SHARING THE SHOWS
When I first heard about a band called New Potato Caboose, I thought they were a Grateful Dead tribute. And, to be fair, they play Grateful Dead songs. But they mostly playing original songs, and they do a hell of a job. I had put off buying tickets for this show; I’ve been graced with COVID the past two Januarys (and the month isn’t over yet). But when Friday morning came around and I was feeling spunky, I went ahead and made the purchase. New Potato Caboose has been around since the 1980s, and Susan informed me she used to see them at a venue called The Bayou, a venue I’d never heard of. When I shared this with Daryl, he mentioned DC didn’t have a ton of live music in that decade, so the Bayou was “it.” I was grateful (haha) for that historical tidbit. At any rate, the semester’s started back up, so there’s the usual widespread panic that goes with trying to help students situate. I have an additional project: real estate. After thirteen years of bopping around the country, I’m now taking the plunge to buy my first home. So my monthly show couldn’t have come at a better time. My stomach had been giving me problems all day, but a nice tomato soup and grilled cheese seemed to put it at ease. At a little after 7:00, I made my way through the 20ish degree cold to the Metro. I was greeted by Pete and Steve as I made my way to the Hamilton’s basement; their extra ticket allowed me to sit at the table in the “exclusive” section with them (thanks for the upgrade, btw). This show had Special Guest opening (a favorite of Drew, Mark, Gary, and me). Actually, those guests were named Joe Lawlor (guitar) and Kristen Rae Bowden (piano). I was hoping the Caboose would start, but they were a nice opener, very serene. Lawlor’s a great guitar player. The constant chatter of the two couples at the table next to me was a bit annoying, but I was able to enjoy. Pete also spotted a “Friend of the Devil” tease. We could hear the feedback from the amps as the Caboose warmed up their instruments. Mike joked, “Are they starting with “Feedback?” I added, “Yeah, then “We Bid You Goodnight.” Thanks for a great show.” I could hear a “Not Fade Away” tease from the drummer, before they went into one of their originals. I don’t know this band’s repertoire, but I did listen to their newest album, It Ain’t a Thing, on the Metro ride down. So I was able to discern a few of their songs, such as “Shine,” “Sweet Georgia Angel,” and “Brave New World” (I can’t help but think of the Huxley dystopia and the Iron Maiden song). Their brand of jam rock reminded me of Strangefolk, that Vermont quartet I used to see back in my purple-hazed 20s. And now onto covers: “Throwing Stones” (Grateful Dead - perfect for this political climate) “Late in the Evening” (Paul Simon) “Right Place, Wrong Time” (Dr. John) “Give Up the Funk” (Parliament) “Cortez the Killer” (Neil Young – spotted by Pete) “Imagine” (John Lennon) Simply put, this band is amazing. I’ve either been out of town or out of battery when these guys have played. But, this “one show a month” commitment I’ve made has renewed my energy so that I’m able to really enjoy the show like one would enjoy the occasional bacon cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate shake. And, as far as smaller shows, this is the best one I’ve been to in, well, ever. Some random notes: 1)I couldn’t resist photobombing a group picture near me by sticking my head in and flashing a peace sign. The dude next to the picture thought that was hilarious and gave me a fist bump. I took Alan’s sage advice, which he gave me when I did this at the Slayer show in Chicago: “Never apologize for photobombing.” 2)The aroma of marijuana pervaded the dance floor. A bit different from when I used to see shows, but now that it’s legal, c’est la vie… 3)This one is serious. I saw a drunk dude get behind a young lady and grab her waist, to which she flinched. My conclusion: they were not together, and she wasn’t digging it. My alarms went off, and my eyes were on this dude like flies to feces. I was ready to intervene if he were to persist. At one point, his buddy talked to him. I guess he was about to do it again, and the friend knew it. He said, “Don’t do that shit, man.” Good on him for calling him out; he was probably in a better position than I, who might not have come across in as friendly a manner. I remembered that time some guy said “nice tits” to a gal at that Phish show in Merriweather. That thing is not. Fucking. Cool. I’ll post a link to GrooveSafe, that group devoted to stopping unwanted touching at shows. I first saw them at the Umphrey’s McGee show last February, and I will support their mission. That kind of behavior pisses me off to no end. But, I was able to get back to my enjoyment of the show. 4)Now that I’ve vented, something light: our table was under this cool black and white picture of The Ramones. I’m a bit sad I never saw them live, but there are the videos. I will make sure my battery is on 100% the next time I can see these guys. One of the best times I’ve ever had at a show.
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I’ve always been a planner. So when it comes to shows, I typically get tickets the day they go on sale. I hadn’t planned on seeing any Phish shows; after all, I saw that Allman Betts show earlier this month with Pete. That would break my “one show per month” rule!
I had planned to leave New York, where I’d been for the holidays, on December 27. But the flooding that pervaded the East Coast ruined that plan; I wasn’t going to risk hydroplaning, especially not with Chester in the car. And when they predicted rain the following day, I remembered Phish was starting their run on the 28th. Due to life circumstances, John and I couldn’t get together for dinner the week prior, so I figured it would be fun to hit a show with him. I could also see Laura, who I’d missed as well. I was able to get the ticket for $109 on Stubhub about seven hours before the show. It saddens me to say that was the first time I’d gotten it for less than face value (the ticket for my first show in ’99 cost around $30). I met Laura (a Single Person at Heart I know from my awesome Community of Single People page) and John (a fellow Single Person at Heart and showgoer at NY Pizza Suprema, home of some real New York-style pizza, where we talked about a variety of topics, such as music and mental health in higher education, and Laura guided us toward one of the few places in Manhattan one can use a bathroom without purchasing anything: the Old Navy on 34th Street. John and I parted ways with Laura so we could get into the show. After going through an airport-style security check (I expected to be strip-searched), we made our way in. Pro-single anecdote: we passed a couple arguing. The woman said, "I didn't wanna fucking see this show! You made me see this fucking show!" They walked behind us pretty much to the ticket-takers and went back and forth. We looked at each other, and I whispered, "Thank God I'm single” to which he nodded. John and I talked near his section; he told me the story about how a dude threw an M80 into the crowd during a Led Zeppelin show at MSG in 1977. I just can’t imagine that now, but I guess that was the time period. We headed to our respective seats, and the first set consisted mostly on old standards. “No Men in No Man’s Land” opened the show. I didn’t care for it at first (nor was I fan of Big Boat) but that song has grown on me recently. “Runaway Jim” and “Bathtub Gin” were the highlights. They appeared to tease “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S” before launching into “Ghost” for the first set. I was a bit bummed, particularly when I learned they closed the show with it; I had exited after the second set to beat the crowd out of MSG. That line going downstairs moves verrrrrrrrrry slowwwwwwwwwwwlyyyyyyyyyyy. I’ll circle back to the beginning of the second set, which opened with two fresh tunes for me, “The Howling” and “Wave of Hope,” which I fell in love with when they played it at MSG on 7/28/23. I had tried to sneak down to John’s section, but just like during the summer shows, security pulled me out between “The Howling.” Oh well. I still enjoyed the view from Section 212. On the train to Secaucus, I talked to a kid named Zack from New Jersey about the show’s highlights. He’d be going to Friday night’s show as well and was ecstatic that he’d gotten to the venue early enough to get a poster before they sold out. I remember when I used to collect merch; these days, I’m all about just enjoying the memories, but it’s like the song goes, “Now the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you may not be right for some…” It’s 12:32 a.m. on January 1 as I type this from my desk in my DC apartment. On New Year’s Eve 2020 and 2021, we were still on lockdown, and I was perfectly content to chill at home with Chester watching movies and eating junk food. Last year, Shana (who was at the remaining three shows of this run) and I hit moe. in Philadelphia. I consider this show my New Year’s show. And I did go hiking with a Meetup group morning, so I got some social interaction in. But I am running on some caffeine, and I did a double feature (The Hangover and Gung Ho!), so I’m pretty primed to write. Random thoughts:
I’m happy to be starting off 2024 doing two of my favorite things, writing and listening to Phish. I hope y’all are kicking off your New Year doing something you love, whether it’s being at a show, writing, sleeping, whatever. And if not, that’s cool too. Love you folk. |
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April 2024
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