SHARING THE SHOWS
This has been another big year. The anniversary post slipped my mind last year, but hey, better late than ever. In the past twelve months, I’ve gotten tenure, and this past week, I became a homeowner. I’ve wanted to make money by owning property for a while, but I didn’t realize how expensive it could be. But once I did, I resolved to cut down on shows.
And the timing is perfect for that. This past summer, I saw three nights of Phish at Madison Square Garden with my friend John, while also showing another friend, Christina, parts of the Big Apple. By the end, I was ready for a two-day nap. And that was after three nights. The summer before that, I did seven nights of shows in a row. Looking back, I don’t know the hell I pulled that one off. September also brought on another string of shows: five in two weeks, to be specific. A 90s tribute called Uncle Jesse with Rolf (it was a Childfree Meetup, I couldn’t!). String Cheese Incident in Richmond with Pete and Maggie (I couldn’t not). The day after, I headed back to DC to see Greta Van Fleet with Henry (I’d heard such great things and fallen in love with their Zeppelin-inspired riffs that, again, I couldn’t not). Then there was Jerry Tripsters (I’d never seen them before) and Allman Others Band (it was the Allman Brothers!). After that five-show run, I dedicated myself to no more than one show per month, and other than the two shows in December, I’ve stuck to it (I’ll more than likely skip June to compensate; it will be packed with homebuying stuff). And sporadic show attendance is more fun for me; it allows me to really let loose than having it be “well, just another show in a stream.” The most memorable of them was New Potato Caboose with Pete and company. I’d never seen them before, but I danced harder than I could ever remember. Same deal with Circles Around the Sun and Runaway Gin. And of course Eggy, where somebody told me I was his spirit animal. While I’m not going to as many shows, the music still serves as a soundtrack. I had a Grateful Dead cover band called Forgotten Space playing through my car radio as I transported some boxes to the storage room in my new building. And String Cheese Incident plays through my computer’s speakers as I type this. No doubt, the band will play on as I move into my new home, and the music will never stop as I move through this next stage of life. It’ll just change tempo.
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That moment when I get my final grades all submitted is one of great relief, and it happened that Monday afternoon. It symbolizes that the semester’s work is officially over for me, unless a student complains about a grade. Knock on wood, that doesn’t happen very often here. I also received a high compliment from a student I’ve been advising the last two years. He told me since I became their advisor, they've started doing better in their classes and enjoyed school more. It was a wonderful compliment, especially since I thought I had grown impatient with him on a few occasions. I guess sometimes, we do better than we feel.
So it was a nice occasion to celebrate – it was nice serendipity that my May show happened to fall on that night. I’d seen Silversun Pickups twice before: once with Sal in Montclair, New Jersey’s Wellmont Theater, the second time solo at Brooklyn Steel. I was bummed to learn I’d missed the boat when they came by in March, but I’d get those tickets this time. And it’s a good thing I did because they sold out very quickly. I met up with Rolf a few minutes after the opening act, Hello Mary, began. They reminded me of the moody complaint rock that was so popular in the 1990s, the period of my adolescence (I can’t imagine that era without the sounds of groups like Garbage, Liz Phair, and Alanis Morisette). After the opener, I showed Rolf the CD room, which contains a history of artists who’ve performed at the 9:30 Club (Megadeth, KMFDM, and String Cheese Incident being among them). There’s also the downstairs Pete introduced me to, adorned by band schedules from the 1980s. He also invited me to join his Pickleball Meetup group – a happy coincidence since I’d been introduced to the game a week earlier by my friend Courtney. The main act began with “Growing Old is Getting Old,” off Swoon, the only album I know quite well. They also played “Panic Switch” (their most well-known tune), “The Royal We” (my favorite of theirs), “Substitution,” and many others I wouldn’t be able to identify upon hearing. But I danced anyway. And here are a few highlights from my observations: 1)At one point, two knuckleheads kept showing their cell phones to each other. Seriously, people, stay in the moment! Or stay home! Oh well, better than that couple I had to dance out of my space at Eggy. 2)The singer, Brian Aubert, called for “audience participation” by having the audience snapping their fingers. I can’t snap worth a damn, but I did so in spirit. Besides, I participate a lot at Phish shows when they play songs like “Meatstick,” “Punch You in the Eye,” and “Twist” (I’m a “wooer” – IYKYK) 3)Now, a tip for the men: during the “Growing Old” opener, a young lady looked like she wanted to take a video, but was behind me. I let her in front, since she was shorter. She also mentioned she was there solo (badass!). She asked me if I wanted to switch back, and I said no worries. I then casually asked if she’d seen the band before. She responded, “Austin and Las Vegas. How about you?” Me: New York City and New Jersey. Her: Oh, so you’ve gone down the East Coast. Me: I’m nowhere near as well-traveled as you are. Conversation is hard to have during a show, but I felt there might have been a potential to converse with someone attractive, so I went for it (I’m a Single Person at Heart, but I do like to flirt on occasion, and maybe go home with a phone number). She left the area a few minutes later, probably to get a closer spot. In my 20s, I might have been bothered at being rejected, but having been a part of Single at Heart groups, I get that people go to a show to SEE MUSIC, not to be flirted with. I said to myself, “Oh well,” and went back to dancing. Done. Guys, take no for an answer, and enjoy the music. That’s what you’re there for! The morning after a show is always rough, but it’s amazing what some caffeine will do for you. I had a productive meeting involving an online class I’m trying to get certified to teach, a Singles Bill of Rights I’m editing, a film review I wrote on Birdy, and this post, I’d say it’s been a productive day. I will be crashing out hard later this evening though. |
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May 2024
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