After getting sufficiently drunk in the lots (which were a bit sketchy), I had a good first set.  Nothing phenomenal or out of the ordinary, but fun nevertheless.  Setbreak came, and I wanted to prolong my intoxication through at least part of the second set, so I went up to one of the beer stands and got a kind fan to buy me a beer (I was 19 at the time).

As I was walking back toward the lawn to meet up with the rest of my friends (who previously insisted that beer was no longer being served since it was about 10 o'clock... you'll see why I wish I had taken their word for it), I saw a yellow shirt out of the corner of my eye. 

I accordingly picked up the pace, beer in hand, trying to avoid an encounter with the security guard.  About two seconds later I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I was soon asked why I didn't have a bracelet.  I made up some stupid shit like, "It came off during the first set," which he of course didn't buy.  He then told me that I had to accompany him to the venue's office.

"I'll just give you the beer and walk away, no big deal," I pleaded.  "Here, just take it." No dice.  As we walked toward the office, I asked him several times whether I was going to get kicked out.  His initial answer was no, but his consequent answers somehow turned into, "Actually, I don't know what they're going to do about this."

At that point, I chose to follow the general rule governing confrontations with the law when you're on foot: RUN LIKE HELL.  I turned and tried to break free of his hold, only to be grabbed by the belt about 2 seconds later.  "This is fucking great," I thought.  "I'm a fucking idiot."  

Mad as hell, I started bitching at the security guard, asking him why he was being such a dick.  "Weren't you a kid once?" I asked at one point.  He replied with something like, "Yeah, but I didn't go around holding beers in front of security guards."  My response was something to the effect of,  "Yeah, you're exactly right.  I truly meant to walk right by you.  I thought that would be a great idea, especially since I don't have a bracelet."  Thanks a lot, asshole.   

So I was taken down to the office, I gave some of my personal info (phone number, etc.), then I was driven by a cop to a weird place where many other cops and kids were filling out tickets and what not.  Everyone was pissed as hell.  

I ended up getting a ticket and getting dropped off outside the venue; I arrived back about halfway through the second set.  I was grateful to discover that I was able to hear the show from outside if I stood near the fence.  This wouldn't last, of course.  I think during Circus a cop came up to me and made me move away from the fence, getting pissed as hell as if I was posing some type of threat to the whole venue.  

To make a long story short, I ended up having to go to court in Holmdel (about an hour and a half away from my house), and got smacked with a hefty fine.  How hefty?  Six hundred and fifty fucking dollars.  Yep, that's what you get for having a beer, underage, inside the Arts Center.  I didn't even get to take a sip of that beer, and it cost me 650 dollars.  

I learned my lesson the hard way, I guess.  I saw one of the kids who was in my same situation that night (he's from Wisconsin), who also got caught w/ a beer and tried unsuccessfully to run from the Arts Center security guard, in Toronto later on in the tour.  I laughed to see he was drinking a beer, resting assured that the Canadians aren't as strict as those damn NJ authorities.  So, if you're ever at a show at the Arts Center, and you're underage, be super-careful with beers.  

 - Jeff