Since The Fray opened up the Uptown Ampitheatre at the N.C. Music Factory earlier this summer, Greenville, the neighborhood that surrounds the venue has been well within earshot of all the acts.

Now, some would some would say, "That's awesome , you got to hear Counting Crows for free," while others, and possibly the majority, feel like they're stuck at the stoplight next to the car with subwoofers, in their own home.

The recent Chickenfoot performance forced me and my folks to have to yell over the music just to hear each other in the living room, but like most things that have changed around here, lots of Uptown Ampitheatre's neighbors are taking things in stride.

Jokes like, "it sounds like motherfuckin' Kiss outside," and the realization that more young black people know Sammy Hagar from his Cabo Wabo Tequila than Van Halen or Chickenfoot kept me smiling. What else could've sparked my parents to talk about Hagar's appearance on Emeril Live way back?

Having lived in the neighborhood since the early '90s, I think people are happy to have our new neighbors at the Music Factory, considering it was just an abandoned factory by the railroad tracks before. They're just dying to hear someone they know or like perform. Watching a predominantly black community react to the noise from Uptown Ampitheatre instantly makes me think about this:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/5GRLcsr5Ej8/

(Take the black barbershops reaction to John Mayer on electric guitar, multiply that by our entire neighborhood and you have our general feels towards on the matter):