SHARING THE SHOWS
So I got my final grades in today. My students know I don’t check my work e-mail on weekends (for my own sanity and serenity), so I have a two-day reprieve before the handful of inquiries regarding, “Why’d I only get a B in your class?” and “I only missed eight classes; how’d I fail!?” Fortunately, I know how to enjoy the little things in life, and on that note, Maggie and I were off to see some live music. Our original picture had us holding up pieces of Swiss cheese as a tribute to the band, but alas, Maggie’s phone deleted them. Damn technology. Oh well. We drove through a rain-soaked 17 to Yorktown and navigated through a gauntlet of cars to get to a parking space. If you’ve ever parked at the Cowboy Sports Grill, you know (shudders). We pulled up at a table next to this fighting couple. I heard the woman say to her mate, “Fuck off.” Now that’s the makings of a domestic drama right there (thank the CoSPers for helping me stay out of situations like that). We waited for the drummer to arrive, and during that time, some dude asked me if I was in the band. I guess the sweater and Ivy League hat gave it away; I did look a little out of place among these flannel-and-trucker hat country folk, which I can accept. At a little after 10, the band opened with Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel.” I could hear the Stevie Ray Vaughn influence on the guitar as Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl” graced the stage. A variety of genres ensued, from “Brickhouse” to Rick Springfield’s“Jessie’s Girl” to Cheap Trick's “I Want You to Want Me.” The first time I had ever heard “Jessie Girl” was in college; during my TV Production class, we were assigned to make a music video, and the defacto leader of the group insisted on that song. It was a fun experience. The 80s continued with Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309” before fast-forwarding to the 21st century with Nelly’s “Hot in Here.” At this point, I was trying to boogie, but my subsiding back injury started to flare up. I attributed it to the claustrophobia of having to negotiate around a tight space. Eventually, I sat down and felt nothing. In fact, it was more enjoyable this way because I was able to appreciate the band’s true musical talent on an aesthetic and intellectual level; the fact that they traverse across genres from hip-hop to country to metal is a true testament to their skill. I haven’t seen many bands that do this too well. It was also good people-watching. Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” was up next, and I witnessed a number of people doing air kicks during the lyrics “I kick the living shit out of me.” They did a nice bluesy take on Hall & Oates’s “Sara Smile,” which was, for me, the highlight of the show. During set break, Maggie went out for a cigarette, and that same couple was at it again. Apparently, the man was adjusting the car so the woman could get in, and the woman said, “Fuck off, Phil.” Hmmmmm. The second set opened with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” and I observed the guitarist was using five different distortion petals, I imagine, to use conventions from all these different genres. They went into Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” followed by a country song I hadn’t heard. But I wrote “save a horse, ride a cowboy,” Googled the lyrics, and came upon a YouTube video for that song by “Big & Rich.” During Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”, Maggie noticed the singer was forgetting some of the words. Then, I noticed it. At that point, I had exhausted all my energy, so we took off. On the way home, “Enter Sandman” played on the Fox, Hampton Roads’s classic rock station, and we agreed that we’re old. Growing up in New York, I was the only one of my friends who listened to Q104.3, our classic rock station, and they played oldies like Led Zeppelin, The Who, and 70s-era Aerosmith. Now, the classic rock stations play Metallica, Green Day, and Nirvana, stuff from our adolescence. No matter…I still go out on Friday nights, and I have way more fun than I ever did as a teenager, even if my back isn’t quite what it used to be. That was some Fine, Fine Swiss Cheese indeed. J
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