Last Friday night, Everett and I made our way to SW Detroit to a tiny music venue called El Club.  We were there to see a metal band from the Pacific Northwest named Red Fang.  It was loud.  There was a lot of long hair and beards and beer and dudes over 250 pounds.  Pretty typical when you picture “metal.”

However it was also incredibly tolerant and welcoming.  This place was packed full of large, testosterone-fueled guys, slamming beers and listening to the sort of music you march into battle to.  Yet, there were no fights, not even the usual chest puffing you see at pop concerts.  There was a girl there with an ankle boot, on crutches, and the crowd parted ways to allow her and her friend a great view of the stage.  When the mosh pit got rolling, a few guys escorted the girls to a place just outside it where they wouldn’t be trampled.

Even within the mosh pit, if anyone fell, others helped them up.  When crazies tried to crowd surf in a crowd where that was entirely impractical, no one let them crash to the floor.  We were all just there to listen to some loud, heavy music, escape the world for a few hours, and remind ourselves why life is awesome (hint: because there’s music and great people in it).

Metal, bringing people together, who knew?

Ryan