A blow to the head

[illusionofjoy]

I have been going to the Super Secret Dance Party DJ night at The Smiling Moose for months now. The Moose has two floors and when the night first began, it was held on the upper floor while bands played on the lower floor. One was required to pay a cover to see bands, but going upstairs was free. A few weeks ago, the venue managers decided to reverse the arrangement. One has to pay a cover to see bands on the upper floor while the DJ night remains free on the lower floor. I immediately thought this was a loser of a move.

The lower floor of the venue is dominated by the bar until about fifty feet back from the front entrance where a small dance floor is situated. At the back of the room is a small stage less than one foot in elevation. To the left hand side of the stage is an alcove which leads to two tiny bathrooms - one for each gender. Directly behind the stage is a large projection screen, upon which a televised basketball game was being shown last Saturday night; one of five screens total upon which one could view said game.

It was early in the night and a song came on that I liked. I sat in my chair, minding my own business, taking it in as one of the other patrons got up to dance. Immediately I heard someone scream out, "get the fuck out of the way, you faggot!" I looked up to see a bunch of meatheads, apparently angry that someone would dare block their view of a basketball game in order to use a dance floor for it's intended purpose. So, knowing full well that I'd be making myself a target, I got up and moved onto the floor myself. The reaction was immediate and expected.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, faggot!"

"Fucking faggot - aren't you done yet!"

The insults came steadily as I refused to yield and replied with my middle finger. My back was turned as one of the meatheads walked over to me. I turned counterclockwise only to have his fist impact the left side of my face. This left me spinning clockwise, falling down upon the stage, knocking over one of the candles that get placed there every week. The meathead walked towards to bathroom as I righted the candle and, not entirely shocked but steeped in adrenaline, called after him, "Yeah - fucking coward! Hit a guy while his back is turned!"

I admit that on a primal level I would have liked to have waited for him to come out of the bathroom and retaliated - perhaps with a key to the eye - but I still had the presence of mind to know that my chances of coming out victorious in hand to hand combat with a man six inches taller than me were not good. I walked to the front of the Moose and told a bouncer what had happened. I was told to point the guy out once he emerged from the bathroom.

So, I waited for the meathead to come back out. As soon as I saw the six foot apelike creature, with it's matted hair and missing teeth, I grabbed the bouncer once more and pointed straight at the meathead: "There! That's the jagoff who decked me in the side of the head!"

The meathead began coming towards me as the bouncers intercepted him. "What," he said, "you were disrespecting me!"

"Oh, disrespecting you," I spat back.

"What? You want some more!"

I knew I was being a total shit but I didn't care, as I gleefully waved and sang, "Bye, now" while the bouncers introduced the meathead to Carson Street. I was told to go back to the DJ area and I obliged. As I sat back down, I watched the front entrance and it appeared that one of the bouncers had to go out and tell the meathead to move along - he was lingering.

While I won't stop going to the night namely because I don't blame the venue owners and employees for the actions of one drunken thug and I refuse to let anyone or anything intimidate me, I can't help but think that this would have been less likely to happen if the night were still being held upstairs. Having to climb a staircase to get to the night seemed to provide a bit of a "filter" - that is to say that people who really wanted to hear alternative music were the ones likely to be there. On the lower level, the night attracts more foot traffic, which is good from a venue owner perspective. However, this is not so good from the perspective of those whose focus is actually the music being played - i.e.: those alternative music consumers. The foot traffic is indiscriminate; many people are just looking for a place to get drunk on a Saturday and don't care what music is being played, oftentimes finding those who did come for the music to be little more than an annoyance.

To be successful, an alternative night - of any type - requires some sort of "safety buffer." This is still very much a world where "it's different - kill it!" remains, if not at the forefront of people's minds, certainly something which constantly sits on the back-burner. Before its demise, Ceremony had such a "safety buffer" at Pegasus. Not only was one required to pay a cover to attend the night, as most problem children prefer to wreck havoc for free, but the venue's reputation as a gay bar preceded it. Homosexual males are not generally known for being violent (so far as my experiences have shown).

For different reasons, up until recently, The Smiling Moose also had a safety buffer in having the night on the upper level. While not monetary in price, climbing stairs is an effort and who wants to put forth too much effort to cause trouble? However, now that buffer is gone and any and all sorts can spill in at will. It is not an ideal situation.

So, the only option left is to refuse to back down and be intimidated. I had every right to be on that dance floor and I'd do it again without hesitation. Anger is an energy and one only feels pain once the adrenaline wears off.

Comments

[watercolorblue.livejournal.com]

What the whore??? That's just nutso. Sorry you had to deal with that! I can't believe you actually got punched in the face! With a fist! How 50's! (hugs)