The Evens

[editor's note: The Evens show at Fort Reno was on July 31st. Beter late than never.]


Our futures were on full display as the wife and I packed up a blanket and headed out to Fort Reno for the Evens show. (side note: We decide to skip DCIC since they're basically are a Jazz band. We all know the rules regarding Jazz. Even outside of Rock Club, I avoid it. Perhaps this is foolish and I'm missing out on something great, but I doubt it. I've heard enough Smooth Jazz to know the other types of Jazz probably won't win me over.)

We arrived just as the Evens were about to go onstage. We scored a nice spot on the lawn with a clear view of the stage. After plopping down, I noticed a strange thing. Kids. Lots of them. The little bastards were everywhere. It seems all the Minor Threat and Fugazi fans have grown up, got married, and had kids. I found this comforting. It's nice to know I'll be able to enjoy some rock even after I have my seven kids. ("Seven?", you ask. You may think Jenny doesn't have birthing hips, but we'll prove you all wrong.)

The music itself was great. For some reason, and I can't put a finger on it, they're better live than on my iPod. Seeing Ian MacKaye rock out while sitting down was amusing. Not unlike his fans, he's mellowed a little bit through the years. However, his lyrics still have plenty of bite to them, especially for the politicians. Ian's banter was pretty jovial in between songs, except for his comments on the Iraq war. I don't know why I expect him to always be pissed off at "the man". It's good to see he can be relaxed once in while. He was even amused by the ice cream truck parked nearby that waited until they were between songs to play it's Pied Piper music (which prompted a stampede of kids to the truck).

The best surprise of the night was Amy Farina on drums. On the record, her drumming and voice are less than stellar. That was not the case at Fort Reno. She sounded great. I'm really looking forward to their new album in November. It'll be interesting to see if it lives up to her live performances.

So what's the moral of this little story? You're never to old to enjoy rocking out. Even if that means bringing the kids, having a picnic, and paying $24 so the kids can buy overpriced ice cream from the ex-convict working in the truck. In the end it'll be worth it.