bartlett quadrangle. friday. march 29, 2024. 12pm.

long about 11:30, chris and gabe (the lucky unemployed jerks) rolled up to campus in neckface while robert and i snuck away from work to meet them. after much debate over where to set up, we took the stage under a sparkling sky on the east side of bartlett quad. well, when i say "took the stage", i mean we set up on the concrete steps of the dining hall. near the bike rack. under a tree. thank goodness for the shade from that tree though, because damn. it was hot. we were all playing borrowed guitars thanks to the awful thieving washingtonians (may their reproductive organs shrivel and drop off in the middle of a crowded restaurant), so we were a little ill at ease to start, but once it got going, oh man did it get going.

in the middle of the set, one of the most amazing things that's ever happened at any of our shows happened. this whole group of 3-5 year old kids wearing swimsuits walked by as part of some day camp, and started dancing along to the music like crazy. when we played k.o. star, where chris normally yells "so perfect", instead he yelled, much to the delight of the children, "so ice cream". i don't care what you've done, until you've had little kids rocking out to your music before they've had a chance to develop any sense of rhythm (or even balance), you haven't lived.

because it was in the middle of the work day for me and robert, we got to play during our lunch hour, and a bunch of our coworkers came out to enjoy the rock. anne brought her dog sugar, who was a big hit with the kids. sugar is the biggest dog i've ever seen, a grey newfoundland who mostly sleeps around the office when she isn't asking very politely for food.

our temporary (but no less awesome) roommate katherine got to see us for the first time, and our good friends becky, paul, stryker, and deirdre were all there to enjoy their lunches and bop along to aid their digestion.

after the show, this little girl came up and handed me five one-dollar bills to buy a copy of the torr ep, and this was clearly her first business transaction ever. it was the cutest thing i have ever seen, and it's so exciting that ours is the first cd she ever bought. you only get to do that once.

at any rate, it was the most rocking lunch break ever.