Car Seat Headrest – The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)

I am sure you all are right there with me, trying to figure out what to say about the Catastrophe we find ourselves in without just sputtering a string of expletives. Not exactly at a loss for words though words seem inadequate most days.

That might be why I’ve been trying to get to more concerts this year. For those couple of hours in a dark, crowded, sweaty room surrounded by like-minded people looking for some community, I feel a tiny bit of strength.

At the end of September, my son and I headed up to Boston to see Car Seat Headrest together again. This time I got GA floor tickets. We were not going to miss out on the action from the balcony like last time. A veteran of the mosh pit from my 9:30 Club days in the early 90s, I was ready. Yeah, good luck with that, man. When they played this song and the pit got going, I was transported a good 15 feet away from where I started, nowhere near my (20 year-old) kid, my phone – missing. A quick collective search for my phone, found even further away from where I had wound up, returned it to me unscathed. I decided to hit the bar.

I wandered around the back of the floor, unbelievably overpriced beer in hand, looking for pockets where I might be able to get closer to the space I had left without getting back in the thick of it. I tried to work my way in, weaving past furries and people in masks, eventually making it over to my son near the front for the last few songs. I might not be in top form anymore but there is nothing like being in the middle of that energy. Needless to say, my son had the time of his life and declared it his best show ever.

I’m not suggesting you have to get bounced around by a bunch of people half your age but I do encourage you to find some opportunities to remove yourself from the daily onslaught of bad news, if just for a few hours. Recharging is important.

With that in mind, here I am again. Does this recharge me? Sometimes no, sometimes yes. When it clicks, it’s worth it. We shall see.