SHARING THE SHOWS
Shows are essential to my well-being; that’s what I’ve been missing during the pandemic. Mark came up to me at around 4 p.m., and we took off. The last big show I was at ended with me totaling my last car, so I was apprehensive about driving up to Baltimore, but I decided to face my demons, and conversation with Mark helped. After negotiating the traffic that characterizes I-495, parts of I-95, and downtown Baltimore, we were able to find a parking space directly across the street from MECU Pavilion. Had we had more time, I would have loved for us to go to Fells Point for some real crab cakes, but we had a little less than an hour till showtime, so we walked to a nearby Chipotle and chowed down on some of their trademark burritos. From there, we made it to the venue, which overlooks the Inner Harbor. The set started at 7:13, only thirteen minutes after the scheduled start time. The “Alligator” opener got me moving, as did the “St. Stephen” (of which I sent a video to Maggie) and “The Wheel” that followed. Things slowed down with “Row Jimmy,” and that’s when I started yawning. I started work this week, and this is the first time I’ve met with most of my colleagues in person. I also made a presentation on my work to colleagues who I’ve never met, and while it went well, it stressed me out. Combined with the trepidation of this drive to Baltimore, it was a recipe for exhaustion. Fortunately, the Diet Pepsi I got during setbreak helped perk me back up for Set Two. I was rocking for “The Music Never Stopped” and “Help on the Way,” which went into “Slipknot.” One of the unique things about JRAD, which Mark pointed out, is that they always surprise the audience. They had teases of the Allman Brothers’s “Mountain Jam” and “Jessica”, and I’m sure I heard one of Phish’s “End of Session” (playing a Phish song at a Dead show is sacrilege, habnabit!). In this tease, rather than going into “Franklin’s Tower,” they launched into “Feel Like a Stranger.” They alleviated the tempo with “Peggy-O” and brought the expected “Franklin’s Tower.” “Touch of Grey” closed the set. During this song, an older gentlemen pointed to Mark and said, “That dude’s a maniac!” I said, “I would love to be able to keep up with his energy.” “Impossible,” he said. After the set, I told him to tell Mark what he told me. While that happened, his daughter asked me if I was taking notes, and I informed her about the blog. When she asked for the name, I gave it to her on a piece of paper, and I made a note to myself: carry your new business cards so you can write it on the back whilst getting your business’ name out there. The encore was new to me, but Mark’s research indicated it was a Bob Dylan cover entitled “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You.” Mark pointed out it was funny because he would be staying at my place with me that night. And then we both laughed for ten minutes. True story.
I was still a little out of it, so Mark helped me out by driving back to DC. We encountered three street racers and an accident on 495 involving two SUVs. Ahhh, the fun of DMV traffic (why I’ve been opting for bicycling and public transportation more and more). We took some munchies back to my place and popped on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Netflix. So many quotables in that movie (“Bueller…Bueller”), although that scene where Principal Rooney eyes Ferris and Sloane making out has not aged well. Sunday morning was spent with me getting to know one of Mark’s mountain bikes and now wishing to move beyond Bikesharing (I’ve fallen in love with bicycling since moving to DC) into owning my own bike so I can trail ride (it’s awesome not having to look my shoulder every five seconds for cars). It also included me getting a ticket to a performance of Better Off Dead and the Allman Others Band next Saturday. I’m learning these shows are quite beneficial for my well-being, particularly in a time of transition. Especially when I can take Metro. Having Mark come over was awesome too, a nice break from the pandemic. The second person to stay at my place (the first being Maggie for Born Cross-Eyed), we caught up on lost times and joked, laughed, and bonded. Those good times rolled.
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February 2024
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