Things I Saw in the Over-25 Section at the Show

On Saturday night, Israel and I went to the Ty Segall show at the El Rey- and by "show" I mean the kind where the backstage area is basically non-existent and people are able to stage dive to their hearts' desire. As we entered the venue, it became apparent that Ty has a wide age-ranged fan base, with the lower margin being kids who looked too young to have acne and the upper margin looking like Mark Ruffalo.

At the El Rey, in case you haven't been there, the floor is divided so that there is a pit in the middle, right in front of the stage, and some raised platforms around the perimeter. After surveying our options, Israel and I quickly decided that we were too old and frail (Haha, jk! Just too old.) to handle the inevitable thrashing about that would take place in the pit, so we decided on the perimeter. We got there pretty early, so we were lucky enough to get spots right up against the barrier, so that we were just outside of and above the pit area. Being elevated above the crowd, I felt like a queen overlooking her subjects...- but only for a minute, because then I snapped out of it and started discussing the current fashions on display before us with Israel. I was particularly fixated on the revival of 90s fashion (if you saw my Facebook post, you already know that the hip LA kids are now neo-Cher Horowitzes), while Israel seemed especially fascinated by the endurance of the classics (Vans, Chucks, and flannel shirts still abounded).

The picture of the marquee that Israel posted on Facebook. Because, as we all know, if it's not on Facebook, it didn't happen. 

As we were talking, people had started to pile onto the platform behind us; when I turned around to lean my back against the barrier, in an attempt to get some respite from the pain caused by my ill-advised shoe choice, I saw them, right there in front of me, all around me- the over 25 crowd. They had all self-segregated, just like us, to the safety of elevation.

I believe that this show was the first all-ages show that I had been to in several years, so the division seemed quite stark to me. Not that the people in our section weren't hip. They were clearly the kind of people just like us, who, a few short years ago, would have been down there with the rest, throwing elbows and maybe even crowd surfing- why else would they choose to be at this kind of a show in their late 20s and 30s? But still, cool band T-shirts and fashionable thick-rimmed glasses aside, there was something different about this crowd. I was able to narrow it to a few things, so here is my short list of things I saw in the over-25 section at the show:

1. Combed hair.

2. Better-fitting and more expensive-looking outfits, some including fitted leather jackets and sateen-finish jeggings.

3. A girl (ok, lady) gingerly taking ear plugs out of a plastic case she had just removed from her purse.

4. Wedding bands.

5. A man (in the fashionable thick-rimmed eyeglasses) puffing on an electronic cigarette as he stared off into the distance.

6. Worried looks as kids stage-dived into what appeared to be open gaps in the crowd, devoid of any waiting hands (ok, maybe that one was just me...).

7. People eagerly singing along to the Misfits cover that the third opening act played (old punks, you know).

8. A lady wearing a T-shirt that said "Part-Time Punks" with a cardigan over it (a look that I really appreciate).

We still know how to have fun; we just do it in a more sensible way. And I had SO much fun, enjoying the music without risking any bruises, but also watching the ruckus beneath me, remembering how liberating it was to be down there and being happy that a new set is getting to experience it. As Israel said, "It's like the changing of the guard."

These old gals have seen a few mosh pits in their days. They're kind of gross, really. But, oh, how I love them <3 i="i">