Let's go.

Part One: The Bus

The concert venue is packed. My brother leads the way and I follow closely behind him through the crowd to the front, right side of the stage. He yells in my ear that the first band is Alice in Chains then his favorite, Slayer, played later. I nod as we are pushed from behind by the eager crowd.

Alice in Chains takes the stage and the guitarist is in front of me. He has long hair, ripped black jeans, and no shirt. I realize that none of the band members have shirts on and they are all dressed in ripped pants, and either army boots or Converse sneakers. They all have long hair except for the singer. Who seems to have a sort of shaved meets dreadlocks hybrid hair style.

The singer is enigmatic. He strolls around the stage in a predatory manner. He bends down and almost perches himself on the gear that separates the stage from the crowd. I can't take my eyes off him. I am mesmerized by the way he shakes his head to the music while his vocals literally spill from him and onto the audience.

I am immediately broken from my trance when the guitarist steps closer to the end of the stage in front of us and bursts into a sludgy solo. His eyes are closed while his nimble fingers almost caress the frets of his guitar. A guitar, that I then realize, has a picture of a naked blonde taped to it. "Yep,"  I think to myself, "they always dig those big, boobed blondes." Thinking back to my ex's obsession with his buxom legal assistant.

The band finishes their set, and my brother and I join the crowd in exuberant whoops and cheers. The singer says into the microphone, "thanks, you all have been one of the best crowds. Thanks for not throwing shit at us!"

After Alice in Chains' set, I find myself in need of a restroom. I outwardly groan at the thought of having to use one of the nasty portable toilets we saw on our way into the venue. I turn to my brother and tell him I am going in search of a toilet. He nods and tells me to get him a beer on my way back. I agree and begin pushing my way out of the crowd.

I decide that I am not going to brave the portable toilets and instead find a nearby bush to relieve myself. "Much cleaner," I say aloud. Unfortunately, I lose my balance while relieving myself and topple over. I stand up to survey the damage and groan when I realize my black tights have been ripped and I have dirt all over my black tank top. But I didn't land in my own pee, thank goodness. I peel the tights off and toss them into the trash.

After buying my brother and I a couple of beers, I push my way back to him through the crowd. As I approach I notice that he isn't alone. My brother is plastered between two young women. "Yep, it always happens." I mutter. My brother is a charmer, even in the middle of a dirty mosh pit.

"Here's your beer, dude." I yell over the music blaring. "Thanks!" He replies while taking a deep swig of the cold beer. "This is Mandy and April." He says, introducing me to the two young women by his side. "Hi, nice to meet you!" I reply.

We hang out through the next music set when Mandy leans over to me and says, "Hey, want to go to the after party?" I look at her quizzically, "what after party?" I reply, stupidly. Mandy laughs, clearly a more knowledgeable attendee than I am. "The party backstage after the concert. These guys always have parties and Alice in Chains is known to have big ones." She wiggles her eyebrows up and down at me and I realize the double entendre she has alluded to.

I lean over to my brother and tell him that Mandy and I are going to the after party backstage. He nods and but stays with April.

Mandy grabs my wrist and pulls me through the crowd to the side stage. There is a large man blocking the stage door but he swings the door open once we are standing in front of him. He gives me a knowing smile and I feel myself blushing. Part of me likes the feeling, knowing that what I am doing at the moment is so out of character for me and exciting. But the educated feminist at my core feels pissed off. "Don't you dare judge me!" I feel inner feminst me  screaming at the man. Before I can say anything to him, Mandy grabs my wrist and pulls me through the open door.