Return of the trucker-hatted indie zombies
20 October 2004
Though I so unfortunately had to miss the Old 97's show in San Francisco last Friday, I've been told they rocked. But the crowd apparently didn't. I've heard reports of what I'm recognizing as an increasingly common phenomenon at shows with indie appeal. Masses of (sometimes trucker-hatted) hipsters observe shows like this in a state of detached indie cool: trying desperately to supress any visible signs of emotional investment, they conservatively nod their heads to the beat, occasionally sipping from their over-priced pints of Pabst. It's amazing. I have no idea how they can resist the need to, well, at least move when exposed to such rockingly great music.
I often wonder what the musicians think of this. Sometimes I think it must be disappointing for them. But you never know. Case in point: I was at a 764-HERO show at the Bottom of the Hill two or three years ago, trapped in the middle of an agonizingly catatonic crowd. After the show, I approached the band members (as that venue allows so well) and apologized to the singer for the crowd's lack of enthusiasm. He looked puzzled, and said, "What do you mean? San Francisco has our best audiences outside of Seattle, besides maybe Portland." Nothing seemed wrong to him.
So should I ligthen up on the trucker-hatted indie zombies?