know what's even better? when they ask you to play tambourine for them, and give you a t-shirt.
what's not great is bringing yr surly friend (because it's her birthday), and sticking her in a room full of really nice, happy people who just want to dance and have fun. i swear, i thought she was going to start a fight with this girl dancing in front of her.
also, another thing that's not so great is when huge dudes stand right in front of you at the front of the stage, and THEN PUT EAR PLUGS IN. i don't get bent out of shape when people stand in front of me, but seriously, ear plugs? really? i know it's loud, but it's supposed to be. if you can't handle it move yr ass to the back. i just know it would annoy me if i were playing and some jackass came to the front & put ear plugs in. especially if this jackass pushed really good audience members out of his way to stand front & center, and then stand there like a statue.
and one more thing while i'm at it - chicago: LOOSEN UP. sheesh. i swear. chicago kids are so into being cool that they just stand there with their arms folded across their chests, their fancy coifs carefully out of place, and if they REEEEAAAALLY like you, they'll occasionally nod their head or tap their foot. BOR-ING. the best people in the crowd last night were all from athens, and were all somehow related to the elephant 6. i danced with them the whole time, and it was fucking fantastic.
now all i need is to see the gerbils play, and then i can die a happy woman.