Have you ever gone to a concert and were too busy drinking and talking to remember a single minute of the concert?

Was getting wasted and being seen really your only intent for going in the first place?

Hidden behind the main stage at Siren Music Festival, a large contingent of hipper-than-thou music industry insiders managed to spend much of their day avoiding great performances by Built to Spill, Thee Oh Sees, A Place to Bury Strangers, and Frightened Rabbit.

While I hopped back and forth between the 2 stages for the long long day, I couldn’t help but take notice of the always crowded VIP section. Even when indie music icon Frank Black took the stage with Grand Duchy, the free alcohol  remained too important to leave behind. VIP’s and press had access to a special area right in front of the stage—”the best seats in the house”— and though that area was usually cluttered, it wasn’t ever too congested and it always seemed to be the same bunch of us.

The music industry is a social network, and as most of my friends are members of the industry, it must be noted that some of those people I criticize here are my own friends. In their defense, I know some of the fools are really large music fans, but how do you go and let alcohol take priority over an epic performance by Built to Spill or Thee Oh Sees guitar-biting, spit-catching return to true rock and roll?

This all is nothing new. A lot of the time when you’re at a show, the people talking in the back, or the guy text-messaging all night are members of the music industry, too cool to actually get themselves wrapped up in what’s happening on stage. Sure, they may have seen a bunch of these bands before, but so have I, and still that Built to Spill performance had me completely stunned.

If you’ve lost that ability to enjoy live music anymore, then I feel sorry for you, because no matter how many shows I see every year, I never tire of it, and when the stars align for a great band the resulting performance is breathtaking.

Tiny Masters of Today: The youngest band I’ve ever seen. These three really shouldn’t already be sharing a stage with people like Frank Black and Built To Spill, but they also don’t deserve to be trashed like they were on Pitchfork. Give them a couple more years, and these kids could be garage rock stars.

Blue Van: Pretty generic anthemic cock rock that made me miss Diamond Nights.

Micachu & The Shapes: The first really good performance of the day. Poppy female-fronted British band with a unique electronic sound behind folk guitar and Mica’s interesting voice.

Bear Hands: A Brooklyn band that prefers pounding out a good rock song in the vein of Jawbox.

Japandroids: Energetic guitar and drums duo played a strong set, but nothing comparing to the hype that surrounds them.

Thee Oh Sees: Set of the day. John Dwyer and co. played a very very short set, but every minute of it was as inspired as anything I’ve ever seen.

Frightened Rabbit: Another heart-stopping performance by this Scottish band

Future of the Left: Most heavy-hitting performance of the day

Grand Duchy: Pretty disappointing for a Frank Black project, yet still good

A Place to Bury Strangers: As good as I’ve seen them musically. The sonic assault was turned all the way up.

The Raveonettes: The Jesus & Mary Chain-influenced Danish rockers weren’t at their best, but were still pretty amazing

Built to Spill: Those guitars snaked through each other creating an epic whirlwind that engulfed us all, peaking on “Carry the Zero.”