Down With The CNE

In the city I call my hometown, the Canadian National Exhibition is a staple of the summer. It's probably the only thing the end of summer has going for it other than sunsets & end of season sales. My Uncle wanted to head down this year with his family to take in the vibes & since he had extra space his van, Tru-Def & I got to go with them. Believe me, fun was had.

I got to take two of my cousins to their first concert tonight! Thanks @tdsb_cne, @letsgototheex & @downwithwebster. youtube.com/watch?v=OLMb2d…
— Scott (@thatCSAguy) August 31, 2011

When we got the call that were we going to the CNE (aka The Ex), I didn't really know how much fun could be had. Not that hanging out with the family isn't great, but my cousins C & A are in 10th & 4th grade respectively. When I was walking around the house talking about how I wanted to go to The Ex, I wasn't saying I had no one to go with. I had already planned out a trip with my friend T & we were going to tear that place up. Building a plan with someone & then executing it without them isn't a good look. It leads to you expecting one type of night & usually gets you a totally different one. Still, Tru-Def & I went along for the ride hoping to make the best out of the night.

After fighting our way through traffic, we got to The Ex & scored a parking spot not far from the bandshell. The benefits of having an aunt in a wheelchair, right? A & C mentioned that there was a concert going on but from the info we had, the wristbands were sold out. However, in the tradition of my nights on the town, things didn't end there. Side-note: We walked around The Ex & hit the food building. Since we didn't get any of the crazy food (deep fried Mars bars, Krispy Kreme burgers, etc.) I shant fill you in. Shout-out to the girl working at Mama's Pizza though.

Over the course of the evening, it became clear that C was going to go to any length to get into this concert. While there was a handful of acts, she really only wanted to see Down With Webster. We ended up walking back to the bandshell because even if we had to press our ears up against the fencing, C was going to experience this show! (Almost reminds you of someone, oui?) However my Mom aka the original concert chick, who swooped in after work, talked to the people working the door & found out that the wristbands were free. The next thing in knew, I was one chaperone duty in a mob of people! My uncle wandered off & got to the front row of the audience. The cameras caught him looking like such a rudeboy that the band even acknowledged his existence by rapping at him during their set. Groupies, eat your hearts out.

When the show wrapped up, we went on a few rides. C smashed my ribs on this roller coaster that I can only describe as minor league & the two of us laughed so hard on this fast, spinning ride that we cried. The girl running that one even came up to us when it was over because at that point of the evening we had to have been the most hyped up people she'd seen in hours. A then dragged me on a ride with cars  where the other side of my ribcage was punished. Drink your milk, kids! Strong bones son muy necesarios.

It was a quality night out. There's always something to do at The Ex & even if the team you go with isn't the one you planned for, you'll have a great time. Shout-outs to C & A. Hopefully they look back on this trip & get a kick out of it too. Not only did they get to go to their first concert, but they rocked as hard as anyone.