Wow, I just had a dream that I went to see the Chemical Brothers in Amsterdam with my girlfriend, and for some reason I totally got the time wrong, or they changed the time and didn't mention it to all involved.
Basically, the show was horrible. It started at 6:30 in the evening while it was still light out, I got there right as the Chemical Brothers went on, when I went out onto the floor, barely anyone was dancing and there were so few people there it made me think of a junior high school dance. The Chems were playing a great set, but the mood was fucking dire, and after all was said I was so disappointed that this had to be my girlfriend's first Chemical Brothers experience.
After that we went back to our hotel room, and hilariously enough, Jeanie and Whirly, you guys started to hang out with us and it was AWESOME! I was so bummed about the show and my girlfriend was doing her best to comfort me, but after all of us started hanging out, we had the most amazing, kick ass, ridiculous time ever. I can't explain in words how silly and awesome it was, but trust me when I say it made me forget about one of the biggest disappointments I had ever experience in my life inside of the dream, and our journey to Awakenings was an edifying one.
I think all it meant was despite how the concert goes, it will be an amazing trip, and though Whirly won't be there, which will make me sad, of course, Jeanie I'm going to look forward to meeting you and all the rest of you awesomeness-bots from the board.
And I think my anxiety about the Amsterdam show in my dream last night stems from the show I saw in 2005 where the Chemical Brothers played Okland. The crowd... was... terrible. Okay, there was this moment that summed it all up--I was dancing and kind of letting loose next to this guy who stood there with his arms folded across his chest during the beginning of the set. I expected him and all the rest to get into it and kind of go with the flow, but he just kept standing there with his arms crossed and I kept bumping into him. In fact, it was really awkward and I almost had to fight to find my own space to dance.
Anyway, all of the other Chemical experiences have been pure energy and amazement, with the crowd responding in awe. In fact, the next night at Coachella (yes, I drove 500 miles to see them twice in two days), I'd have to say it was definitely the best crowd seeing the Chemical Brothers I had ever seen. Here's the moment that summed up that set: I look back at one point and I see EVERY... SINGLE... PERSON... thousands and thousands of people with their hands in the air, clapping the energy peaking, and listening to that set again and again (as I have it from whomever it was who thankfully recorded that set), I can say that I was so impressed by the crowd's involvement that it completely erased my previous night.
Anyway, here's to future Chemical experiences, to future adventures, and leaving the anxieties of the past behind only to focus on the amazing energies to come, and even the ones already here.
-andy