This week I'm taking a brief detour from re-living the summer of my life in San Francisco. Instead, we're flashbacking to my college days in the happiest place on earth, Stillwater Oklahoma!
This weekend I went back for Calf Fry (as you have read about once or twice) and I'm sad to say, I was greatly disappointed with the people in attendance. At the risk of sounding like someone's grandma here--back in my day, Calf Fry was better.
When I was in school, Calf Fry was an institution--a national holiday of sorts for Stillwater. One of my friends might have described it best when she called it "Red dirt in an open field." It was hours of great music, good friends, and a great time. Everyone had fun, everyone seemed to get along, and aside from the occasional drunk passed out by the gate, things were on the controlled side of wild. In typical Stillwater fashion, we welcomed everyone into town, were friendly to all the visitors, and many of us (at least College Roomie and I) left our doors unlocked for friends and more than once woke up with people we didn't know crashing on our floor (see one group below).
I don't know what changed this year. It was a train wreck disaster. On Friday night, Cross Canadian Ragweed performed. Mind you, these guys are FROM Stillwater. The hometown heroes come back to play for the crowd. What happens? Lead singer Cody Canada gets drilled in the side of the head when someone throws a So Co bottle at him. 24 stitches and a concussion later, the band had to cancel its show the next night in Kansas City. On Saturday night, Someone throws a pitcher onto the stage while Miranda Lambert is playing (she didn't get hit) and then later some idiot snuck onto the stage and tapped her right on the shoulder. He wound up mobbed by security guards and Miranda screamed "I should have kicked his [you know what]!" (Where were the security guards before the dude got on stage?!?)
I'm going to choose to believe that it could not have been OSU students who were involved in this mess. I just don't want to believe that people at my alma mater, who are having the same amazing opportunites and experiences that I had would act like this. But, the reality is I have no idea who it was acting like morons.
So listen up OSU students and anyone else who comes to our town. Put a smile on, say hello to the guy standing next to you, have (don't throw) a drink, and enjoy some awesome red dirt music. Who cares if you've ever met him or not? Take a note from my friend, Dr. TPB and just say hello!
Don't ruin a great thing for everyone by acting like an idiot.
2 comments:
I have been waiting on this post since I heard about Cody. Absolutely disgraceful.
A couple of years ago I was fortunate to attend College Days and couldn't believe people would disrespect the performer by throwing things at them. It seems nothing was done to get the situation under control, and now two great singers paid the price. What happened to having good manners?
This group just a few years younger than us seems to be so completely different. I notice it not only in their lack of respect for others, but also a lack of social responsibility paired with a great sense of entitlement. And now I'll stop and go back to my own blog to rant...
Awesome post, Tiffany. I hope it spurs much change.
That's funny you were expecting a blog---someone else said the same thing after the incident with Cody! I was just so frustrated. Like I say, I've seen someone throw a pitcher once before, but never anything like I saw last weekend. I was not impressed.
In other news.....WHAT IS YOUR BLOG ADDRESS!?! How am I not a follower?
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