Neighborhood #1

A benefit of living in a state considered crucial in the Presidential election is the amount of extra attention showered on us. In 2004 I got to see Bruce Springsteen play a few songs when he tagged along with the Kerry campaign. Sure, standing around with nothing to do for a few hours was a necessary (and boring) part of the rally, but getting caught up in the march to election day had its fun moments.

It's starting even earlier this year. Last night I found out that Arcade Fire is playing two free shows in Ohio in support of Barack Obama. Monday night is out of the question for me, not to mention that the Cleveland show is likely to draw more people. Nelsonville is closer, but the venue is tiny. I missed the band when they played Columbus, so a chance to see them for free and in such a small space is very enticing.

The trade-off, of course, is that it is likely an all day investment. It's first come, first served for half of the tickets. (The campaign distributed the other half this morning in southeastern Ohio.) I have no clue what the turnout will be or how far in advance I will need to arrive to secure a seat. Crazy as it is--and it is nuts--I'm going to go on this little adventure and hope for the best.

The weather is supposed to be relatively nice for this time of year, so that is a big advantage for waiting outside for hours. Knitting will definitely be packed for passing the time. Assuming it isn't too cold, I should be able to get a lot done.

In a roundabout way, the ticket won't be free. It's going to cost half a tank of gas, not an inconsiderable sum these days, to get there and back. I plan to show up early enough to minimize my chances of being shut out. There's also the expense of time, which I'm hoping to defray via knitting and, if I can, writing. At worst, it should be an interesting experience.

As I went grocery shopping tonight to get items I'll need while I wait (bread, peanut butter, cold cuts, granola bars), the more excited I became about the idiotic thing I'm going to do tomorrow. Make no mistake, driving 77 miles to sit outside a theater six or seven hours in hopes of gaining entry into a free rock concert is stupid. It ought to be interesting.