Night Birds, Morning Music

When I go to a Best Friends Day show, I know I'm not going to see any of my best friends.

What I am going to see are T-shirts that say things like "American by birth, Hardcore by choice" and "Dead Since 1991" and "Cloak and Dagger."

Meanwhile I'm wearing an innocuous five-year old Yo la Tengo t-shirt.

Do I care about fitting in? No. Am I there for morning music? Yes.

Night Birds were this year's band for the Fine Foods show that always kicks off the Saturday of Best Friends Weekend.

And even though I didn't know the band, I knew exactly what kind of music to expect. And I got it.

Loud, fast and short, Night Birds' pop punk thrashed hard for about half an hour in Fine Foods' parking lot before people began climbing on the To the Bottom and Back buses to head out to Haddad's for a day of fun in the pool and the sunshine.

I have to say it was pretty interesting seeing the crowd, plenty of whom I know or recognize, and  most of whom never wear anything but jeans, in shorts and bathing suits.

With so much exposed flesh, it was a great day to check out the extent of RVA's tattoo culture.

I'm betting there are going to be a lot of burnt tattoos by the end of today.

But not for me. All I'll be left with are slightly ringing ears and my fourth year's memory of thrash before noon.

I don't need any of my best friends to enjoy that.