With only several hundred turning out for the recent Adema concert at the Bakersfield Convention Center and three opening bands that failed to keep the crowd satisfied, the concert was as much fun as waiting to be called at the orthodontist’s office.
In fact, my friend and I caught ourselves yawning uncontrollably not even halfway through the show.
Adema fans managed to get at least one article of black clothing on that evening.
And there were the random “punk” fans, all of which were mostly female junior high to sophomore-aged teens.
However, there was this woman, roughly in her late 30s or early 40s, who entered the restroom with her cute little thong exposed, and left with it still blatantly obvious.
According to the husky men in yellow T-shirts, also known as illegitimate security, “the band will get really pissed if (photographers) stand in the middle” of the front of the crowd.
The opening shows said a lot of expletives, as if it would help the crowd get more pumped up, which it did, for literally a few seconds after the musicians stopped talking to them.
Except for the fortunate front-rowers, the crowd seemed tired or bored.
Adema, however, sounded perfectly like Adema: loud, attractively energetic and alluring.
Screams, hoots, crowd surfing and head-banging from the crowd proved that Adema really was welcomed at home.
The obvious thick clouds of white marijuana smoke from various parts of the crowd were strong enough to get bystanders buzzed.
Nonetheless, stoned, drunk or not, the smaller-than-usual crowd must have made Adema feel all warm and tingly inside.
The songs, too, lived up to the hype, but the show, collectively, did not.
Big concerts are completely overrated, unless it is like Incubus’ where they filmed their latest video at the concert, because the security is so strict.
During the concert, a fan gets about five feet from the band and sometimes has to, get this, sit in chairs.
Paying five to ten bucks for a show at Jerry’s or a house party is so much better than even a $20 concert at Centennial Garden.
At least a fan can get a chance to sing into the same mic as the band for a bit, or even get hurt in the intimate pit or from a flying mic stand.