Down in front!

Last night we went to Blues on the Green where, for free, you can sit and watch and listen to a couple of blues artists perform on stage. Being this is the music capital of the free world or something, it seemed a great idea. We had a good time eating dinner on a blanket. The temperature dipped (!) down into the high 80s as the sun set. The crowd grew. Our spot, chosen carefully, was being encroached upon, but, in keeping with the constant PA reminders to have a good attitude but no firearms, alcohol or glass, we didn't mind.

Until the smokers set in beside us.

Boy, there's nothing that ruins the natural fresh air scent of the great outdoors for non-smokers than those upwind who have no consideration for their fellow persons. I'd like to have gone and peed on their legs, Just to "pass it forward." I don't mind YOU smoking, just go do it somewhere where I'm NOT trapped.

A local radio station was the sponsor, and I thought they did a very nice job mixing promotional announcements with recorded music while we awaited the musicians. Nice, too, that this was all free (except for $3 parking, but that's nothing these days.) They also had various charities wrapped in, with 'booths' or tents, and T-Shirt sale profits to worthy causes. Many people had dogs with them.

We love dogs.

We love Austin.

I estimate the crowd grew to maybe 3,500.

The first act was okay, but to our ears, when the singer wasn't singing was best. Which means we enjoyed the instrumentals more. Too bad there weren't any. Seriously, the band was the draw for us. The singer was obviously accomplished with a nice enough voice - it just wasn't a magic synergy. But the audience enjoyed her.

While the second band set up, we stretched and all was going well. I'd all but lost my voice at the doctor's the day before as she stuck a tube up my nose and down my throat to look for spare change and whatnot. So I was pretty quiet.

Just as the second act was about to play, the pair who had been sitting on a blanket in front of both us and the girls to our right, came back, but remained standing as the show restarted. The girls called out, "Down in Front!" but they were ignored. Finally one girl got up and asked the couple to sit. They moved to block OUR view. I then stood up and said, "That won't work." And, "Please sit down so we can see." The woman then told me I was rude, that they wanted to stand (their sitting view wan't blocked.) I then suggested that rude was blocking the view of people who waited two hours to see the act. They moved slightly, but stood for apparently the rest of the show.

After two and a half songs, we left. The magic was gone. And the second singer despite heavy credentials, was lousy. Maybe loaded - in any event, way too talky and not enough sing-y.

What is it about people who have enough ego to stand in front of other people obviously ruining their view? What drives them? I can't even understand that level of selfishness. Maybe I'll invent a concert taser.