OF TEQUILA AND CHOKING

So last October the Wife, Beernada, the Scientorian and I went and saw Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) for what was a super fantastic show. This video came from that show (if you look very close when they are handing out the Tequila, you can see the Wife's glasses for a split second):
Lucky Ones

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Lucky Ones was the first song they played, and the crowd was amazingly chill about the arrival of Tom Cochrane. I guess it's just not as exciting here to see the guy. But I was pumped. My only regret was that they didn't do "Life is a Highway."

The part at the end of the video where there are a bunch of people dancing on the stage came at the very end of the concert during a different song. I don't really remember what song, but Kevin Drew was not happy about all the people on stage. After the song he talked about his personal space and how so many people around him was not cool. Though the stage thing was fun at the time, the editing makes it seem more insane than it was, especially considering Kevin's claustrophobia.

Finally, not that I ever want to deter anyone from giving out free booze at rock concerts, but there were some issues. A couple of meatheads behind me thought it was a good idea to spend the first half of the concert talking loudly about other awesome concerts they were going to. So I mentioned, in the most Johnada way possible, that some of us in the audience had come to see Kevin Drew, and weren't particularly interested in Hot Hot Heat. This did not make them happy. They told me that they had been into Broken Social Scene way before me (how they would know this, I have no idea) and I should "mind my own business." But they didn't quite say it like that. At that point, a very tiny woman nearby chimed in about how loud and obnoxious they were being. They didn't like this either.

A couple of minutes later, a more uptempo song started, and these guys decided that it would be hilarious to start aggressively pushing me from behind. As I don't go to concerts to "brawl," I ignored the hostilities. After about two minutes, the pushing seemed to stop, so I glanced back and saw the woman from earlier on the ground and one of the guys on top stepping (stomping on her?). It was a confusing moment. By the time I swivelled around again, the woman was gone and the dudes were joking around. I assumed I had just been confused about what I had seen. After the show, one of the guys apologized for their behaviour. So I let it go.

But once we got outside, the woman was still there. Apparently, the guy I had seen stepping on her had also choked her. She had called the police. I gave her my number and told her if she needed a witness I would be happy to testify or whatever. I never heard anything else, so I figured I wasn't needed.

Then, two weeks ago, I got a call from Constable Somebody about an incident at Lee's Palace in October. Apparently assault charges were filed. I was supposed to go in and make a statement, but I immediately lost his contact information. I really have no idea where to go or who to talk to about it, and I feel really bad for the woman. I hope I wasn't a key witness. I can't help thinking the whole thing is partially my fault, because if I hadn't said anything, I don' think the woman would have either.

I know I'm ending this post on a big downer, but the concert really was fun. Anytime you can see in incarnation of Broken Social Scene (or Kevin Drew), I highly recommend it.