SHARING THE SHOWS
Greetings, folks! Since the last time I’ve blogged here, I’ve moved to Washington, DC for my new job. Moving during the pandemic has been a challenge for sure, but I’m making it and exploring my new surroundings as much as possible during the pandemic. With all the excitement and stress of this transition, I needed to get my Dead on.
Maggie made it up a little after noon on Saturday, and we had a nice hike in Rock Creek Park before I dropped her off at the Days Inn just down the street from me (I’m not having anyone stay over during the pandemic). After a quick power nap, I picked her up at 4:30 and we headed to Vienna. The drive was uncharted territory for me, and most of it was pretty. I found Northern Virginia drivers are even more aggressive than DC drivers; when I signaled left to turn into Jammin’ Java’s parking lot, I had to wait for cars to pass, and two people honked. Don’t get that… The venue had sectioned off part of the parking lot for a dance floor and seating area. We placed our lawn chairs toward the back of the dance floor, stage left. I had been hankering from some of their thin-crust Jersey-style pie all week, and, true to form, I devoured a pepperoni pizza. That fasting day, combined with the hike, increased my appetite for sure. The venue graced us with some Rolling Stones tunes, including “Wild Horses” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.” I observed that while most people weren’t wearing masks, quite a few were, way more than at Last Fair Deal, and this was outside! In general, people seem to “get it” here. The band opened at 6 sharp with “Cold Rain and Snow,” with Eli Gonzalez on saxophone (whom I was referring to as “Special Guest” until they introduced him). They revealed it was their first time in public since February before launching into “Feel Like a Stranger,” at which point I observed that the venue seemed to be divided: Deadheads were off to the side with their lawn chairs, while the normies out for an evening were seated at the tables and would stay seated for the night. “Tennessee Jed” and “Looks Like Rain” followed, and I REALLY grooved during “Mr. Charlie.” “Cassidy” followed, and my groove reached another height with “Samson and Delilah.” Maggie’s request for “St. Stephen” was denied in favor of “Jack Straw,” and the band closed out the first set with “Deal.” During setbreak, I felt my eyes starting to droop whilst in my lawn chair. The spirit of the 60s echoed through the speakers with some Jefferson Airplane tunes. The band made their one Dead departure by opening up the second set with Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” “The Music Never Stopped” followed. I sat down during “Bird Song,” which is “not my favorite,” according to Maggie’s. It an okay tune, nothing special IMO. The highlight for me came through “Viola Lee Blues,” which I had never a Dead cover band play. By that point, I had woken back up. “Shakedown Street” came next, during which I hit the bathroom. During this trip, I saw that the Deadheads were doing a much better job of social distancing than the normies, who appeared to be clustered outside the door of the venue. I sat back down for a break during “Black Peter,” but got back up for “New Speedway Boogie.” I called “One More Saturday Night,” and they closed with “Truckin’,” the lyrics of which have a good moral lesson: just keep truckin’, no matter what, which definitely applies to my situation as a person adjusting to a new work/life environment. The ride home was spent discussing the possibility of concerts getting back to the way they used to be. While I’d love to see that, I’m a bit skeptical of that happening soon; vaccines take time to develop, test, and distribute. This was my first show in three months, and I found the absence was good, as I raged in a way that I might not have if I had seen a show this past weekend. I’m also learning that concerts are more fun when done more infrequently. My plan is to see Yonder Mountain String Band next weekend (health permitting), but that will probably be it until the spring. For now, I want to get outside as much as I can before I essentially become a hermit this winter. At this time, though, I’m enjoying the moments when they come. Like when Maggie visited this past weekend. I’ve spent most weekends with takeout and Netflix, which I enjoy, but this was a nice (and needed) change of pace. Misti, you were missed for sure! A random notes: Jammin’ Java is positioned right next to a bedding store called Urban Mattress. Maggie asked the question, “Do you think you can get Jammin’ Java with your Urban Mattress?” I also wondered aloud if you could get java at Jammin’ Java. I laughed at both jokes for ten minutes each. Misti, my equal in humor, would have appreciated it. True story.
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February 2024
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