Bitter For Life

That would have been my mood if I had gone to see one of my favorite bands and had the experience ruined by rain. Oh wait...

Seriously though, it appears that NYC had their "Radiohead @ Nissan" moment over the weekend. Severe weather royally screwed up the R.E.M. show @ Jones Beach on Long Island. Apparently lightning actually hit the venue during the changeover after Modest Mouse's set and the venue staff were telling different people different things as to if the show would indeed go on. Some people were told to leave the venue, others were told to stay and general chaos ensued.

But wait. It gets worse.

Fluxtumblr: "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Disturbance at the Heron House,” “Life and How To Live It,” and “Harborcoat” from the setlist."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG. I would have been inconsolable.

OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but that would be like someone telling me:

• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “High and Dry,” “Been Thinking About You,” and “Black Star” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Lowest Part is Free,” “Web In Front,” and “Harnessed In Slums” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “There's No Other Way,” “She's So High,” and “Parklife” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Sally Cinnamon,” “This is the One,” and “Driving South” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Over the Wall,” “Never Stop,” and “Altamont” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Well I Wonder,” “This Charming Man,” and “Barbarism Begins at Home” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Say Something,” “Ring The Bells,” and “Sit Down” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “This Time Around,” “Slide,” and “Beautiful View” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Motorcycle Emptiness,” “Faster,” and “La Tristesse Durera” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Bengali In Platforms,” “Break Up The Family,” and “Your Gonna Need Someone On Your Side” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “D'You Know What I Mean?,” “Cast No Shadow,” and “Slide Away” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Two States,” “Westie Cannot Drum,” and “Fight This Generation” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Car Radio,” “30 Gallon Tank,” and “Everything Hits At Once” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “Frisbee,” “Bad Behavior,” and “Dacw Hi” from the setlist."
• "You should’ve stayed! It was amazing, and the only thing I have to complain about is how the rain delay forced them to cut “December,” “Verisimilitude,” and “Star Sign” from the setlist."

I only wish I knew early GBV well enough to do one for them. Anyways, you get the point. On the plus side, Stipe & Co. did open the show with a cover of CCR's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain."

Is there some way to get bands, venues and promoters to agree that putting people's lives in danger probably means you should postpone the show?