I see no sea

Well, another week has gone by and it is time for another show. This fourth week of fieldwork takes place on a saturday. The night is chillier than usual as the month of September is coming to an end. I have no tactic for tonight other than arriving to the show and observing what the evening has in store. 

As the show is scheduled to begin at 9 pm I leave my home in a hurry to get there. I don't want to miss anything. I show up, and nothing has started. Promoters and band members are lounging around conversing with band members. Approximately 20 minutes goes by and not many people have shown up. Ten minutes later, still not many more kids arrive. I would not be surprised if I soon heard 

crickets instead of bands playing here shortly. 

Not too soon after, I hear Cade talking to a member explaining in disappointment yet as if he expected this "Just play whenever you guys are ready, this is probably all that is coming."  Its 10:12 and the first band begins their set. I am watching from the side of the room where the entrance to the venue is located. It is very odd, there is not a sea of people pushing their way through the venue. No shoulder to shoulder contact. It's a lot cooler in here. I'm looking around and count 11 people standing and watching the bands play. It's quite a surprising evening.

Neither of the promoters, Nick or Cade, seem phased by the shows turn out. if anything, they appear relieved. They are not frantically running around trying to control show goers and keep them out of the street outside the venue. I also noticed they drank more at this show than they do at larger shows. The atmosphere of this event is calm and relaxing. The set times roll more smoothly and quicker. It is ten minutes to midnight and the show is already wrapping up

In comparison to the larger show, I gather that every once in while, it probably does't hurt to promote/host a smaller show. The environment was worry free and heck, no one bothered to play on time and the show still managed to end early. The venue is left clean and with no interesting remains that are the aftermath of a punk show. I'd say despite the intimate turn out, this one was a win.