Lynn Twiss

I should have heeded the warnings.

I had been chatting with Frosty when I mentioned I was going to the Mindless Self Indulgence concert that evening with Aristai. Frosty wasn’t aware of the band, so I sent him the URL to their myspace account. (Go there and listen to Shut Me Up)

In just a few moments he started copy-pasting users comments, that included gems such as:

erect square(ILSE)!!!!
fuck jimmy urine i would tottaly fuck you and im 16 oh yeah and your music tottaly rocks like fucking sex

miss sharon stoned is an actress. duh.
MSI IS THE AWSOME-SEXXX. i fucking ♥ you fuckers

Then add about 3000 comments that were variations of “fucking awesome” “fucking kicked-ass” etc.

The mentality of those posts should have given me a good indication of what to expect from the audience. Frosty was right when he said, “…if that’s their audience, have fun sight seeing!”

We arrive to the venue (Loveland in Portland Oregon on the east side of the river) and the first thing to greet us is a busted door with no handle. Honeybucket about broke his nails off getting the ghetto-worn door to even nudge. Then when he mentioned it to the lifeless and judging ticket taker, she looked at us like we were stupid. Granted, it was an obvious charge, but we couldn’t get in, and she sat there and watched us attempt to open it! After a quick Q&A, I find that there isn’t an ATM in the building, so I have to run 4 blocks to the Slow Bar for cash. Once back at The Loveland, I find out it is an all age club with no alcohol. Then it hits me. Oh god, Frosty is going to be right. I look around and sure enough notice that Honeybucket and I are the oldest in sight. From ages 13-18 (I swear some were even younger) all out on a Sunday night, with no supervision. I wanted to stop a few and ask them where their parents were. Even Jimmy Urine, the lead singer later took to task the audience and show promoters, “Who let these 12 year olds in here, look at all of them!!”

The audience wasn’t the worse part of the evening, the venue was. I will say right now that I will never attend another act at the Loveland no matter who it is. The Loveland in Portland is the worse I’ve seen for performances. The sound was so nasty that Mindless Self Indulgence actually all sat down and listened to their own CD, for a track, in defiance of the muffled and warbled Loveland setup. Blistering humidity heat and sweat because of ZERO ventilation. I will never be critical of Noir’s ventilation again, Loveland was hell.

Some girl puked up an oatmeal like puddle of stomach, that everyone ignored and simply walked through. Their juvenile enthusiasm kept their heads up high and their feet dragging liquid and chunks all over the venue. Coupled with the heat, it quickly dried and soon the place reeked of acid and bile.

I can not overstate my contempt for The Loveland, its owners and the promoters of the show.

I would have left, for I didn’t want the venue to taint a band I enjoy, but I didn’t drive. So, I sat in the back sandwich and beverage shop, watching a 14 year old girl cry for an hour while her boyfriend sat there and worthlessly patted her back. For a complete hour!

I want that part of my life back.