Rise Against @ Roseland 7/26/09 - The Running Diary

On July 26, 2009, several gentlemen converged on the city to see Rise Against, quite possibly the greatest punk band going today. What follows is a recap of the day's events.

1053AM - Anfron asks me to drive him to Joyce's house so we can all depart from there. He's a gentleman.

119PM - Practically trembling with anticipation, I realize I'm going to be way too excited to keep this going. I'm more fidgety than Joyce and I haven't even left the house yet.

150 - After picking up Anfron and getting into a conversation about spending Easter with our respective ladyfriends, Anfron responds, "Wait, Easter hasn't happened yet."

213 - Sitting at Joyce's watching Game 7 of the '94 Stanley Cup Finals on MSG. I probably watch MSG once in a blue moon, yet every time I do, this game is on.

215 - Probably a bad sign I almost started screaming at Richter to get back in the goal. Apparently I forgot this game took place 15 years ago.

223 - After departing Joyce Manor @ Frenchman's Creek, Joyce's DJing in the car gets in the way of his driving.

228 - Flatulence.

258 - Happy everyday at the Intrepid.

302 - Joyce spies a faux Hulk Hogan at the corner of 40th and 9th, brother.

305 - I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are no titties like NYC titties. Glorious.

308 - We drive past Guttenberg Park, a monument from Rick and my failed attempt to participate in the World Series of Pop Culture. Stupid Flan LeBatard.

309 - Joyce rolls down the window to ask a woman unloading a car if she is leaving. She angrily responds, "There's a pump here. You can't park here." Bitch.

320 - We're still driving around looking for parking, and Jim$ is still a gentleman.

323 - We finally give up looking for a spot on the street and park in a garage on 49th and 8th. I make a point of putting it in the running diary because I'm sure we will forget later.

325 - Anfron lights up as soon as we leave the garage; the ETA of the running diary's demise is set at my fourth beer.

337 - Landsdown is to NYC what Walsh's was to Nyack; a safehaven for gentleman in a vast wasteland of douchetasticness. As if to further this point, on weekends they serve brunch from 11am-4pm.

347 - JMac and his roommate Mark just got on the train in Stamford. The concert is not until 7, which should leave them plenty of time to get here, but this is us we are talking about so anything is possible.

411 - Brooklyn Lager is too heavy for Joyce and Anfron and they make the switch to Buddy C Light, the Gentlemen's Beverage of Choice.

412 - Anfron wants to order a single slider to help him schize before the concert.

418 - Perusing the menu at Landsdowne.
Joyce: "You should get the Rachel."
Ostrowe: "I believe Rick made that same joke when we came here after the booze cruise. And I believe I responded 'It wouldn't be the first time I'd eaten a Rachel'"
Joyce: "Aw, come on man!"

426 - A chorus of cheers erupts as Mexico scores on the US via penalty kick in a soccer match. Apparently Landsdowne has a huge Mexican contingent. Who knew.

448 - Our Buffalo Chicken pizza arrives, and Anfron takes the opportunity to serve Joyce before he serves himself. What a gentleman. He also pulled Joyce's seat out for him and opened the car door as well.

456 - Over/under for JMac's arrival set at 6pm. I wager heavily on the under.

501 - JMac and Mark arrive, as my imaginary bet pays off in spades.

508 - Let the record show that it took 7 minutes from their arrival to the arrival of our first tower of Bud Light.

509 - Joyce: "The beer needs to settle"
JMac: "You need to settle"

514 - "Math is confusing" - I have no idea what I wrote this in regards to. Probably discussing the amount of beers per tower, but a pretty true statement regardless of context.

516 - Joyce refers to me as a stenographer.

522 - Anfron still has to schize. Buffalo Chicken pizza was a bad choice.

524 - Anfron extolls the economic virtues of the kegerator: "You buy the beer in bulk and its always there and cold when you need it."

532 - Anfron swipes the running diary from me to record the following snippet of conversation (transcribed verbatim from Anfron's notes):
Mark: "You moved in wih Rachel!!??"
Ostrowe: "She moved into my house!!"

536 - JMac is still craving chicken nugget pizza

539 - Anfron attempts to schize in Landsdowne.

545 - Our new waitress is sassy: (to Mark) "You look like you're hungry"

549 - Faux Terry!

551 - Joyce:"That's Triatholon Terry"

555 - Tower #2

601 - Landsdowne's onion rings leave much to be desired.

604 - JMac: "You should've told the waitress, 'You look like you're gonna steal something.'"

605 - JMac suggests french dipping the onion rings. I follow his suggestion and it is delicious.

608 - JMac: "If a girl doesn't want to suck your cock just wrap it in bacon."
Ostrowe: "Unless she's Jewish. But if she's Jewish odds are she wants to suck your cock."

611 - The sky opens up. Good thing we only have a ten block walk to the concert.

618 - Its raining sideways!!

619 - Joyce likes it when it comes down hard; Mark wants to buy everyone shots of tequila

622 - Joyce texts everyone " ~@~ "

633 - There is a gay couple sitting behind us that keeps eyeing Anfron.

643 - JMac: "I gotta go to Chase"
Anfron: "Chase Abby?"

651 - We depart Landsdowne, Mark takes his shirt off, frightens women and children

653 - Stop at a convenience store to pick up energy drinks and Pepto Bismol. Mark almost leaves without paying. "Whoops."

655 - You know you're old when you do shots of Pepto before a concert.

658 - Anfron: "I wanna Abby on someone."

702 - JMac: "Would it be wrong to just grab a girl's tits?"
Ostrowe: "I'm pretty sure that's assault."

At this point my pen ran out of ink and I had to take to Twitter to post entries.

714 - Billy Talent is playing "The Ex" as soon as we walk in. Awesome. I ditch everyone else and go right up to the stage. After the song is over I can't find anyone and immediately regret the decision. I head downstairs and find Anfron emerging from the bathroom, where he just schized.

730 - Every Billy Talent song sounds exactly the same but they're all good so it doesn't matter.

739 - The battery on my phone is now running low, further jeopardizing the running diary.

745 - There's a lot of HUGE chicks here. Like Awesome Kong huge.

756 - T minus 1.5 drinks to Drunk Anfron.

809 - We lost Anfron. Rancid comes on shortly after.

829 - My pocket inadvertantly dials Anfron from the pit. JMac and I depart about 4 songs in and cross paths with Gary Coleman. I had no idea he was into punk.

832 - Joyce has a huge gash in his bottom lip thanks to an errant crowd surfer nailing him in the head. Its a jungle in there.

836 - Rancid is generic crappy punk rock. I wish we could leave and come back for Rise Against.

855 - JMac: "They've got Guy Fieri on guitar".
Anfron emerges from the pit unscathed.

After Rancid goes off we sneak up to the front so we can be next to the stage for Rise Against.

913 - Ladies and gentlemen, we have drunk Anfron. He hasn't said anything other than "how's Abby?" since coming back from yet another cigarette break.

915 - I was about to go apeshit on whoever was smoking in here, then I turned around and saw it was Anfron

I'm not sure what time they finally came on but I wanna say 930. From that point on it was basically an hour long mosh pit until they broke out the acoustic guitars for "Everchanging" and "Hero of War". They closed with "Give It All" and "Ready to Fall". It was an amazing set and they are an unbelievable live band. If you are a fan of live music at all you should definitely see them if you ever get the chance.

1104 - We walk outside into the pouring rain and I purchase a $5 umbrella from a street vendor. Wealthy.

1120 - After consulting the running diary to find out where we parked, Joyce leads us to 10th instead of 8th. Somehow we make it home in one piece.

If we had just spent the whole day boozing at Landsdowne it would've made for an awesome Sunday, but throw in a mindblowing concert on top of it and you have a truly gentlemanly experience.

"We are the children you reject and disregard. These aching cries come from the bottom of our hearts. You can't disown us now, we are your own flesh and blood. We don't disappear just because your eyes are shut."