I wasn't over that way too much, but I never noticed that thing at all. Official line is that there was a larger police presence as a deterrent, but I think that's kinda BS because there was an active undercover element as well. They were nabbing people for pot. Uniforms are for deterrent, undercover is for catching people so you can arrest them.

Barely even noticed the cops then again I could care less about the police. I did watch someone doing a one hitter as if he was undercover. His attempts to hide the deed made it look more obvious. I then proceeded to arrest him.

I'm of the unpopular opinion that it shouldn't be that difficult to avoid doing drugs in a public park. I managed to do it with relatively little effort, in fact. Here's how it worked:

1. I woke up
2. Showered
3. Got dressed
4. Grabbed my wallet, my phone, my keys
5. Refrained from bringing illegal drugs
6. Went to the park
7. Comfested
8. Exited the park

After I arrived at the park, I checked my hands and pockets occasionally, but nothing unusual had materialized.

I also didn't care because I wasn't planning on doing anything illegal, anyway. .

I heard Tommy James' mom wrote "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky".

maybe you should put that on a sign or a t-shirt and when you do get snipped for something you can reference that sign?

all cops need to be killed

I infer from all the emoticons that this was meant to be some sort of sarcasm, but I'm really not getting it. Are you trying to say that cops were hassling people at the park who weren't doing anything? Or that cops, in general, are likely to do that? If it's the latter, I've been pulled over for Driving While Being Black. It's not fun. It did not, however, bring me to the conclusion that all cops need to be killed or whatever it is we're supposed to do to fix "the system."
In any case, my earlier post wasn't about being absolutely fearless of police at all times. We're talking about a cordoned-off area with well-published expectations. There's a big difference between being victimized by abuse of authority and bitching about the inconvenience of not being allowed to break specific laws. Of course, I'm being selfish, in the sense that I don't care about rules that don't affect me, but one might also be considered selfish for demanding that all precautions be removed just to be able to actively get high in public.

Police in a park with guns, lots of guns. rules that don't affect you until they do...if a cop can pull you over for being black I'm pretty sure they can cuff you up for 'smoking drugs' while being black: can you prove that you didn't just throw the joint on the lawn? I can go on and on but the larger point is that the apathy linked to "I don't do illegal things" is misguided. more police with guns during a community get-together because a kid that was suicideal prior to stabbing himself is nothing but creating more potential for harm to innocent people and has nothing to do with hassle.

I don't get high in public parks (anymore) and it sure as hell bothers me...bothers me all the same as you being pulled over while driving black...and I'm white. I guess I should be

Rushed the fuck out of my place to see Jenny Mae......I'm glad I did. What I saw has nothing to do with how I view her and what she did in the 90's. I have her album and that's all I need.

Town Monster was actually good. Carnival-rock...yes. But decidedly less so today. "The Shine" and I think the song after it were fucking awesome.

Went to Gazebo to see Lydia Loveless, arrived early and got to see some girl playing acoustic guitar by herself, very rudimentary, covering MGMT's "Kids." It was so awful and so heartfelt that I was totally confused on how I should feel at the given moment. Then I realized that most evil is really heartfelt.

Aperture was ok. I love that band, but I love them more when the lights are off. Same with The Phantods. It's amazing how much you realize "rocking out" is very relative, and pretty stupid. When you see guys with overgrown beards and beer bellies "rocking out" in the unflattering light of day it's very, decidedly, non-magical. I mean, but I'm of the opinion: if you still hold on to enough to enough ego to be in a rock band, then hold on to enough ego to fucking take care of yourself and stay away from the fucking fried food and cheap beer.

I'm looking forward to Saturday. Great bands most of the day, and I can't drink because I'm playing later on afterwards. Sunglasses on. Conversation off.

dont worry gretchen we all have tristan on ignore.

phantods rock

This comment was brought to my attention and out of love and respect for my bandmates, as well as sensitivity to this issue in general, I felt like I wanted to respond.

One of the problems with the music spectators of today is that people are way too critical of how musicians look. They are already judging them for the way they sound and the music they create but there is such an obsession with this idea of perfection. This allows the artist very little room to be human. Wouldn't you rather music come from a place that is real and raw and relatable? And don't get me wrong, I am no less at fault. I at times obsess over the way I'm perceived and some days take a long time getting ready for shows, for fear of being judged in those moments when I am already at my most vulnerable: on stage performing in front of people. In front of the spectators. 

Now, I'd like to think that you don't maliciously point things out like this, these "non-magical" opinions. But I still think it would be nice if people were more sensitive to the fact that just because we may be pursuing something that is drawing a lot of attention towards us, we are not any less sensitive to how these opinions effect us. My musical ambitions have very little to do with the desire to be in front of people, but instead has everything to do with the fact that I feel that I am meant to be doing this. And doing this also means that we are on display.

I was never in a band until I reached my twenties, but even when I wasn't in the public eye people always had an opinion on my body, usually to tell me that I was fat or more recently some have even told me I am too thin in comparison to what they were used to seeing me as. I bring this up because while I may not be the one on display in your comment, this could very well be about me in the future and nothing protects me from that. The bottom line is that you can't please everyone, a lot of women find overgrown beards sexy, and I'm offended that you think music is about having a rock ego that keeps you svelte and perfect. Because everyone knows rock is about perfection.

Who wants to join me for some fried chicken and a PBR?

[
A skinny guy in tight jeans and eyeliner might be a pretentious asshole

Hm....I thought I clarified that I wasn't really talking about your band as far the overweight/bearded thing goes. I don't even really remember what anyone in your band looks like beyond you.

It was shitty wording, I'll admit. But all I was saying about you guys is that it was the first time I saw your outside of a nightclub setting where you guys always looked really cool with all the lights and aura that a club provides. Every show is different under the glare of the sun. I prefer darker settings. Like I said in my previous post, I should have a put a paragraph break between your band and "overweight guys with beards." I was going on a different tangent...

I dig your band alot so I hope you don't automatically go on the defensive with that comment. It really wasn't about you guys..

As far as visual presentation, however....I understand what you mean about "real and raw" and plain being more important than spectacularly fake. But, "real and raw" is really just what an individual perceives it to be. What some might think is real rocknroll I might think is simple mediocre posturing. While some might think the simple act of turning up your amp and singing poorly into the mic is the essence of rock, I might think they're just lazy and too boring to do anything else.

A skinny guy in tight jeans and eyeliner might be a pretentious asshole, but a guy in sandals, an oversized tshirt and a beer belly could be just as much of an asshole. A dude's lack of trying is usually just as ridiculous as a dude trying too hard. It's the same thing. Refraining moderately from consumption never did anyone any harm. Refraining too much or barely at all usually does.

When you see guys with overgrown beards and beer bellies "rocking out" in the unflattering light of day it's very, decidedly, non-magical. I mean, but I'm of the opinion: if you still hold on to enough to enough ego to be in a rock band, then hold on to enough ego to fucking take care of yourself and stay away from the fucking fried food and cheap beer.

Hm....I thought I clarified that I wasn't really talking about your band as far the overweight/bearded thing goes. I don't even really remember what anyone in your band looks like beyond you.

It was shitty wording, I'll admit. But all I was saying about you guys is that it was the first time I saw your outside of a nightclub setting where you guys always looked really cool with all the lights and aura that a club provides. Every show is different under the glare of the sun. I prefer darker settings. Like I said in my previous post, I should have a put a paragraph break between your band and "overweight guys with beards." I was going on a different tangent...

I dig your band alot so I hope you don't automatically go on the defensive with that comment. It really wasn't about you guys..

As far as visual presentation, however....I understand what you mean about "real and raw" and plain being more important than spectacularly fake. But, "real and raw" is really just what an individual perceives it to be. What some might think is real rocknroll I might think is simple mediocre posturing. While some might think the simple act of turning up your amp and singing poorly into the mic is the essence of rock, I might think they're just lazy and too boring to do anything else.

A skinny guy in tight jeans and eyeliner might be a pretentious asshole, but a guy in sandals, an oversized tshirt and a beer belly could be just as much of an asshole. A dude's lack of trying is usually just as ridiculous as a dude trying too hard. It's the same thing. Refraining moderately from consumption never did anyone any harm. Refraining too much or barely at all usually does.

i don't expect you to get this.