July 10, 2008
Getting a life
Written by EmilyMcKay in Jaunty PostEvery summer in Austin, the city hosts something called Blues on the Green. Basically, it’s free live blues music in a public place. When the Geek and I were PK (Pre-kids) we went occasionally, but that was years ago. Over the years, the location has moved around, from one park to another, finally settling in Zilker Park, the largest park in Austin. Last week, we heard that Los Lonely Boys were playing this week. We hadn’t heard them in years, so we decided to load up the car and head over.
It was the perfect evening for it, not too hot (a miracle here in Texas). And let’s face it, there’s just not much on tv these days anyway. We braved the traffic (horrific) and the parking (even worse) and started the mile long trek from the open field in which we’d wedged our car, carrying folding chairs, blanket and kids. We arrived at the concert twenty minutes after the music was supposed to start and thirty minutes before it actually did. As we settled in next to the volley ball pits, where our three-year old played in the sand with complete strangers, a nice breeze kicked up and I found myself regretting that we’d missed so many other such concerts. In a city known for it’s live music, the chances to go out and hear it abound, even for families with kids who can make it to the torturous midnight sets that are the mainstays of most of the clubs. So why don’t we make it out more often?
It’s hard to say really, other than we all fall into a routine and it takes something big to shake us out of it. Whatever the reason, I’m glad we got out and did something unusual, even if we had to hike to do it. Thinking back to my child, I vividly remember the few out door concerts my parents took me to. It’s definitely something worth doing.
Are there any outdoor concerts in your area? Do the rest of you make it out more often than we do?
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Shana Says:
Nope. I don’t make it out anymore often than you, Emily. And sometimes these are free concerts! recently Needtobreathe came and did a free concert not that far from where I live. I wanted to go but the hubby had to do school work. I could have gone without him, but it seemed a lot of effort to go on my own.
Houston also has a great Shakespeare Festival, but they always have it in August. Why??? March would be so much better. It’s too hot to watch Shakespeare in August.
Shirley Karr Says:
We didn’t make it out to too many concerts even PK. Hubby is not a fan of crowds (we invariably get stuck near someone who has not bathed or who bathed in perfume/cologne), $5 Pepsi or hot dogs, or post-event traffic jams. There is something to be said for the group shared experience, though, that makes it worthwhile to go now and then.
smile0303 Says:
In downtown Decatur we have something on Thursday nights called Blues in Central Park. Today, however, they are doing Cruisin’ Downtown which is a car show. Free to walk around but you have to pay to compete.
Margo Maguire Says:
My husband loves crowds and lots of activity. I’m happy with a quiet evening, puttering or reading in our yard. He prefers to get out and about, although not necessarily to a concert. We end up doing a bit of both.