MTV GR Day

Last weekend saw the birth of MTV Greece. I know, you are all wondering how come we didn't already have MTV, or why that was a big deal.
Well it was a big deal for two reasons: 1) REM played a free concert, in the center of Athens, at Kallimarmaro Panathinaiko Stadium. 2) I was there

So, this is what happened.

We left, (not so) early on Sunday morning, to get to the concert. It's a 5 1/2 - hour - drive from Thessaloniki to Athens, and we did it almost without stopping at all. Almost, because close to the end of our drive, I got carsick and absolutely had to stop. The rest of the drive, I had to have my head stuck out of the window, my face green and my dignity dragged from the back of the car, bumping on killed cats and dogs on the highway to Athens.

When we got there, we found that my friend at whose place we were staying was sick too, and wouldn't come to the concert. I was already exhausted and way too sick to think straight, so I said: "Well, maybe I shouldn't go either", anxiously waiting to hear the liberating answer "well, duh! you are green like a dollar, you should stay at home and rest". Instead of that, I got the "Are you crazy? You drove 800 miles just to stay home and sleep? Go there, besides it's free, if you feel badly, you can always come back".

So, a while later, we got on the subway and headed for Kallimarmaro. I couldn't even take the subway ride, I was so sick. Good thing it was only four stops from where we were staying. I saw a weird guy in the train: he was about 24- 25, dressed nicely, cute, and had a "Pass" hanging from his neck. I thought to myself that maybe he's one of the crew at the event, so I read the pass more carefully. It was from a Kids' Festival that took place about a month earlier. I was so confused... Why would anyone still wear a pass from an event that took place a month earlier?

Anyway

Some time after 8 we reached Kallimarmaro Stadium. We were sent through Gate 4, which means that we had to climb two flights of stairs to get to where we would enter the stadium from (we could freely move once we were in). I had already missed C:Real, which is a greek band I really didn't want to hear, so I didn't really care. I could hear that Gabriella Cilmi was on stage, singing Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River". But the real surprise was when I reached the top and looked at the crowd: more than 50.000 people (I'm sure it was more than that) had come to the concert and were already dancing to Cilmi (or to Timberlake, sung by Cilmy).

I walked through the crowd. Mainly young people, the ones you will NOT find in bouzoukia, "enjoying" canned music (those of you who have ever listened to popular greek music, you know what I mean). Amongst them, older people, who probably were simply just passing by and went in, due to the free entrance. But I might not be doing them justice, maybe they were actually there to listen to REM, or the Kaiser Chiefs, or Gabriella Cilmi. Besides, REM have admitted that they can't tell their fans when they see them in the street, since they may belong to all age groups, after all these years.

It didn't take me very long to forget that I was ever sick. I took a walk to the right of the stage, then the left, then the middle, and the party had already begun.

The Kaiser Chiefs didn't play long. We had only just realized that they were up there, and they were gone. They thought exactly the same thing, at least that's what they told the "hosts", during an interview after they sang. And, yes, there was an interview and everything. It was an MTV event, after all, and it was in no way worse than what we see on TV.

A while after 10:30, the great REM went on stage. Having already stated their support to Barack Obama (I think a lot of famous people will be really disappointed if he's not elected - ftou ftou ftou) and how they loved to be in Athens, "the city that gave birth to goods like democracy", REM rocked the center of Athens for about an hour and a half. Old, young, 20somethings, 30somethings, 40somethings and some even older than that, became one large bundle jumping up and down to old and new songs by a band that came from Athens (Georgia, not Greece!). Drive, Man On The Moon, What's The Frequency Kenneth, The Great Beyond, Orange Crush (Yes! They did!!), It's The End Of The World As We Know It, but everyone - everyone - sang at the top of their lungs to Losing My Religion and To The One I Love.

With this concert, REM cleary and eloquently proved that they are a huge group: they didn't succumb to the temptation of turning this into a meaningless, easy way for them to earn money and go home, simply by playing all of their new songs and Losing My Religion. Leaving the crowd not knowing what hit them. No. They chose to sing all those songs the crowd loves, thanking everyone for honoring them with their presence.

What can be said about Michael Stipe? Ageless, restless, shiny, wonderful, with a voice that could melt the hearts of 1000 Chinese warriors going to battle.

I left Kallimarmaro after midnight, filled with pleasure and free of any illness! It's true, music is the best medicine. I hope the best is yet to come