So the KROQ Weenie Roast 2010 was yesterday. In case you're not familiar with the Weenie Roast, it's KROQ's annual summer show and has been a fixture in So Cal for the past seventeen years, I think it is. This year featured Sublime w/ Rome, STP, Hole, Silversun Pickups, Devo and a bunch more. And while the show itself is all fun and good, for many of the KROQ employees, the after party is where the real fun occurs. This year was extra special because there was a FURRY convention at our same hotel! You can click "FURRY" above to read all about Furries, but for purposes of this story, all you need to know is that the hotel lobby was FILLED with people dressed in animal suits, or if they weren't in a full outfit, they were wearing ears and tails or collars and chains. And perhaps it's needless to say that they were all a bit socially awkward. Though SOCIALLY awkward may be the wrong term because these Furries were mingling with us and loving all the attention we were giving them. The Furry that I'm posing with above was going up to everyone asking for hugs, posing for pictures, picking people up and swinging them around. He was warm and sweaty to the touch. It was gross. I put my spare mustache on him for this picture so we could be twins. (Oh yes, I grew a mustache for Weenie Roast... that's a whole 'nother story.) So these Furries partied with us all night, but one of my favorite moments with them came after we got kicked out of the lobby and the party suite and all wound up down by the pool of the hotel.There was a girl who was there for the Furry convention (Califur) who wasn't dressed in any Furry attire. But it was pretty obvious that this girl was a Furry for a number of reasons. She was a bit awkward and she was carrying around hula-hoops which she hula-hooped a little too well with. I chatted with her along with a group of KROQ people for a bit. When I introduced myself I said, "Hi, I'm Kevin.. or Gouda... you can choose." since people at KROQ know me as both. So after a quick conversation we all went our separate ways. But then a few minutes later she came up to me and we had this conversation:
Hula Furry: Oh hey, it's you again. I have to ask you something...
Me: Oh hi again.. yeah what's up?
Hula Furry: Well, I just see that you were hanging out with some Furries... and you have two names... and there's a raccoon on your shirt...
Me: Yeeeess....
Hula Furry: ...and I'm just trying to figure out if you're here with the KROQ people or the Furries.
SHE THOUGHT I WAS A FURRY!!! A real life Furry thought I was one of them!! I was slightly embarrassed for about a second but then I was beaming with pride. It was an honor that a furry was essentially welcoming me into her fraternity! Though that wasn't really the case because she seemed extremely disappointed when she found out I was with the KROQ crew. But I just love knowing that I was ambiguous enough to fit into either group. I bet the mustache didn't help the confusion either.
Man. Another successful Weenie Roast.
