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Two high school seniors after a Miguel show.

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Three minutes on a Denver sidewalk outside a Miguel show, two people stopped on the way out and asked the plainest questions available. The crew say what they are doing before they start: “we’re just asking people in Denver who they are, what they’re doing”, plus some AI questions later, which never arrive.

Alyssa answers first, “my name’s Alyssa and I’m a senior in high school”, and Aiden gives the same, “I’m also a senior in high school”. On the show itself they do not hedge. “Amazing. Best thing ever”, she says. “It was great”, he says.

The city gets a colder read. Asked how they like it, Aiden says “It’s all right”, and then the line the piece turns on: “I mean, Denver is not what it used to be, but it’s still Denver.” Pressed on what exactly has changed he will not be pinned, “I don’t know. It’s just not what it used to be”, but Alyssa fills it in, “Used to be a lot nicer, cleaner”, and Aiden gets to the word: “There was just more culture here, I feel like. But now it’s just gentrified.” Asked whether there is more going on now or before, Alyssa says “Oh yeah, probably now”, and Aiden closes the subject with “Yeah, I don’t know, bro.”

Part of what makes it work is that the interviewer is not local either. “No, I’m not from here at all. When I ask, I’m actually asking”, he says. He also knows the timing is bad, apologising for “hard-hitting day-to-day questions” put to somebody who says “I just got out of Miguel, bro.” Asked whether they have anything going on beyond that, the answer is work and nothing fancier.

The last minute inverts the interview. The crew say they are not good at asking questions tonight, and the two teenagers talk them out of it. “No, you’re doing an amazing job”, Alyssa says, and “You guys like attracted us to come like see like you’re doing great.” Asked what would actually be worth asking people, they hand over better questions than the ones they got: “Oh, that’s a good question. How much did you drink? How much did you smoke?”, and then Alyssa’s, which is about the room, “I want to know what song attracted the older crowd because they shouldn’t have.” From there it is two people who just saw the same concert arguing about who was worse behaved in it, and it ends with the crew asking for socials.

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Transcript

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Who speaks, by their own introduction on the tape: Alyssa at 0:20, Aiden at 0:25. Transcribed from the original audio and corrected for names. Search every transcript

These are the speaker’s own words. We have not checked their claims.

0:00AIf you just ask people, you don’t have this going.

0:01AidenOkay, I like that.

0:04AUm, you guys want to talk for the camera?

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0:06AlyssaYeah. All right.

0:07DWhat is it?

0:08AWhat is it? Well, we’re just asking people in Denver who they are, what they’re doing, and then maybe like we’re doing some AI stuff. So what do you think about AI maybe later? But who are you? What do you do? What do you want to shout out in the world?

0:19AlyssaUh, my name’s Alyssa and I’m a senior in high school.

0:23AidenOkay. Uh, my name’s Aiden.

0:26DI’m also a senior in high school. And, uh, let’s just wait.

0:28AidenLet’s just wait a second.

0:29AlyssaOkay.

0:31AidenWhat’s it called? How was the concert?

0:35AlyssaAmazing. Best thing ever.

0:36DIt was great.

0:37AidenIt was wild.

0:38AlyssaI loved it.

0:39AidenYou two are both from here in Denver? Yeah. So how do you like the city?

0:45DIt’s all right.

0:46AidenYou’re not feeling it?

0:47AYou have to be honest. There’s things I don’t like.

0:50DI mean, Denver is not what it used to be, but it’s still Denver.

0:53AidenWhat exactly is not what it used to be?

0:55DI don’t know. It’s just not what it used to be.

0:57AlyssaYou feel me?

0:58AidenOh, I’m not from here.

0:59AI’m from Phoenix.

0:59DYou’re not?

1:00AidenNo, I’m not from here at all. When I ask, I’m actually asking.

1:02DYeah. Oh, shit.

1:03AlyssaUsed to be a lot nicer, cleaner.

1:06DThere was just more culture here, I feel like. But now it’s just gentrified.

1:09AMore stuff going on, you think, now or before?

1:11AlyssaOh yeah, probably now.

1:13AidenYeah, you feel like there’s a lot more gentrification now? Oh yeah, even with the pandemic?

1:19DYeah, I don’t know, bro.

1:22AidenThat’s fair, that’s fair. I’m like, I’m gonna hit you with hard-hitting day-to-day questions, right? You’re like, I just came out of the Miguel concert.

1:28DI just got out of Miguel, bro. That’s my --

1:30Athat’s what my mind’s on right now, bro. I hear that.

1:33DYes sir.

1:33AWell, do you guys, uh, you know, do any Anything entrepreneurial or you know have anything you’re working on to make money or do things with life or no? Just working, making money.

1:43DJust working on his job, making money, man.

1:44AOh yeah.

1:45DYes sir.

1:45AStacking bread.

1:46AidenSo you could tell we’re not good at asking questions out here tonight.

1:49AI mean we’re just normal people. This guy needs to stop self-deprecating us, right? We’re doing a great job, right?

1:56AlyssaNo, you’re doing an amazing job.

1:57AidenThat’s okay. That’s okay.

1:58AWho the hell else is videotaping nobody?

2:00AlyssaExactly. You guys like attracted us to come like see like you’re doing great.

2:04AidenYeah, it’s okay.

2:04AYou’re doing great, bro.

2:05AidenYou guys are so funny. But the point is, like, what do you think would be fun stuff to ask people about as we continue to walk around?

2:14DThat’s a good question.

2:15AHow much did you drink tonight? Did you have fun?

2:17AidenThat’s like where I wanted to get to.

2:19DOh, that’s a good question. How much did you drink? How much did you smoke? Every single second. I mean, there was always somebody smoking.

2:26AlyssaI want to know what song attracted the older crowd because they shouldn’t have.

2:33DNo.

2:33AYeah, they should have stayed home.

2:34AlyssaYeah, there were some people in there.

2:36DThere was definitely some people in there. Yeah.

2:40AlyssaLiterally.

2:40AOh yeah, it’s always them.

2:42AidenI know, people being freaky at the Miguel concert.

2:44AlyssaLike, you would think so, but honestly not.

2:49AThey’re the ones saying, oh, why are you guys doing that here?

2:53AlyssaLike, yeah.

2:56AOkay, all right, well, I didn’t even know. Shout you guys out if you want to start. Shout socials or anything. Okay, all right, well, I appreciate

That was the whole tape.

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