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Saturday
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 Caught
a rainy noon ride with
Craig@earpollution.com down to Olympia to see
Fugazi (my first time). An afternoon to kill, we went
our separate ways, he to pawn shops and record stores, I for aimless amble
through empty parking lots of government
office complexes. We met for happy hour billiards and air hockey at the
Eastside Tavern.
Dub Narcotic Sound System opened. I was so pleased to
finally see Calvin Johnson although it was no
Beat Happening. He danced through the crowd thanks to
mic cord extensions and exuded goofy innocence a la
Jonathan Richman.
The
Ex's full-on guitar assault was an undulating
ocean of sound which broke in waves on an ecstatically
drowning crowd. Surprisingly, Fugazi plied gentler waters and much of lead
singer Ian's efforts were directed at crowd control. ("Everyone just take
a couple of steps back so the people who are crushed up against the stage
can be more comfortable.") After the show the hundreds of fans had no place
to go but onto the sidewalk in front of the State Theater, with some of them
spilling onto the wet desolate midnight Olympia main drag. A cruiser urged
over PA for everyone to clear the street and most did immediately but even
before the potential mob could disperse four more of
Olympia's finest (3 cruisers
and a Bronco) parked at the corner, completely blocking the street, thus
defeating the purpose of their presence. |
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