"Metal is all about Nonconformity"

From the mouths of Babes comes....

Wisdom.

Of a sort.

Interesting weekend.

Been searching for Metal Music or at least some real Rock Music in Santa Fe since I got here.... like for over a year now.

And noticed a 3-band event this last Saturday night at a place called the Underground which is basically the "basement" part of Evangelo's - a local bar in Santa Fe.

So I figured I'd check it out.

And I did and I wasn't disappointed.

Here's a text I sent to some family members to describe the scene....

At an actual heavy metal gig at a place called the Underground in Santa Fe - first time I've heard heavy metal since I've been here. It's Screamo which is a sub-genre of heavy metal I'm not fond of but I'll take it....

And the smoke is in the air. 

This place is aptly named cause it's small, low ceiling - like a dungeon - and let me tell you this is a crowd I have never seen in Santa Fe. I don't know where these head bobbing leather and denim wearing Viking looking MF'ers came from but all of the Metal Cockroaches have come out of the woodwork. Holy Medieval Experience Ragnar!

That does not adequately explain the close quarters and primordial vibes that were emanating from the bands performing and the audience that was attending.

Luckily I got there early enough to snag a high stool at the corner of the bar that gave me a pretty good vantage point and kept me out of the mini-mosh pit that formed as a slamming vortex between the performers and me.

One of the high points of the evening was meeting a like aged fellow metal music lover that was a New Jersey transplant.  We were probably the 2 oldest dudes in the whole place but none of the young Vikings seemed to care.

One of the comical but meaningful moments of the evening came when a cute young lady set down next to me at the bar.  She was obviously a local because several people came up to her and greeted her.  One guy pointed out the bright blue sweater she was wearing and said something to the effect that that was not the right kind of clothes for this event.  As I looked around at all the Goliath looking individuals - Men and Women - around me wearing metal band patches on denim and tons of leather.... and then I looked down at my pink American Eagle Polo, I thought "Yeah that guy is right!"

I pointed that out to the young lady in the blue sweater and she quickly fired back....

"That's Ok..... Metal is all about Nonconformity."

And no matter what happened after that....

My evening was complete.

I had found what I was looking for.

Metal Music.

And the reason I listened to Metal Music.