We Always Remember the Nights We Don't Sleep

I don't go "home" often and when I do I rarely go out. I've done it a few times and they've always been weird experiences. The first time I spent the entire time getting hit on by my next door neighbor (who's older and used to drive me to school in the mornings in high school) and an old friend (who's now a rockstar) tried to make out with me. Another time I saw about sixteen people I knew from high school all of whom pretended they didn't know me. The last time I was bombarded by people who claimed to remember me, but I'm not sure that was right.

It's a weird place where my parents live. I only did high school there, not much else, but it's like any other small town. People stay there forever and do weird things. I just can't relate I guess.

I was coaxed into going out to meet up with a twitter friend in real life, and to meet another friend who I haven't seen in years. The first hour or so at the bar near the college was normal. We laughed at drunk idiots, and I got to chat with Kevin and his new girl (who I went to high school with and only vaguely remember). That was nice. I know they'll be at the reunion which makes going far more appealing again.

I got a text/tweet from other friends that a band called Sleeper Agent was playing a house party at a place called "The Manor" and at least one friend would be there (another twitter friend who I have seen in passing in real life, but we didn't meet until online after the fact). I was very much in a 'why not' mood so we did some research and found this place, hidden behind some other buildings with no descernible parking area. Actually the only way I really found it was because my twitter friend drives a bright yellow Scion and I spotted that. I drug Champ with me because he's a trooper but as soon as we walked up to the door to flash our IDs and pay our $4 cover he was not amused.

The show was in the basement, which is a dingy unfinished cellar that looks familiar if only because I've watched this video a million times and it was filmed in the same house. Sleeper Agent put on a good show and I have to say, I was a little blown away by just what it was I was watching. It was a crowd of half drunk, half stoned, smoking kids shoved into a super warm small space freaking out about a local band. It was surreal and awesome at the same time.





I went upstairs for a moment to catch a breath of air in the middle of the set (and because I thought I saw a familiar face go that way) and actually walked into the house proper. Kids were everywhere, drinking and chatting. I went out onto the front porch and was floored to see them standing around, hipster kids in their outfits, tattooed, pierced and more. I was Alice in Wonderland.

After the set I managed to catch up with Aaron, who was how I found out about the show but also the boy I got my first kiss from. It was in high school, during a movie and I've always said that one of the things that made it so perfect was that he kissed me in the movie, then a few more times after and that we really only went out maybe once after that if that. He was just poof gone from my life, which was actually fine by me. Meeting him again (after we reconnected via twitter and facebook) was interesting. He looks almost the same only skinnier and has switched his wide legged skater jeans for a pair of ripped up skinny jeans. I have to point out that he was wearing a cape. I'm not sure the reasoning behind that at all, but he was wearing it. He seemed amused to see me again, though I think his memory is hazy.

While loitering talking to Britney (my twitter friend) another familiar face came towards us and as always I got to watch Micah slow, stare and then smile when he spotted me. I think he never expects me to be where I end up and when I do it's some sort of surprise. Guess that's what happens when you date someone ten years prior and never really stay with the same group of friends. He had to run in one direction but soon he was back, hugging me and grinning explaining that the party was his doing and apparently he lives in the house. I wasn't exactly surprised because face it, the run down, filled with random art on the walls, hipster hang out was Micah to a T.

There was an odd moment of realizing that with Micah, Aaron and Champ in the same place I had three guys I'd made out with all ten ft from one another.

I had a quick chance to meet another Shultz brother, Jeremy, who's related to the other two Shultz brothers (who make up the core of Cage the Elephant). Jeremy is in the video I linked up there. He was a really sweet guy for the two seconds we chatted, but then he was running off just like everyone else.

When we finally left we reeked of smoke and worse and it was closer towards 1 am. Not terribly late and odds are the party went on for longer, but I'd been there for the music, not the party. Kind of a crazy night.

Posted in: experiences, music