Depeche Mode and Knitting

Went and saw Depeche Mode at Shoreline tonight. I never imagined being 40 at a rock concert. These days, though, I'm in good company... I'm guessing the Rolling Stones felt the same way, like, 20 years ago. Speaking of the Stones, I overheard a kid saying, "How old are these guys?" and the first thought that popped in to my head was "Younger than Mick and Keith. Older than Britney."

About 10 years ago I went to a Jimmy Buffett concert at Shoreline. I had seen him several times as a child on winter vacation in Key West, and then one day years later, someone at work had extra lawn tickets, so I decided spur-of-the moment to go. Bad move. I was expecting the fans to skew much older than me, as Jimmy Buffet's longevity rivals, well, Keith's, but I was one of the oldest people there. There were kids who couldn't have been sophomores in high school! I don't remember much of the concert, but I do remember this: one of these little embryos proceeded to drink most of a pint of her much older boyfriend's sloe gin and then dance wildly on top of everyone nearby until she puked and passed out on the lawn. The boyfriend and the rest of her group just Let. Her. Be. At that moment I swore two things: if I ever had children, they would never attend a rock concert unchaperoned, and I would never again sit on the lawn in general seating.

Earlier this week came the offer I couldn't refuse: lawn seats for Depeche Mode. This is the one group I always wanted to see in college, but was too chicken to go alone. (Most of what passed for friends back then were into Rush and Yes.) And this time I was not disappointed! [Large-scale concerts have changed a bit in the intervening years, however. Several years ago, there was a Super Bowl ad depicting a major football game like--wait for it--the Super Bowl, and a power failure happens. Pitch black playing field. Crowd goes silent. One by one, the spectators open up their cool Ericsson cell phones with the icy blue glow. And enough people have them that the players can see the field again, and they do that "ready, break" thing that football players do. Ericsson to the rescue! Game on! And tonight's concert was the same way... so many people had glowy cell phones that I was giggling remembering that commercial. Oh, and during the slow song where old folks like me would have held up their lighters, everyone held up his glowing cell phone. The times they are a-changing!]

I really enjoyed the music... couldn't stop dancing (though I did my best not to look like Elaine from Seinfeld). Dave Gahan sported lots of eyeliner and razor stubble. Loved the eyeliner. Not so much the stubble. I want to know how he stays in such great shape!

I bet at this point you're wondering what the heck this all has to do with knitting. Martin Gore sported black nail polish and this great, tight-fitting knitted hat with earflaps and a yarn mohawk.

The minute I saw it, I nearly screamed, "I can knit that! I can totally knit that!"