This Saturday I put on some eye liner and photographed a Spank Rock, LMFAO and Ke$ha show at Jones Beach.
Clutches of middle school girls wore homemade, sparkly shirts and shouted with excitement. Shorts were universally short, and boys in tight pants drank sweet drinks hiding vodka*. Performers sang sexy songs about parties and sex, someone took a shot onstage through a beer bong, and my sister and I laughed and danced because that’s what you do when you’re surrounded by glitter and neon and nearly grown-up children’s excitement. An opening act relaxed drinking beer on their tour bus, joking about shows and each other, and employees enforced rules. Couples wrapped themselves in each other and made out intensely, ignoring streams of girls stalking by in heels and ripped fishnets. Ke$ha shouted “I fucking love you guys – now everyone go get laid!” and later, dads crossed their arms and waited by SUVs for their children to emerge and climb inside, shouting and singing through crowded parking lots.
*Allegedly – but I was a teenager once. So I think I know.