Life is just too short…

… to not dance, that is.

Tonight, I went out to see James Hunter and his band play at World Cafe Live in Philly (one of my favorite venues, at least until the new World Cafe Live in Wilmington opens up on April 2nd, 2011… just a few minute’s walk from our home).

Anyway, for those of you who know me, I am and always have been, a self-certified music nut. I have been known to travel very long distances (from one side of the country to the other, from the US to the UK, etc.) to see a live concert. Tonight was the 4th time I’ve seen James Hunter, and given that there are some not so good things going on in my life right now, I was looking to enjoy myself.

I arrived a little late, so the band was probably already into the 3rd number or so. The venue was configured with the lower area being nearly all tables (so people could order meals), with a block of people standing in the middle. Between that group and the band was a no-mans land – a place were no-one seemed to dare to tread – a place where dancing was most definitely verboten.

If you haven’t seen James Hunter and his band, let me explain. They have to be one of the most danceable bands on the face of this planet. Within one or two songs, my toes were tapping, my legs were twitching, and my hips were swaying (no.. it was not contagious), and I just couldn’t help myself. When the number ended, I walked through the crowd, through the no-man’s-land, and planted myself at the stage.

Now Mr. Hunter is what is known in the trade as a bit of a cheeky chappy, a joker.. one who always has a funny line. He made a joke about me being there to heckle him, and when he heard my British accent, he made it into a bigger joke. Unfortunately, a Neanderthal-type bouncer (even his piercings had tattoos, or was that the the way around?) mistake that for a cry for help, and was suddenly at my side, asking me (not so nicely) to stop heckling the talent, or I’d had to leave.

I have to say that I wasn’t sure whether to be angry, or to thank him for helping me with something on my bucket list. I’ve never been accused of being a heckler before. Fortunately, Hal Real (the Founder and President of World Cafe Live) saw what was happening and came over to diffuse the situation.

If I ever go back to school to get a PhD, I’m really tempted to research crowd behavior at music concerts. Again, this was one of the most danceable bands I’ve ever seen, and just no-one was prepared to dance. I tried to behave myself for a while, but the music got the better of me, and I just thought ‘Bugger It’… life reallly is too shotrt, not to dance.

Part way through the evening, one other person did join me up at the front to dance, and then a second one, but that was it. After the show, I went to talk with James and the band, and my opening line was “if this is what you do to fans, I’d hate to be someone that doesn’t like your music!” He apologized, and explained that he’d only meant the heckling remark as a joke.

As Oscar Wilde once said, ”the Americans and the British are identical in all respects except, of course, their language” and after a night like tonight, you have to admit… he sort of has a point!

So. another great show.. only marred by people who just couldn’t let themselves go, let their hair down, and have a good time. It was their loss.