About ten days ago, I was on the lip of the stage as The Hold Steady played in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA). Loved the energy, loved the tales of religion and substance abuse (their venn diagrams overlap more than a little), but the young gal, with the endlessly raised glass of booze, eyes shut, kind of swaying to the music, kept leaning into me way too closely. And her boyfriend didn't seem to mind. Fifteen feet back from me, where it was a bit less frenetic, Mrs. Peter T., also in attendance, had a couple making out in front of her for the entire show. Aren't there better venues for these out-of-it and amorous folks?

Peter T.