An Age Old Debate

Recently I attended a Pearl Jam concert in Boston. Now let me preface by saying when attending any event at the Boston Garden/Fleetcenter/TD BankNorth Garden there is absolutely no place to tailgate, so people just flock into the numerous bars that surround the area. I like thousands of other concert goers arrived in downtown Boston early to get a nice buzz on. Well much to my dismay when I walked into the first bar there was an actual Pearl Jam tribute band (the conversation of tribute band vs cover band can be had at a later date) playing on stage for a bunch of people who were about to go inside and watch the actual Pearl Jam. Now don't get me wrong, this band was surprising very good but come on I was about to go see the real thing, did I really want to tune up with a second rate tribute band? I think not. So we decide to head out to a different bar in the area. Well unfortunately for us at the next bar they were playing old Pearl Jam videos from concerts of years past on the big screens .

Now this got me thinking, what should people be listening to while tailgating, or in my case bar-hopping before a large concert. I say not the band you are about to see. I have no idea why I believe and try to live by this policy but I do. I think it is just a little too much of one thing. I don't want to listen to a CD when I am about to go in and hear something that should blow my CD out of the water. I have heard may any argument for both sides of this debate but I can not be changed. I will not listen to the same band I am about to see while tailgating. Unless I am forced to by bar owners.

And I am sure this problem will arise again when I head back to Boston for the Chili Peppers in October.