Went to a concert for The National yesterday at the Orpheum. So. Many. Hipsters. My observations:
1) I'm surprised that concert halls aren't equipped with a stand devoted to selling cough drops. Last evening was a rock concert, so I didn't exactly need them, but still.
2) I am too old to go to rock concerts. Well, at least I am too old to go to rock concerts while I have a sinus cold.
3) I find the whole encore procedure tedious. Come on, now—when the lights dim for the first time, you know you're not finished playing; we know you're not finished playing. Do we really have to go through the whole charade?
4) In an acoustically optimized venue like the Orpheum, it really isn't necessary to turn your amp up to eleven.

I am still glad I went. It was a great show, and I really enjoyed one of the openers. That is to say, I liked their sound—I couldn't hear what they were singing because of the whole overamplification thing. They could be a Christian rock band, for all I know. I got their CD, though, so now I can find out.