San Geraldo and I went to Feria Sunday night. Last year, we noticed a gay pop-up bar, but we were so deafened by the noise by that time that we didn’t have it in us to stick around. As is the case in the USA, for some reason, the organisers and venders at these kinds of events choose to blast music from every venue at eardrum-exploding decibel levels.
Our reaction has nothing to do with us getting more crotchety as we get older (although in San Geraldo’s case, it’s a fact of life). I remember these same decibel levels from my time spent at discos and bars in the ’70s and ’80s, and long after —although no longer at discos.
When I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform live in Brooklyn in the 1970s, the music was so loud that I had a ringing in my ears for a few days after.
Anyway, San Geraldo suggested we get ear plugs this year and then try and find that bar.
Behind the casetas (the small houses at the fairgrounds used for parties/food/music), is a strip of temporary bars hosted by different groups and organisations. That’s where we came upon that gay bar last year. So, last night, ear plugs in place, we headed down the lane. We never did find the gay bar this year, but I realised that we couldn’t have visited with anyone anyway. The ear plugs worked too well. (Click any image; it won’t get louder.)
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| A CASETA. |
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| A QUIET AND LESS POPULAR CASETA. |
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| A TYPICAL RACING COMPETITION ON THE MIDWAY. INSTEAD OF HORSES, THIS ONE HAD CAMELS. (WATCH THE FOLLOWING CLIP.) |
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| WITH DIFFERENT MUSIC BOOMING FROM EVERY RIDE AND EVERY CASETA. |
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| LOOKING BACK AS WE MADE OUR ESCAPE. |
We heard great singing, so stopped for some traditional Spanish music.
We didn’t stay long. Hi ho.
That’s how I first discovered that I was “old,” when I went to a concert that was too loud. It was a shocker for me cuz I really liked my rock music loud.
Susan:
I guess I’ve always been “old” when it comes to that level of volume. I NEVER liked my rock music loud. There was a disco where I went to college. I would last less than an hour before the volume drove me out.