RADIOHEAD

I have spent the last 3 months eagerly awaiting May 11. This was sure to be the greatest concert experience of my life. This was the day I was going to see Radiohead for the very first time.

My boos and I loaded into my car at 5:30pm. The show was to begin at 7:30pm. We didn't care about seeing the opening band, Liars, because we remembered that there was a Cracker Barrel near the venue, and our desire for chicken fried chicken outweighed any need to get there early. We even found this little gem at the gift shop:



I wish that was sitting on my desk right now. Anyway - we ate our biscuits and watched the monsoon outside get progressively worse throughout our meal. Our tickets were for the lawn, but standing outside in the freezing rain seemed doable as long as we could see Radiohead live. It was right around this point that my friend Steven (who was already at the show) started texting me. Here's how our conversation went.

7:16pm Steven: This rain is some SHIT.
7:17pm Me : You think they'd postpone it if it starts lightning?
7:18pm Steven: We'll see, lots of people here already

We left the restaurant around 7:30pm. Nissan Pavilion, which is now to be known as the absolute worst concert venue of all effing time, was about 3 miles away. Let me make that totally clear: 3 MILES AWAY.

7:44pm Steven: Still on the way?
7:48pm Steven: Opening band is on
8:01pm Me : Traffic is turrible. We're at a crawl and I'm like a mile from the exit.

The minutes that passed between that last text and the one I sent next are a blur. I know I felt dizzy. I know I yelled at passing cars. I know that if I had been one of the other passengers in my car I would have laughed at the bitch driving.

9:18pm Me : We're still in traffic!!
9:18pm Steven: Omg really
9:19pm Me : Yeah its a nightmare
9:19pm Steven: They've been on for like 15-20

This is the point in the evening where everything I looked at was bright red. A rain-soaked rage filled me inside. We were just one of thousands of cars, creeping along at 3 miles an hour (sometimes less), praying that the parking lot would be right around the corner. It never was.

10:02pm Me : Still on?
10:13pm Steven: Don't know, about to leave. Way too cold.

Ten minutes later I got a call from Jeff. He was in the parking lot of Nissan Pavilion, trying to leave. He left the show 8 songs in, when the storm outside became too much for him to handle. And he had seats! He assured me that I would have been miserable on the lawn and that I was much better off being dry and inside my car.

That was that. We turned around. I got home at midnight. I lost $200 on a show I never saw. So did THOUSANDS of other people. Should I even try to get my money back? I know it's probably impossible. Congrats to those who actually saw the show. I heard it was life-altering.