Digitalism at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago – 5/15/13 photo by Conor Bezane
I’ve been to my fair share of concerts — around 600 according to my estimation, most of them punk shows. And one thing that is always ubiquitous is weed. Especially at outdoor festivals, marijuana is everywhere. I used to like the smell of it, but now, since I’ve gotten sober, it disgusts me.
I used to get drunk at concerts. Four or five beers at an inflated $8 a pop — and that’s for bad beer, Bud or Miller Lite. You end up drinking even more beer if you’re at an all-day festival. If you drink heavily at concerts, you spend half your time waiting in the beer line or waiting for the bathroom. Or having to pee the entire time.
I went to three music festivals this summer – Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, and Riot Fest. Weed was rampant at Lollapalooza – you couldn’t get away from it. And with security as tight as it is, I’m amazed people were able to smuggle it in. I suppose if you put it in your sock or your underwear, no one’s gonna find it.
Riot Fest leans punk. Walk around the festival and you’ll see plenty of mohawks and punk studded motorcycle jackets. The interesting thing about Riot Fest is that there was almost no pot to be found. Snoop Dogg may be the most pro-cannabis artist in music today. When he played at Riot Fest, there was weed to be sure, but nothing like Lollapalooza proportions.
In fact, I would say the punks are more into beer and liquor than anything else. On the subway ride to the festival, I saw several people drinking half-pints of Jägermeister or vodka. And then at the festival it was all about Dos Equis beer.
But if you’re getting stoned or drunk at concerts, you might not even realize it detracts from the music. You’re focused on your buzz and not the high that the music can provide.
One of my first alternative rock shows was Weezer in 1994 in a small venue, when The Blue Album was new and “Undone: The Sweater Song” was just hitting radio airwaves. It’s one of my “I was there when…” moments. Weezer would go on to headline festivals, and they came back in January of 2011 to perform The Blue Album from start to finish. I wish I would’ve been sober for that one, but I was hardcore drunk and constantly going back to the bar for beer. What could’ve been an eruption of nostalgia was really just a numbed-out black hole of a rock show.
There are a few exceptions when I wasn’t drunk at shows back in my drinking days. I was working for MTV News at Lollapalooza 2007 and we were done with interviews for the day, so I got to watch Daft Punk’s headlining Friday night set. I didn’t drink because I was there for work. I count that show in my top five concert experiences ever.
And seeing Paul McCartney — a real, live Beatle! — at this year’s Lolla was an absolutely sublime occasion because I was sober and able to sing along and have a fantastic view. I would normally camp out near the bar. But for this, I could almost see the sweat on Sir Paul’s brow.
If you have to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol in order to enjoy a concert, you’re doing it wrong. Seeing concerts sober is pure. For the unadulterated love of music, stop getting high at shows. You’re missing out. And your body, your ears, and your mind will thank you for it.
Weed isn’t considered by me to be any worse .