Slightly Stoopid Verizon Wireless Theater May 14, 2011
Gone are the days when ska-ish, acoustic punk rock with undertones of reggae and hip-hop ruled the airwaves. Hell, Aftermath never even got to see it firsthand, so for all we know, it never really happened. Because by the time we started going to concerts and buying music for ourselves, this genre's heyday was already over.
Which is exactly why we were so excited to see Slightly Stoopid. After watching Sublime With Rome's exceptional performance during the Final Four Big Dance concert series just a month ago, we had high hopes for Saturday night's show. Slightly Stoopid's claim to fame is, after all, directly connected to Sublime - the band's late singer Bradley Nowell signed them to Skunk Records while all of Stoopid's members were still in high school.
What a long way we've come.
Sadly, the attendance wasn't all that high, the sound quality wasn't as good as it could have been. But the overall feel seemed reminiscent of a time when music was upbeat enough to make you want to learn how to skateboard, yet laid-back enough to make you want to smoke with your friends all day.
Productivity may have been at an all-time low, but to whom does that not sound appealing? Then again, now that we think about it, maybe today's "let's-all-pitch-in-and-help-change-the-world" music is better.
Time will tell, we suppose.
One thing we know for sure: Aftermath wasn't the only one moving our body to the music. In fact, our slight head-bobbing paled in comparison to most of the crowd, who were crowd-surfing and affably moshing with one another.
Aftermath even saw one couple pretty much having sex up against the railing in front of the stage.
Whatever floats your boat, kiddos. Be fruitful. No one's watching anyway, right?
It may have been somewhat sparse Saturday night, but everyone there got their money's worth. In fact, some people partied a little too hardy - we saw security remove a few people from the front of the stage, and watched as the police escorted one guy from the building and put him in a squad car.
It may only last for a few hours, but we'll take any excuse to travel back to the '90s whenever we can.
Personal Bias: An upbeat trip down memory lane? Count us in.
The Crowd: Glassy eyes, shaggy haircuts and a lot of Sublime T-shirts. But a decent number of professional-looking folks, a few punk rockers and way too many young women in heels. Seriously, girls... at a concert?
Overheard In the Crowd: "Are you over 21? If I give you money, will you buy me beer?"
Random Notebook Dump: After we jokingly ordered a hurricane, a female bartender questioned our manhood and proceeded to pour us (and herself) a shot of Crown.
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