Day 4: Marinapalooza

When I woke up at 6:30 am yesterday morning, I thought, "Marinapalooza's gonna take all day. What a time hog." Turns out it was justified in taking all of our time yesterday, that's how good this beach side music festival was.

For those who have never been in LA for the fourth of July, let me explain how it works. In LA, the beach is the most patriotic place you can be. So in a rush of fervent American zeal, the whole city flocks as close to the water as possible. The traffic is terrible, and there is no parking. The period after the fireworks is the culmination of all that congestion that's been building all day. Citizens patriotically yell and honk at each other. They all want to be in the most desired lanes for being stalled in traffic on the Fourth. Don't judge; this is not about impatience or selfishness, this is about liberty, and sometimes justice.

Tony and I found ourselves in this moment on foot. Tired from a day of dancing and playing, our conversation was starting to show signs of our fatigue. At this point in a Tony / Aaron conversation, guttural noises and word fragments become equally if not more interesting than our thoughts on songs we're writing or that new girl Nicole we met who dances so cool. "Maaa maaa maa maaa Boeoeoeoeeeeee?" "HAI! HAI! HAI!!!" "ooooh ho ho ho ho!"

After meeting up with Spencer and Tom, Spence and I decided to make one last stab at concrete human behavior. We ventured over to the nearest block party that was still going on, and decided to see if we could make a little friend. We split up and devoured the party. I decided in an instant to go by this rule: find the seemingly hottest girl in the place, and set up shop right next to her. I went to work, and before long, I was friends with a tall, blond, cute girl from Florida. Things were going well, but after awhile things weren't seeming to stick. After giving it the requisite number of chances, I found Spencer and left. It is in the van on the way home from things that many important lessons are learned, and this was certainly the case here. Our manager Alex, who is concerned not only with our success as a band but with our 'game,' among other things, taught us this important principle. A wing man is not just helpful, it's key. You need someone to give you credibility, and they need you. It is this synergy that earns you trust with the people you meet.

Either that, or you're somewhere where everyone is feeling the love already. Marinapalooza became such a place yesterday. In such a place, when you're feeling that kind of energy, you can look at people around you with a smile that says, "Do you feel good, because I'm feeling way good! This is the real deal." The music was great, the company was fabulous, and the location was prearranged. And at times, the dancing was outrageous. Thanks to everyone who came out and who we met yesterday, what a great 4th of July.