Gapers Block Annual Block Party

Ok, I’m not afraid to admit that on Friday’s I’m usually a total lame-​o. I like nothing more than watching TV and cozying up to my most recent issue of Us magazine. However, since summer was winding down, my Us never showed, and I had a long weekend ahead of me I decided to shake things up and check out the Gapers Block Party at the Metro.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I had never heard of any of the acts, had never even read Gapers Block, but it was free before 9:30. You can’t even say that about most street fests! My friend and I hoped to be pleasantly surprised and that we were.
The Metro is a great venue for a show, originally built in 1927 as a Swedish community center, it still has some ornate touches most notable around the stage, and is a small, intimate place to see a show. The Block Party acts were Panda Riot, Blane Fonda, The Hood Internet, and Nikki Lynette; each act played for about 45 minutes it seemed. We arrived midway through Panda Riot’s set; they did a great cover of M.I.A.‘s Paper Planes.
My favorite act, surprisingly, was The Hood Internet, a DJ. I’m not a club-​goer so the art of DJ’ing is really lost on me, at least until now. This guy transformed a room of people tamely bopping along to the rhythm into a room full of sweaty, grooving people. To me, his transitions from song to song were not only creative, but seamless. He definitely, turned me not only into a fan, but someone that respects his art.
Drinks were pricey ($ 6 for a Miller Light), but I expected as much from a music venue.
The crowd was eclectic to say the least, there aren’t too many places you’ll see hipsters shoulder to shoulder with chads, clubbers (is that a word?), and a bunch of random others; it definitely made the people watching priceless. All in all it was a good time and I’d check out next year’s party.