I was finally there, three people deep from the stage, in room packed to capacity. Two thousand of us stood waiting expectantly turned towards the stage. Sweat was pouring off me in sheets. A feeling formed in the my stomach; dehydration mixed with caution.
A fight broke out three people over from me. More shoving from hightened male testosterone than actual punching. Security quickly stepped in and dragged a slightly ineberiated male away from the cause of his ire.
I turned to Tim, my concert friend. "Should we go towards the back? I'm dying from the heat." Tim and I immediately headed toward the back of the hall. I stopped at place with room to move and visability of the stage. Tim continued on to bar to order us water.
Band members appeared almost as soon as we stopped. The show of my beloved Social Distortion started. Elation soared through me. I began to move to songs I love.
Tim appeared with the water. I gulped greedily. Tim yelled in my ear, "I am glad we moved back." as he nodded to the mosh pit forming in the center of the hall. I smiled back.
Social D and the audience continued, in tune with each other. Excitement, movement, and full fledged release pulsed through the room echoing from band to crowd and back again until the culmination of the show broke an hour later. Overhead lights came on and calm happiness settled over the crowd.
Some people left with marks from the experience. Tim and I saw two bloody nose hurry past at different points during the show. My bruised leg? The bruises came earlier in the day from hopping from one boat to another and missing the later.
