Grooving on the vibes, diving for the floor

It's been many a year since I've attended anything resembling a rock concert. I think I can stretch my grey matter back far enough to Steve Earle in the late eighties in Brandon, Manitoba. There may have been some kind of music festival things happening since then, but they would have been your genial folksy love the one your with kind of affair. But as far as a bona fide rowdy crowd kind of event, that was it.

And you know I don't think I'm missing anything. At least not if the story from CFRA is any indication. There's an artist out there called 50 cent, he's all the rage at the moment as they say. (or whatever it is the kids use now to describe the happening thing). Mr Cent or 50 to his friends I guess, is presently on a tour of Canada to bring his tunes and tude to the millions of Canadians buying or downloading their music.

Thursday night he played Ottawa, Friday night Montreal. Ottawa went smooth, Montreal not quite so.
Montreal Police reported that a man in his 20's was shot outside the arena the concert took place at. Police credit the fact he was wearing a bullet proof vest for his luck in avoiding serious or mortal injury.

A bullet proof vest? Good God, is it really that bad out there? Am I really that out of touch? Sorry if you have to suit up as if on patrol in the streets of Kabul just to go see a concert, then pencil me out.
While I'm sure that once the full story comes out, we'll learn that the victim was involved in something he or she shouldn't have been involved with. The shooting probably just an incidental event at the concert. But just the fact that this kind of thing is happening where our kids are gathering, is a cause for concern.

I guess this is why I'm a homebody these days, the worst thing that could happen to me is getting stuck on the Lazy Boy chair, while I struggle for the DVD controller to watch my Springsteen or U2 DVD's. No spraying gunfire, no slashing knives. And I manage to stay away from the grape Kool aid.

We'd best try and figure out what's going on with our kids, cause wearing a bullet proof vest to a rock concert is just not normal. And if it becomes a requirement for a safe night out, we'd best be asking some questions and asking them fast.