Ethnography Results, Week 5

This week, we went to the Stafford in downtown Bryan. It was a CD release party for The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and the entire event consisted of 7 different bands. We got there as the second band came on at 9pm, and there were about 60 people there at that time. Most people were either near the bar or right in front of the band. By the time we left at 11:30pm, there were about 90 people in attendance. This event required payment to get in, unlike others that we have visited.

This venue was much different than the others we have been to so far. The stage was clearly the focus point of the place and  was outfitted with many different lights that emphasized the music. There was a guy behind a soundboard that controlled the lights and sounds. The place had poor ventilation, as there was so much cigarette smoke that we initially thought there was a smoke machine on stage. As for the crowd at this concert, it was also very different than the other places we're been. It was much more of an alternative crowd, with many people wearing plaid shirts and Toms shoes. I even saw two girls with their hair in dreadlocks. Not many people were actually drinking, although the number increased throughout the night. As for the behavior of people, they mostly just stood around, facing the bands. A few people tapped their feet to the music, but that was the extent of the dancing. The atmosphere wasn't nearly as excited as the past places we have been.

In addition to the Stafford, there were many other musical events occuring in downtown Bryan on the same night. Between bands, we walked around and checked out some of the other music performances. TAMU percussion was having free performances, each of which attracted a crowd large enough to fill the outdoor area they were in almost immediately after they started playing. There was also a jazz performance going on in a parking lot, with a very chill atmosphere and approximately 40 people sitting leisurely around the performers on blankets and lawn chairs. Many people just walked the streets, going from place to place, staying at each performance for only short periods of time.