SHARING THE SHOWS
So, as I’ve said on previous posts, I’m not that enamored with Dead and Company. But it’s interesting how even as an adult, I can be influenced by peers. Stephen, Donny, and Kathy all posted about the Bristow show, and Pete gave me the scoop. He also did so with the Philly show. Shana posted pics of that one. Charles talked about Atlanta, Jaclyn about SPAC. Shawn, Bruce, and Heath: SPAC as well. I’m planning on staying in New York another week, and it was an easy train ride away from Citi Field. Tix weren’t that expensive. John was game. It was the last tour. Okay, fine, I was in. The fact that I have a soft spot for Flushing due to a childhood spending going to Mets games may have also been contributed to my decision. It would also be the perfect venue to wear my Dead/Mets combo T-shirt. I met John at Times Square, and we hopped that 7 express out to Citi Field. One of my favorite things about riding the subway to shows is seeing all the other heads on the train, so we’re already creating community before we get to the stadium, and we don’t have to navigate around other cars to do so. There was a nice couple from South Carolina who got their hotel in Manhattan to explore the city. During the show, John and I remarked on how these hotels really knew how to take advantage, jacking up prices during tourist season. Building on the theme of capitalism’s dark side, I hadn’t really walked Shakedown in a good while, and for the most part, nothing changed. Of course, now, the vendors will be happy to provide a QR code to gouge you through Venmo. Oh, and there was that super-nice salesperson who shouted, “Nitrous! Will take PayPal or CashApp!” So convenient. All cynicism aside, there were some cool shirts and signs, which I happily post for you here: We were able to get tickets for $50 each, way below the resale prices on Ticketbastard. Props to John for his negotiating sales. I’m not particular about where I sit, so long as I can hear them playin’ in the band. Like John said, “When you can fist-bump with the pilots, you know you’re in the nosebleeds.” Dinner was also nostalgic, having spent much of my money earned delivering papers on Nathan’s hot dogs and crinkle-cut fries at the Nanuet Mall. The show was tight, and here’s the setlist. It was a tight set. John did catch them messing up several lyrics, and I even spotted a missing verse in “Uncle John’s Band.” But they’ve been at it for fifty-eight years; I guess they’ve earned the right to revise their songs. Highlights for me included an INCREDIBLE jam on “St. Stephen” (favorite songs of Maggie’s and John’s), “U.S. Blues,” a tight bluesy “It Hurts Me Too,” and “Althea.”
The weather wasn’t quite as warm as I had thought it would be. Decked out in my T-shirt and shorts, standing in gusty winds got a bit uncomfortable during the second sun. On the one hand, I thought, shoulda brought my hoodie! On the other, it’s been colder. John and I parted at Times Square, and I had the privilege of seeing all the Cure fans decked out in black, courtesy of their show at MSG, and as I crossed Eighth Avenue to get to Penn Station, I heard a car blasting “Boys Don’t Cry,” one of two Cure songs I’m familiar with (the other being “Friday I’m in Love,” the latter of which does hit me if I’m in the right frame of mind). The trains home carried a nice mix of Deadheads and Cure fans. I heard a pair of friends talk about ticket prices as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I got back to the house at about 2 a.m., which brings me back to my early 20s, when I’d go to New York City shows, take the six-minute drive from the Suffern train station to my Mom’s house, and hit the pillow. I’m a little tired out at the moment, but I’m about to meet my friend Elizabeth in Ridgewood for lunch, so I was forced back into the real world. But, related to my last post, Elizabeth was a mentor to me when I started my teaching career as an adjunct for Bergen Community College. A whopping $2,100 per course, but that experience, and Elizabeth, helped propel me to the place I’m at now. And, like I also said in my last post, I wouldn’t have gotten to that place without these shows. Even though I’m cutting down on them (i.e., doing one of the Citi Field shows instead of both), they’ll continue to be a part of my life. Nothing left to do now but smile, smile, smile.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2024
Categories |