Not the PNC Arts Center

I took my kids to see Velvet Revolver at the NOT-The-PNC Bank Arts Center this past Friday.  I don't know how many years ago they sold out the name, but I still refuse to call it that.  For me, it will be the Garden State Arts Center until I die.

Anyway, this was my son's first concert experience, and it was heavy metal in case you don't know who VR is.  Oh, don't worry about petitioning the Pope to get me sainthood for this.  I already earned it when I took my daughter to see Christina Aquilera about 5 years ago.  Daughter thought she was too cool for school back then, going to a CONCERT and all, but will be mortified today that someone might actually see here that she begged and pleaded to see Xtina. 

Anyway, it was quite an eye-opening experience for both kids, the VR show.  Hoobastank opened up for them, and they were pretty tame, as was the audience so far.  But by the time VR came on, there was a very drunk girl puking over two rows of chairs to the right of us, and the unmistakable smell of marijuana drifting into our row from the left. 

Son (in low voice):  MOM!  What's that smell?

Mom (whispering):  It's marijuana, Dec.  Pot.

Son (still in low voice):  Are you sure? How do you know?

Mom (clearing throat):  I just know. 

Son (loudly and across me to his sister): EMILY! Do you smell that?  It's someone smoking MARIJUANA!

Mom (jabbing my elbow into Dec's ribs):  SSSHHHH!!!

Emily was happy that anything covered the smell of the drunk girl's former dinner.  And I was much more interested in the smell of hot coffee someone was carrying nearby. 

So other than the puking, and nearly exposing the kids to a contact high, it was cold, damp, and the sound system at the Arts Center leaves much to be desired, but in all the event was worth it.  Seeing my son cup his hands around his mouth and let go a war-cry of a "WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" after each song was priceless.

Thankfully, I have until the Green Day concert in September to recover.

Comments

[LeeAnn]

My husband says his first concert experience was going to a Tom Jones show with his mom. He says you just can't claim childhood trauma until you see your mother throw a pair of panties up on stage.
Thankfully, she'd brought them in her purse.

[Becky]

That is too funny. "How do YOU know?" You're such a cool mom. I have to admit that my mom did take me to a concert when I was younger -- Donnie & Marie when I was five. Haha!

[Bekah]

I remember the first time my mom said, "It's marijuana" and I said, "HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" And SHE CLAIMED: "I had to learn all the smells of drugs to become a teacher. They make you learn these things so you can tell if the kids are on drugs."

PFFFT.

And I believed her.

[TigerHawk]

Heh. We had a similar experience about a month ago, when we took our 14-year old son to see the Eagles at the Continental Arena. When that unmistakable miasma made it overe to our section, my wife and I exchanged knowing glances. Our son, though, is both oblivious and thoughtful, so he didn't say anything. That could mean that he didn't notice, or it could mean that he was too cool to bring it up. Funny stuff.

[Jim - PRS]

Heavy metal and barf all at the same time. You have my deepest sympathies.