Lone Rocker

Things that are ok to do by yourself:
Ride a bike
Weed a garden
Make Jell-o

Things that are ok to do by yourself, but not many people do:

Go to a concert

I learned this the hard way last spring. The Academy Is… was playing at the Picador and I did not want to miss it. However, all of my friends did. I knew the show was going to sell out so I had to make the hard decision a few weeks before the concert about whether I should just get 1 ticket, or wish and cross my fingers someone would have a change of heart and I should buy 2.
Well, I ended up buying 1. I kind of knew my second option wasn’t an option at all with my friends. But I didn’t think it would be so bad. It’s not like it was a super social gathering, a band was going to be playing 85% of the time I was there. But I knew the second I got to the Picador and the line went a block down the sidewalk that my night was going to be filled with a whole lot of awkwardness on my part. The doors to the show didn’t start for an hour, everyone was chatting away with their group of friends. There I stood, alone, like a creeper, listening into others conversations while trying to make myself look popular by playing around with my phone.
When it came time to get into the Picador I was at ease with my alone-ness, although I’m sure other people still felt bad. But one of the pros of being alone was that I was able to squeeze right to the front of the stage. I was elated. The show ended up being amazing and a very rare show (because it ended up being an acoustic set, and only with the lead singer). Every once in a while between songs I wanted to look next to me and see my friends smiling as much as I was because the show was great.
It wasn’t until the very last song that I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. As William Beckett walked off the stage at the end of the show I looked to see that my friend texted me telling me he was in town. He had been for hours. And wanted to know if I wanted to go to the Academy Is… show. He didn’t buy tickets because he didn’t want to go alone, if only he called me sooner.

A few days later I was talking about how weird it was going to a show alone because I had nobody to really talk to, or share my excitement with. But the comments my roommate had about how she hates standing and being sweaty, etc, I realized that there are just as many cons as there are pros going with someone. Since that concert I’ve gone to 2 other shows around town alone, and had an equally fun time as I did at the first, and I’ve even met some cool people along the way. Now my friends don't give me quite as hard of a time when I tell them I’m going/went to a show alone.

Now if only I could get them to stop making fun of me for going to movies alone
sometimes.


(picture found on google images)