Yesterday there was a concert in support of Ukraine. My mood in the morning was bad, and I almost decided to skip it. Then I remembered that it's always like this with me. And that hanging out is always generally a positive thing and does wonders for the mood. I forced myself to go and set off. I thought I'd walk to catch up on my step goals, but the water pouring from the sky was just a bit too noticeable.
As it turned out, that's exactly what happened with my mood. At first, I was somewhat awkwardly keeping up the conversation at our gang's gathering point. I couldn't resist the temptation and devoured not only the two Karums glazed curds I'd brought with me, but also a piece of local cake. Unfortunately, for some reason I didn't get to try the freshly baked Easter kulich, even though it seemed like it was just ready.
As they say, next year in Jerusalem!
I ran into a bunch of acquaintances, specifically Abdulla from the once (in)famous band Sphincter, Ivan, and others.
For some reason, Ivan asked if I pop shrooms, LSD, pills, and other substances. I honestly answered no, then realized I'd lied a bit, considering my potent meds. Next time I'll try to find an honest but not overly revealing answer, if such a thing even exists.
I in turn asked Ivan how he juggles his love for dark shit, metal, and South Park with his political activism. He replied that he doesn't do shit to anyone, and there's no accounting for taste. I don't know if an answer like that will fly in our conservative city.
As for the concert, three bands played, and the headliner was the Latgalian band Varang Nord. They didn't disappoint: very energetic, the music was pretty accessible and partly melodic, despite the growls. My pals pointed out the following. The guys in the band were playing even 15 years ago, back when the Chemical Reaction rock concerts were held at the Palace of Culture, just in different bands. It's just that over these years they finally learned how to play, market themselves, build an image, and do other things that matter in showbiz.
As a result, they started going to European fests and winning awards there. Good stuff!
Interestingly, the statements about supporting Ukraine were very moderate, along the lines of: "We are against war". Nobody started shouting "Glory to Ukraine", and the musicians themselves only said a couple of words about it. I even trolled my buddy, suggesting we shout it together. That's the punk way my pal Ezh used to act back in the day, disrupting the meetings of the "New Generation" cult.
This time, however, my buddy was at a loss for words, and we missed our fucking window. Maybe for the best, since there was already too much security in the venue; apparently they were expecting conflicts.
As for the event itself, it turned out to be more of just a free metal gig than a fundraiser, especially considering you couldn't pay by card. The next day I transferred a twenty, which is a comfortable amount for a concert for me. As I somewhat clumsily put it in a conversation, I could transfer a grand, but I'd need a solid motivation for that. If there isn't one, my inner cheapskate will win out, because it holds a noticeable sway over me, unless it comes to my friends. I always feel stingy spending money on strangers or myself. Or, at the very least, I need a rational justification for the expenses. It's much easier to justify the expense as "paying" for a concert than to just transfer money into a black hole. No matter how much you send, they'll spend it all.
So now I'm learning to indulge myself; I want to buy a Garmin sports watch, because I untimely ruined my old Chinese Amazfit Bip watch in the washing machine.
I also ran into a pretty drunk Andris Pikarevskis. I told him I respect Facebook warriors. And he simultaneously told me that I'm fucking awesome because I can walk and bullshit about smart stuff for five hours straight. This amused me, and even made me happy. I still think that a collection of random scientific facts is not an indicator of intelligence, but thanks for the kind words.
I met a disheveled Elf, hadn't seen him in a thousand years. He straight-up hugged me right away, started telling me how things were, and that the public is craving concerts. He immediately agreed to host a children's play, because he just wants to do some kind of show, and that generally everywhere is sold out. Pretty cool.
All in all, while the party was going on and I was chatting with folks there, things were good. Once I got home — a bit sad. Nevertheless, the concert was fire, the hangout was a success.