An unlikely event

It’s not that often that you’re in New York on the same day Nick Cave is having a concert, but when that happens; the other Nick Cave is having an exhibition as well. Two Nick Caves, one New York, and me there on exactly those days? The universe just wanted me to see him play.

After hours of walking around Manhattan, I was exhausted, but despite that, and the fact that the concert was already sold out, I wanted to try and get in.

As my friend and I were approaching the Beacon theatre; I saw the sign “Tonight- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -Sold out flashing at me. It felt like it was telling me: “Forget about it, you’re not getting in.” But I was determined.

Trying to buy the tickets from the cashier was a failed attempt, so I told to my friend: "Come; we’re going to buy tickets from the street vendors."

I approached the first one I could spot. He looked like someone who could be a celebrity bodyguard, but I was not going to let him intimidate me. And so I asked him with a lot of confidence (meaning that my voice was unusually high): "How much for a ticket?"

-(not even looking at me) "That’s going to be 40 dollars"

“40 dollars for something that I’m not even sure is going to work? I’ll give you 15.”

-(Switches his stare right at me.) "They ARE going to work".

The negotiation lasted for almost an hour. It included me being suspicious about the validity of the ticket; and him saying that he's not making money from the tickets because nobody even heard about Nick Cave. It also included him telling me that I should work there instead, and me still insisting that he wants to trick me and that the tickets were not going to work. The bargain also included a consultation with my friend in German (because I don't want the seller to know my bargaining secrets - duh) and it ended in a compromise. I was supposed to get in with one ticket, and if that one worked, my friend was going to give him the money and take the other ticket.

And just like that, after “only” one hour of discussion; (with my friend almost leaving me behind because of embarrassment) I was in, hearing my favourite artist perform in the most delightful ambient. After hearing the first notes I forgot exhaustion; I forgot all the troubles of the world. All that mattered was that I was in. I won. And for a moment it felt like there is really nothing that I can’t do. So, next time you’re in New York, please talk to the street vendors - they sometimes have interesting stories to tell. ?