Music

Before I start this blog, I do want to note that I do not 100% agree or condone with the things I link to. If they offend you in anyway, please let me know, but also take it with a grain of salt. There are lots of people out there with different opinions. That being said, this is not some sort of "prepare yourself for today's links" thing. They are along the lines of my normal stuff, but just wanted to put that little disclaimer in there.

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During my time here, I usually try to do the things peruvians do. I take buses. I eat from street vendors. As previously mentioned, I wear leather shoes. But last night I took a different view of being like a Peruvian and went to a concert by The Killers. I very much enjoy concerts. No ifs, ands or buts about it. They just make me happy. Last night was no different. It was interesting to see on so many different levels what was going on at La Explanada de Estadio Monumental that night. This was a band who said 3 sentences in spanish to the crowd, but everyone knew when to cheer. Is that because of training that when the singer stops singing or talking, you shout really loud or because it was a different demographic? It was by far the tallest group of peruvians that I have yet to be around. I was only slightly taller than average and didn't have my normal unobstructed view to the front. I know this indicates a different sector of society because it is generally known that as societies develop and people's diets become more complete, they get taller. This probably helps to explain the english understanding too. It was one of the safest feeling music venues I have ever been to also, which blew was completely contrary to what everyone told me before going. It was just 35,000 people there to forget about the violence of the 80s, the corruption of the 90s and the neoliberal economic problems of the 00s and just rock out.
But for me it was a night to let it all out. It is not that I have anything to complain about, but there was something about jumping up and down and screaming until I couldn't even talk that just made me feel at home. When people ask about my culture here, I usually explain that I'm from the home of Starbucks, Nirvana, and the 1999 WTO protests and releasing energy through the medium of really loud rock music just took me back there. So to the Killers, thank you. I was back at fair trade, translating, and good old NGO work today, but for that hour and a half I was just connecting to my community though the rhythms and beats and screaming guitar rifts. In the words of Cal Naughton Jr. "I like to think of Jesus like with giant eagles wings, and singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with like an angel band and I'm in the front row and I'm hammered drunk!" Maybe less drunk, but if everyone around me is feeling the music too, I don't know if it matters.

This is my favorite song from the night. In the middle there is a line that is repeated that says "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." I love this line and have for a long time because I feel it does express me a little bit. I'm kinda into that pacifism stuff, but it doesn't mean I'm passive.