Excellent Concert Barefoot

I wanted to share about an incredible experience I had tonight.

I went to a Dark Star Orchestra (reproduced a 1973 Dead) show in Asheville at the Orange Peel.

I went there wearing my (imitation) birks ... even before the music started, I noticed at least 2 guys and maybe 4 girls walking and dancing barefoot (by the end, maybe 5 guys and 10 girls). I was kinda jealous, but not sure right away that I had the guts to try it.

But Dark Star's music really inspiringly captures the spirit of the Grateful Dead, and when I got grooving into it, I took off my sandals, tucked them into the back of my jeans, and only put them on a couple of times in the last 3 hrs of the show (to go outside and smoke ... it was < 30F).

I'm so damn glad I went barefoot ... it felt so freeing, and I felt like I could dance and walk around so much more confortably and really feel the dancing with the music in a more real way. The touch of the floor on the bare soles of my feet along with the kick-ass music and warm and friendly crowd just blew me away.

It's lucky we have a venue (Orange Peel) here in Asheville that clearly has no problem with bare feet. When I was back up in Connecticut, I saw a couple of places there make people put their shoes on.

I've danced at a lot of outdoor festivals barefoot before, which is really great too, but this is the first time I recall doing it (at least for that long) at an indoor venue. If any of you haven't tried it, you really really should because it is the best feeling.

Peace,
Ryvr

for fun, pic of me, barefoot:

 

I've seen DSO many times, always remove my shoes.
They'er a great band! Hope u had fun, fun, fun

 

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Anyone doing Phil and Friends at The Tower in Upper Darby?

I know I'll be dancing with the rest of the kynd folks barefoot

 

Hey, right on! That sounds like fun.

P.S. Ryvr, you're seriously hot.

 

Hey, dude, a little off topic here, but I just noticed your post and your mention of Asheville. I don't live there at present, but I used to and still go back there often and am very familiar with it and the area. It's a great place. Any problems going barefoot anywhere there?

 

hehe, talk about belated response ... oh, well...
Asheville is incredibly barefoot friendly. I go barefoot everywhere all the time and no one blinks. My workplace is even 100% barefoot friendly which is great.

Once, just once, hired security at a club which was having a (sorta) music festival told me I had to wear shoes. I knew the owner whom I enquired at the time about "shoes policy." He said no prob usually but he apparently didn't want to go against his hired security.

Otherwise, been great. You should lemme know if you're in town sometime, bfrank!

Peace,
Ryvr

 

Ryvr, I wish you'd posted sooner. I was there for several months this past summer. Did you go to Bele Chere? Too bad it was a little rainy, but I did see several barefoot people there walking around. Unfortunately, other than that, I never saw anyone walking around barefoot especially in the downtown area, which seemed kind of strange, in that you see a lot of non-traditional clothing styles and people that you would think would not be slaves to corporate driven shoe-culture. But regardless of how bohemian or otherwise non-conformist many people appeared to be, they always had on some kind of shoes. Very surprising and disappointing. That didn't stop me from being barefoot though - everywhere I went. And had no problems from anyone about my bare feet.

 

Man, yeah, man. I was all barefoot at Belle Chere ... Dancin' up a storm.
It may sum up Asheville quite well the words, "regardless of how bohemian or otherwise non-conformist many people [appear] to be." Bunch 'o phonies if you asks me. But they don't gimme any trouble me going barefoot. Sorry to have missed you. Come back sometime!

Peace,
Ryvr

 

Thanks, Ryvr. Yes, I'll be back in the summer for sure.

Is there any place in Asheville that has given you any kind of problem for being barefoot?

 

Nah, not really. Hired security once, but I don't wanna blame the club because the owner told me there was no "shoes policy."

Peace,
Ryvr