From Techno to Jazz

Fresh. I was looking for something to make me feel fresh. From the district that brought me Athens’ best salad came the best night out as well. Gazi at night is much more intense than what I experienced during the day exactly a month ago. This time the streets are packed with people, taxis, and motorcycles. The techno concert playing in Gazi was what drew me to this same spot again this month. I took a gamble on whether the venue from last month’s concert would use the same wrist bands for tonight’s concert so I could get in free. I guessed wrong and decided not to pay the 35 euro entrance fee. I was a little upset and yet a little relieved at not feeling the need to stay in the area all night so I wandered back towards the metro station. The sights and smells kept me feeling alive all throughout the night. This is what I experienced:

The smells of marijuana and tobacco take turns wafting past my nose as I walk down the semi-dark streets at midnight. Those scents soon get replaced by the smell of roasting corn and souvlaki as I turn the corner onto a busier street. I hear distant sounds of music near the Technopolis and decide to follow my ears toward the energetic sound of jazz. A woman is arguing with her husband on the side of the street next to her food cart as her corn on the cob gets a little extra crispy on one side. Two cart vendors carry on a conversation on the other side of the street and I wonder to myself how they can sell the same product and still get along. I see a huge crowd gathered in front of the wide open gates and step inside to find an even larger crowd in front of the stage. Teenagers are drinking beer and they are strewn around the perimeter of the Technopolis like loose pamphlets while their elders are sitting politely in front of the stage in fold-out chairs. The air in the middle of the crowd smells burnt from all the cigarettes around me and I can feel the drummer playing on my heart with his base drum. The stage lights flash on the crowd for a moment and I inhale at the feeling of being put in a spotlight. The music is smooth but not what I would call “smooth jazz”. It still keeps its edge and doesn’t sound like it’s being played for anyone but the musicians. The fact that the audience loves to hear it is just a nice side effect. The musicians themselves aren’t anything special; they all sport jeans and T-shirts and nod their heads to the beat. I smile to think that I am here for free when I could have been at another concert for 35 euros tonight. I know now I made the right choice. The texture of the evening with all the sights and smells make me feel fresh. This is exactly what I was looking for.