Wearing Homeslice Apparel To Homeslice = Wearing T-shirt Of Band To Band’s Concert?

Utinsils And Hands Won't Be Necessary, Thanks

Greg and Marlo, of previous Year of the Pizza fame, came to Austin for a whirlwind visit.  They had a work-related training Friday morning and stayed til the next morning.  Marlo had never tried falafel, so we ate that for lunch, then spent the afternoon napping and playing Crazy Cat Lady at Barton Springs (I lost, barely).  Then we drank some homebrews and went over to Homeslice, and were seated at the four-top near the take-out window and apparel showcase.

Greg always enjoys beer at Homeslice, as do I.  We ordered one pitcher of the Real Ale Hef, then another.  Hot pizza + cold beer = goodness.

I went to the bathroom near the end of the meal (thanks to the beer) and came back to see that Greg, whose always super generous, had ordered two hats for us.

Firstly, the hat is really cool.  It’s maroon with the Homeslice crown and has a white mesh back to keep the air flowing lest my brain overheat.  Secondly, it was a really thoughtful gift.  But I can’t help equating wearing a Homeslice hat to Homeslice with wearing the t-shirt of a band to the band’s concert.  I don’t want to be THAT GUY.

We discussed this over the dregs of our beer.  Greg and I both clearly understand how unsavory it is to be THAT GUY.  It’s ok to wear another band’s t-shirt to the show, but not that band’s shirt.  I don’t know where these rules are inscribed (and I’ve been told I’m not the type to respect rules anyway, most recently by the serving lady at Snow’s BBQ), but they exist.  Not that I have any love for the fashion world (a mutual dislike), but I don’t think designers wear their own gear to their shows.  Erin and Marlo thought the practice was perfectly acceptable, but I remained unconvinced. I did, however, wear the hat to the hot sauce festival Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised at its utility and awesomeness.

On a related note, I bumped into Chris Floyd, Austin’s competitive eating maestro, at the Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop anniversary party.  As you can see from this video, he dominated the pie-eating contest.  We talked beforehand and he mentioned that he has a Homeslice shirt that he wears if he isn’t going to Homeslice, so I think I’ll follow his lead.  He’s won his competition three years running, so I trust him as a valuable source for fashion and dynastic longevity advice.  So I’ll keep wearing it around town, but not to Homeslice.