Observation Journal #2

I attended my first Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) concert last Tuesday. Defintiely a show worth seeing. As I looked around the crowd, my eyes dilated from the flashing lighs that beamed unrestrained into the crowd. A crowd which was composed entirely of white kids. I didn't think much of this fact, as I was totally immersed in the music, until after the concert. Drving back from Higher Ground, I contemplated on why the fan base for this band, at least in Burlington, was completely white. It could very well be that I did not look properly in the crowd or that I was just being ignorant and not noticing differences among the screaming fans. However, I kept thinking and realized that every show I have attended at Higher Ground has been either predominantly white or devoid of minority. This may be the result of having a music venue in a primarily white community, but it struck me as strange that at a concert there would be so little diversity. I find music to be a medium through which people gather, interact, and connect much as sports do. Though these instances may have been mere exceptions, and I have no doubt they were, they brought to my mind certain questions. Why on earth are there only white people at this concert? Is this considered white music? Does Sound Tribe disgust, say, a black man or an Asian woman? I know this is not true because I have a black friend who is on the verge of obsession with Sound Tribe. As I drove home, I asked myself, "Are we so separated now that we cannot even enjoy the same muisc?" Music? Music is a universal puveryor of love, expression, and camaraderi. Here, I saw uniformity and a blanched crowd. I am not suggesting that there was a sign posted that said "No Minorities". I simply found it very odd that a band who takes on a variety of cultural music perspectives would host an all white crowd.