Groupie Adventures

So Monday night my sister and I tried to go to a show downtown for a band called Days Away (other bands as well, don't remember their names). Due to pouring rain and a flooded bar, the show was canceled. Apparently the roof was not built for water...we desert folk were not prepared for a deluge. As Han (sister) and I walked up, we are approached by her friends who ask if I can go in the bar as the only over-21 representative of the group (there's a back entrance reserved for the all age shows that these kids can get in, except it's the flooded entrance) and ask if the Days Away guys can come out. As I'm asking them what the guys look like, someone from one of the other bands there sees the group of kids out in front and comes out to talk. The kids ask him if he can get any of the Days Away guys so he goes back in and returns with several band people. Only one of them is from Days Away, but he calls the others to come back (they'd already left the bar). So after awhile the rest of the band shows up and the kids are buying tshirts and such, talking to them. One of the kids asks if the band would still play if they could find a place and, since the band guys say sure, the kids start calling every place they know. They discover that every stage in town is being used for shows, but one of the girls there offers her house for use, so the kids start calling everyone who might possibly have a PA system... After seriously probably an hour of standing in the rain out in front of the bar, talking to the band guys and calling the entire city of Albuquerque, my sister gets through to some friends who have a house down in the university ghetto who are in a band, so they have not only a PA, they also have a house. Her friends agree that Days Away can play, and Days Away agrees that they'd be willing to play, so the kids head over to this house. I'm just kinda tagging along, I definitely enjoy this band's cd, but have never seen them play...the kids however are ecstatic as they say that Days Away puts on one of the best shows they've seen (which says a lot because these kids go to shows every week it seems). When the band finally gets set up, several more people have shown up, and as the university ghetto houses are pretty old and small, the house is packed with guitars and drums and amps and sound board and people... even packed though, there were probably only 20 of us there. The band played us 2 sets and they were pretty fantastic...even with a lack of space and a makeshift setup. It was definitely good that we were in the univ. ghetto because they played past midnight and their last 30 min. or so was just jamming. Fortunately parties are a pretty daily occurrence down there so LOUD noise didn't seem to phase the neighborhood. Towards 1, 2 am my sister and her friends are jamming with the band...and I'm amazed. Who knew that being a groupie could pay off in a concert by an actual touring band for 20 of us, in a house where we're standing all of a foot away from the "stage", complete with a long time of just playing, making stuff up? Who knew that being the old fogie in a group of high school kids could be so fun either? I hope none of them are in my Earth Science class...ha! Even if they are, who cares...it was a good, good night and I'm real glad my sister let me tag along : ).