Last night The Pretty Reckless rocked out The Pageant in St. Louis and, of course, I was there to witness it. I’ve been to nine shows at The Pageant so far, and I’ve made more trips to the Delmar Loop, where The Pageant is located, than that. I had a few goals for that day, but the overall gist was that I was going to make this concert experience an opportunity to live in the moment.
Dressing for Fall
I’ve been to my fair share of fall shows and one of the most consistently difficult parts of attending a show in the fall is what to wear. The weather here in Missouri can be a bit unpredictable in the fall so the key is to dress in layers, but not in heavy layers. Here’s what I chose to wear:
- Black boots with gray boot socks (Boots- Deb $40, Socks- Wal-Mart $5)
- Tattered denim shorts with black leggings (Shorts- Deb $15, Leggings- Deb $15)
- Black camisole with white Marilyn Monroe tank (Camisole- Deb $9, Tank- Deb $6)
- My Chemical Romance Black Parade crew neck (Hot Topic $30)
This being an indoor show I wore the sweater before and after the show when I was outside the venue, and I kept my underneath layers light with a loose tank to avoid getting overheated in the venue.
Taking Chances on Delmar
As a concert junkie and an anxious sort of person I tend to get a little OCD about my concert experiences. I always arrive significantly early if I’m able and don’t waste much time getting in line, I always listen to the band on the way there (taboo, I know), and I continually double check to make sure I have everything I need (money, merch to have signed, ticket, camera, etc). I never take much time to really make each experience unique, but this time I did.
I still arrived pretty early, but I did not immediately hop in line. I decided to eat lunch/dinner on the Loop instead of feasting on snacks that I grabbed from a gas station on the way to the show. My goal was to go somewhere I had never been before and I succeeded twice over.
“Here’s to trying new things. Yesterday’s pre-concert meal. #BlueprintCoffee #MissionTaco” instagram @christie_road91
I walked past The Pageant and first stopped at a little coffee shop called Blueprint Coffee. I saw the word “coffee” and knew I had to stop there. I was actually nervous walking in. The place was modern, clean cut, very urban and totally out of my comfort zone. I was kindly greeted by a barista who explained how their shop worked and I ordered a vanilla cappuccino. It wasn’t a very big coffee and, with a tip, it cost me around $5, but it was delicious and the staff was helpful and friendly so I didn’t mind!
My second stop was just a bit further down the road: Mission Taco Joint. Clearly “coffee” and “taco” are two words that just really grab my attention. They had a menu outside, so I looked it over before going in. Luckily, I was able to take my food to-go so I sat at the bar, placed my order, and sipped on the glass of water that the bar tender offered me. I ordered a Yucatecan Pork taco and a Grilled Chicken taco (together and with a tip it cost about $9). Both featured pickled onions and the chicken taco had a mango salsa, foods that I would normally pass on, but I decided to just give it a go. So glad I did too! I would go back in a heartbeat and devour their tacos again, pickled onion and all.
After my little food escapade, I went back to see that the 21 and over line had not changed in the short time that I avoided it.
“How Rude!”
I will be doing a more formal concert review soon and will inform you when that exists if you are interested in the show details, but for now I will just give you a bit of advice on how not to act at a show.
“#ThePrettyReckless hit the stage #ThePageantSTL” instagram @christie_road91
As a fan of The Pretty Reckless for a few years now, I’m well aware of the sexual nature of some of the music and of Taylor Momsen’s performance style. But that doesn’t justify some of the objectification I witnessed at this show. I understand saying this like “I love you” to an artist, and I can even tolerate the “you’re sexy” or “you’re hot.” On the other hand, I had a huge issue with the insistent “take your clothes off”, “show us your t*ts” and “F**k me, Taylor.” Not only is it irritating to fans that just want to enjoy the music and the performance, it’s incredibly disrespectful. Keep in mind that this is a performance, she is putting on a show. Who she is, what she does or how she chooses to dress does not change the fact that she is a human being and deserves the audience’s respect. End rant.
So my point here is…
Dress responsibly for fall, live in the moment and don’t treat performers like sexual objects.
Did you get to see The Pretty Reckless on their Going to Hell Tour? Do you have yet to see them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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The Tracks At Christie Road 