can’t be more than SIXTEEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU KNOW NOTHING OF LOVE!” and then…Drops of Jupiter. Goddammit. Touche, Train.
I was entertained, though. The lead singer changed shirts multiple times and his pants were SO TIGHT! They also did a surprisingly great cover of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” I’m a bitch for saying anything critical at all, really, because this concert was about something vastly more important than my music snobbery. Conseco Fieldhouse was full of sincere and supportive hoosiers, coming together. Bottom line.
And this Hoosier pride is powerful. “HOW POWEFUL IS IT?” you ask. Well, dear readers, so powerful that I stood up and sang to what is perhaps one of my least favorite songs of all time, “Hey, Soul Sister.” I was ADAMANT about my hatred for it earlier in the night, but I’ll be damned if I was not the first person in my row telling people to get up and dance.
After the show ended, Bess turned to me and I poked her in the collarbone — “You tell ANYONE that I was dancing and singing to ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ and I WILL CUT YOU.”
…..
Hey, I just wanted you to hear it from me, first.
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From WISHTV:
Donors can now text FAIR to 27722 to make a $10 donation.
Up to three donations ($30 total) may be given this way from a single cell phone.
The fund will benefit those injured in the stage rigging collapse Saturday at the Indiana State Fair, just before a Sugarland concert, as well as the families of those who died.
Donations can also be made online , or by mail; Checks should be sent to CICF, ATTN: Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund, 615 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis, IN 46204-1498.





























