The value of Free

When it comes to an intimate concert, you might appreciate one with Bono, or some indie rock band that you have loved long before other people, thus making you cooler than everyone. But what you don't want, is to attend a poorly publicized concert in a four row "amphitheater" with a group that reports their style is covering classic country and Texas country, with 9 additional guests. Then it becomes intimate. And a little awkward. See you can't feel free to make the supportive "Whoo" noise at song conclusion when there are only 10 people around you. There's something to having a *few* more people so you can Whoo without the lead singing cowboy eyeball you.

To be fair the music was decent, I just kept feeling traces of awkwardness. The older couple, who originally made the crowd a whopping 12, decided to pack up their lawn chairs and leave after two songs. Apparently they were too good for the amphitheater and were too sad to stay when they found out the band was not Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra. Their loss. I don't remember much of what was sung, due to a crappy mic, but the lyric I do remember is "And all the Grandpa's were lifting/looking (?) up their skirts." I'm not a prude, but seriously. Everyone knows a dirty old man, but do we really have to sing about him? Another problem was that I wasn't sure how long I had to stay. If there are only 10 people, do you all stay the full two hour show time, or can you take shifts, so long as the band is playing for someone? Husband and I took the shift approach and bailed at one hour using the "fake important phone call" approach. Hopefully we were convincing at "We really have to leave now because of this urgent call," instead of "I really can't handle listening to weird/dirty/original songs on the cement for one more hour." To add to the reality of the urgency, husband ran, and I did a shuffle-jog, ( because it's too hot to run, oh and I hate running) and left the attendance at 8. Not even enough for a baseball team.