The Stupid Venice Beach Drum Circle

So there is this thing in Venice Beach, California called "The Venice Beach Drum Circle." It is one of those things that people who have only ever lived in Los Angeles County (or the United States outside of San Francisco and New York) call "an amazing cultural experience." I can only describe it as the following: a bunch of people (including some with very questionable musical talent) arrive to the Venice Beach board walk with percussion instruments both traditional and otherwise, and proceed to pound, whack, and hit on them synchronously and asynchronously for hours on end making a hell of a racket for little or no apparent reason or artistic Merit. And this is "culture?" Well, of a kind I suppose. The people are of all walks of life, but frequently look like this guy who has shown up to wield that most sophisticated of percussion instruments - the cow bell! "Freaks upon freaks" as my friend Rob once said as we walked the board walk... It goes on and on, pounding away into the wee hours, and is miraculously tolerated by the locals. I suppose they might all be out there pounding on their own instruments of sonic torture. I admire the shear chaos of the event, the complete and total lack of organization, and refusal to submit to any sense of "marketing" that is so ever present in the United States. It is a real relief. Just a bunch of people doing something for the sole reason of doing it. However, that being said, I still can't get myself past the fact that the sum of the parts that is The Venice Beach Drum Circle... Is well, just kinda stupid. Then again, maybe I just need to assimilate!