SHARING THE SHOWS
It had been 114 days since my last concert and 133 days since my last concert with Maggie. As Virginia has been slowly reopening (thanks to our governor, who was a medical doctor before his entry into politics), little bits of live music have been popping up. So when Maggie proposed seeing Blind and Dirty, I said, “Let’s do it!” Besides the pandemic, a lot has happened since my last concert. I recently published my book, How to be a Happy Bachelor. I got a new job at the University of The District of Columbia, so I’ll be moving to Washington, DC at the end of July. So I’ve got major life changes happening. I’m also teaching summer school at Hampton, and I forgot how exhausting summer school is. It’s essentially a semester-long course packed into five weeks. I just finished the first week; my workday technically goes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and when I logged out at 1, my head crashed into that pillow. It took me a while to get out of bed, but I was going to see some tunes! Maggie came by my house at 5, and I asked her to sit in the back. There are suggestions about two people riding in a car during the pandemic, and the passenger riding in the back is one of them. So I was essentially Maggie’s Uber driver. We hit New York Deli in Williamsburg, where I got a meatball sub and a Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream Soda, and Maggie got her usual Italian sub, but she adorned it with fries and a lemonade. Mmmmmm…Normally, my cheat day is on Saturday, but show nights don’t count because I work them off. We talked our philosophies on relationships. As the author of How to be a Happy Bachelor (insert product plug here), I’ve got some pretty strong views. We headed over to the parking garage at Merchant’s Square, where we had some trouble with the parking payment kiosk, but a phone call to the parking office enabled us some free parking for the night. #idug We walked around for a few minutes, and then I saw something sweet. A sweet shop called Kilwin’s, that is. I saw an elderly couple sitting on a bench outside enjoying a couple of ice cream cones, and I had to have one. Again, I’d be working it off. I felt like a little kid as I enjoyed a large scoop of peanut butter chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone. After Maggie and I got our picture taken, I heard “Dr. Wynne” from a passing car. I looked up and saw Robert Watson, a history professor at HU. I kept six feet from him as we chatted for a minute, and of course, I informed him of my new change. He looked disappointed but wished me well. An interesting integration of my work life (“Dr. Wynne”) and my show life (my Grateful Dead T-shirt). Maggie and I made our way down to Precarious Beer Project, where the dude out front explained that we would have spots at a socially distanced table, and that they were trying to prevent exit and re-entry, for obvious reasons. I wore my mask most of the night, and didn’t give any hugs to anyone, which, in my view, is the smart thing. What others choose to do is up to them (hugging, crowding) as long as they keep a healthy distance from me (allowing Maggie in a car was a huge step for me). Of course, I had to move around a few times to avoid clusters of people, but that’s just what it is. There’s no way not to see it at shows, especially among Deadheads, many of whom don’t do rules, even without alcohol.
The band opened up with “Shakedown Street,” then went into “Hell in a Bucket,” which Maggie said they’d never played. I REALLY got down to The Band’s “Up on Cripple Creek” and Joe Cocker’s “Feeling Alright.” I thought of a potential microfiction piece involving a waitress who has to move around the minefield of dancers to get her orders to her customers. More soon…perhaps to another Musically Themed Microfiction Collection. I “skingasmed” during Norman Blake’s “Ginseng Sullivan” and sat down for the Allman Brothers’s “Melissa.” Not every song is a “move it” song, but I really moved it for “Second That Emotion,” as well as “Halfstep” and “Quinn the Eskimo.” The band closed the first set with “Lovelight.” During setbreak, I sat down and learned just how atrophic my dancing had gotten. I attempted to dance during “Scarlet-Fire,” but my energy had been zapped. Same deal with “New Minglewood Blues” and “He’s Gone.” I did observe though that I influenced a few others to put on their masks; dancing is hard with a mask on because your breath comes back to you. Same deal with running. But I can deal. Plus, since I won’t be in Hampton Roads much longer, I wanna take some opportunities to see music with my running buddy. J I did get a little burst of energy with “The Other One” but sat back down for the “Lady/Terrapin” sequence. I got back up to the Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter” and “Not Fade Away.” The band closed right at 11; at this time, bands probably do have to start and end on time due to the pandemic, which works for me. After the drive home, Maggie came into my place, and Chester jumped all over her. Chester loves people, and she’s the first guest I’ve had over since before the pandemic. This morning, I added to my workout with pilates. It’s safe to say I’m gonna be resting for the day. But it was a fun, fun night!
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Summer is typically when I do most of my writing. Thanks to the inspiration of Ran Walker, a friend, former colleague at HU, and perhaps the most prolific writer I know, I’ve started writing microfiction, which is essentially very, very short fiction. Here are a few musically themed pieces:
Divine Intervention Music 253: Ride the Lightning: Heavy Metal Music. Trent just needed one elective to round out his schedule his last semester at school. He had everything from AC/DC to Testament in his Spotify. Strolling into class the first day rocking his Megadeth T-shirt, he eyed the instructor, who sported a three-piece suit. By the end of the semester, Trent had put more time into reading scholarly articles for that class than he did on his senior thesis in psychology. His new goal was to study metal’s effects on the amygdala for his Master’s degree. Fender This was his fiftieth try on getting the B minor arpeggio just right on his guitar for his video feed. Then, he realized something: only his close friends were watching, and they didn’t judge. Weather The businesswoman felt pressure from her migraine increase after a tumultuous conference call. Her heels pounded as she headed toward the boardwalk, her first lunch hour in nearly a month. As she walked parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, she heard music. She approached the sounds, which led to a grey-bearded, grey-haired man strumming on a beat-up acoustic guitar. Positioned in front of him was a hat with some change inside. She stood in front of him for a few minutes and felt her headache evaporate. She reached into her wallet, placed a $5 bill in the hat, and walked on. |
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April 2024
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