SHARING THE SHOWS
Rallying up for Round 2 was tough, but when you have to get up for work the next day, and meet with students, and facilitate a presentation, rallying is sort of a requirement. And I was able to talk best practice in having peer review essays like a boss. And I crushed it with helping two of my students. So yeah, I did it like a boss. I did need that lunchtime power nap after those professional accomplishments (I really do consider being able to do those things the morning after a late-night concert an achievement), but even with that, I was barely able to get off the couch (having a cat using your leg as a bed also prevents you from doing that). But fortunately, I had some motivation, and it went by the name of Pete. I admire Pete for his boundless energy; he planned to head down to the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms, and I felt a surge of motivation to meet him. So I hopped a packed Blue Line train to the Smithsonian and met up with him near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, where we walked and talked hiking and concerts, two of our mutually favorite topics. We headed down to the Wharf at around 5, and I was reminded of that rage-inducing drive I took with Maggie to the Anthem for the JRAD show back in 2019, as we were fortunate enough to be walking alongside the rush hour traffic. We met up with his friends Daryl, Mike, and Anna at a quaint French restaurant called Bistro Du Jour. Foodie that I am, I can now say I’ve eaten French food, and apparently, Shepherd’s Pie (which I previously thought to be a British dish) is actually a French one, when made with lamb; the version made with beef is called Cottage Pie. Thank you, Anna! After dinner, I walked with Pete and Daryl to the back entrance, where the royalty who sit in the balcony, enter due to the Anthem’s exclusivity policies. Pete entered at the front with me and the rest of the peons. After scanning my FWB pass, I met up with Stephen, a new friend Mark introduced me to. Due to an accident, he was in a neck brace, so I hugged him gently, and I got to chat with his girlfriend, Zhanneta, and his friend, Daniel, along with another friend named Lisa. Lisa’s a teacher, so we talked some shop and student writing (as if the morning’s peer review workshop wasn’t enough). I headed to the back so I could have some dancing room, and I met up with John, whom I’d met at Pearl Street this past summer. We talked shows and work; apparently, he was in the same state of fatigue I was due to having caught a red-eye flight back from Vegas hours prior, but concertgoing the way we do it is not for the faint of heart. We were gonna power through, habnabit! The jams were awesome, and I thank John for forwarding me the setlist from the show DSO re-enacted, 11/2/85 at the Richmond Coliseum. Side note: there’s a “Spoonful” from the show the night before that I’ve played on repeat a few times. I love the back of the Anthem. So much room to dance. I spun around for a few songs, but I found myself dragging during setbreak, for which is the solution seems to be caffeine. Highlights for me were the high-energy “Let It Grow” closer, the “Althea” jam, and “The Golden Road” post-announcement encore.
I can’t boast enough about that Friends with Benefits program, and I’m surprised more people don’t take advantage of it. Even the bartender, upon serving me my second Diet Pepsi, asked, “What do you actually get from those points?” I explained there’s merch from the 9:30 Club and the Anthem (I might want the 9:30 T-shirt), but with 1,000 points, one can get a free show at the Anthem. The dude next to me gave me a fist-bump as he wished me luck. Dude, you can get one too! Pete and I met up at the second set and decided to hit up the Metro at the L'Enfant Plaza stop, better for two reasons: 1) one stop closer than the Waterfront; and 2) two train lines to choose from. Now if only my map had led us to the right spot. Still, it's nice to be able to chill out on a train than navigate through a parking lot and traffic (I can't reiterate that enough). My first DSO show since 2019 (with Maggie, Mark, and Kevin) was a blast, even if I did drag for parts of it. While I love going to shows solo, it’s always nice seeing and hanging with people I know. And now, on this Saturday, I’ll enjoy my “introverting” time with Chester and some Oscar-winning films in tribute of the Academy Award ceremonies this Sunday. A big shout-out to Maggie, Dan, Mark, Johnny Mac, and anybody from my Hampton Roads crew going to tonight’s Richmond show. I’ll be there in spirit!
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May 2024
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