SHARING THE SHOWS
So after JRAD, I decided it was essential for my well-being to get tickets for the Allman Others Band/Better Off Dead show. And after the first week of classes, followed by a day of navigating DMV traffic to shop for myself and Chester, I was even more psyched to get down! The Metro stop by me was closed due to the Tunnel Ventilation Project, so I got to take a free shuttle down to Dupont Circle (I’m trying to use the phrase “get to” instead of “have to” in order to practice gratitude for the things I have, in this case, the gift of living in a city with awesome public transportation). In an effort to get more riders onto Metro, it only costs $2 to go anywhere on weekends, which makes me happy, as opposed to that ridiculous $45 parking fee at the Waterfront’s garage. Another gift is the interesting things I see and experience. Tonight, an older black gentleman complimented my T-shirt and expressed regret that he missed out on seeing the Dead back in ’89. He and I talked about how a lot of kids wear band T-shirts (i.e,; Metallica, Pink Floyd) for fashion without actually knowing the bands. When I taught at Hampton, I saw a lot of that, but hey, fashion is fashion, and who knows? Maybe wearing the shirts will one day turn the kids onto that music. I did my preshow chow at Kirwan’s on the Wharf. I tried haddock chowder, which tasted like the New England kind, but it was just as awesome. I talked with Maggie on the phone as I enjoyed and gave her some tips on her upcoming trip to New York City. I wish I were in her shoes just so I could experience it through the eyes of a tourist for the first time. The main course was a chicken pot pie with mixed greens. The former had some nice chunks of chicken, celery, and carrots, so I felt like I actually ate healthily. After walking my meal off down the Waterfront, I showed my vaccination card to the bouncers and got inside at promptly 6:30, which is when the Allman Others Band started (as an introvert, I LOVE when shows start and end on time). There were three other people in the room, and of course, that made me ecstatic to have an abundance of dance space. The group was in the opening chords of “Don’t Want You No More” which melded into “It’s Not My Cross To Bear.” “Done Someday Wrong”, “Kind Hearted Woman,” “Dreams, and “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” (which the singer described as a protest song) followed. As I danced, I made a few stray observations: a mother brought her two kids, one of whom had his head in his heads the entire time and couldn’t have looked more bored, and the other who was just walking around in circles. Well…I give her points for trying to turn them onto the tunes; maybe when they become teenagers? Another older gentleman walked around with a cane that looked like a shillelagh, like I used to take hiking. More Brothers’s classics followed (“Blue Sky,” “Trouble No More,” “Stand Back,” “Jessica”, “Revival,” and “Midnight Rider”, the latter being two favs of mine). The guitarist then teased Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” before launching into “One Way Out.” After the crowd’s demand of one more song, they encored with “Soulshine.” During setbreak, we got to hear 70s staples like “We Want the Funk” and “Bounce, Rock, Skate,” and Roll.”
My buddy John showed up just as Better Off Dead busted out a “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” opener. The next song “Man Smart Woman Smarter” is one of my favorites because it’s based on science. The singer then commented “It’s been toasty, right?” I’m part of a FB group called I Hate Summer, because, well, I just don’t like this heat at all. Fall and spring are my jams, and I can tolerate winter because it gives me an excuse to read, write, and binge of Netflix. And I’ll brave the cold to go to shows. The band slowed the tempo with “Loser.” Outside the bathroom, I talked to a guy about last weekend JRAD’s shows and I mentioned having just moved to DC. Another man said, “Oh, so you’re here post-Gypsy Sally’s?” Yep. I would have LOVED to have seen a show there. But hey, plenty of other cool venues, so I move on… “Jack Straw” and “Stagger Lee,” two more favs, followed. While the latter played, a guy came up to me and said, “I’m afraid to touch people now because of all of these damn masks.” I wore mine, while he didn’t, which is where I now go into my opinion. DC’s recently placed an indoor mask mandate, which I support due to this new Delta variant. Most of the crowd ignored the mandate (there were maybe about ten of us wearing them out of fifty). The venue wasn’t enforcing it, because I’m guessing the bartenders don’t want to get into it with drunk concertgoers and they figured the vaccine requirement was enough, so I could’ve gotten away with not wearing one. That being said, this variant is affecting vaccinated people, and bands are already cancelling shows because of it (String Cheese Incident and Limp Bizkit, for example). I love being able to go to shows again, and I want to continue to do so, so I wear my mask to protect others. I wish others would do the same, but I’m only one person. I do think the bands could help by wearing them and encouraging their fans to do the same, but I guess that’s wishful thinking. Anyway, “Peggy-O” slowed things down, but we were perked back up by “Beat It On Down the Line” “Jack-a-Roe” and a “Hard to Handle” closer. During the setbreak, John and I talked about the shows and the possibility of jamming. I played a lot of guitar during the lockdown, but haven’t played as much recently, so playing with another person could be a great thing. At around 10:30, my energy was faded, and the Metro’s last trains were heading home, so I made my way back. Whenever I’m out, I need at least an hour or two of alone time vegging before I actually head to sleep. So I turned on an episode of this new Netflix miniseries called Clickbait while I munched out on potato chips and chocolate, thus cancelling out my “healthy” dinner. This morning, I’m definitely feeling the burn, but it’s worth it.
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April 2024
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