SHARING THE SHOWS
The title of this blog is based on the joke that I go to all these concerts, but I found a three-week break was a good thing. Introverted Craig needed a couple of Saturday nights to sit home and watch movies. So he was completely re-energized for JRAD. Mark came up around 4, and we Metroed it down to the Anthem. On the way down, we talked to Andrew, a dude in a Dead & Company shirt, who was going to “a birthday party and then a show.” Quite a nice evening. We met up with Pete, Andrea, and Mike at Bistro du Jour, the French restaurant we went before DSO back in March, where I enjoyed some Coq Au Vin: After dinner, Pete, Andrea, and Mike headed toward their VIP seats, while Mark and I joined the rest of the peons on the floor. I gotta thank Pete for that hook-up with the Friends with Benefits program. As of this writing, I’ve earned enough for a free show at the 9:30 Club, but I’m working toward a show at the Anthem (1,000 points). But, for now, I’m enjoying the free coat check.
We headed toward the front to meet with Stephen, Zhanetta, and Daniel, where we chatted for a bit. I separated to go to the back of the floor, where I like to have room to dance around. A guy named Wes complimented me on my T-shirt, and he brought to my attention you can see the words “Grateful Dead” when you read it upside down. The Grateful Dead themselves had songs that most often functioned as set openers, set closers, mid-show long jams, and encores. Most cover/tribute bands follow suit. JRAD does none of that; there’s no set pattern. They can do fast and slow jams within the same songs, which makes them unique. The first set rocked. Highlights for me were the “Black Throated Wind,” “Ruben and Cherise,” and believe it or not, “They Love Each Other.” While I can’t stand the slow version of it, this one rocked pretty hard. “Crazy Fingers” and “Estimated Prophet” rocked pretty hard too. And so made the whole set. During setbreak, I ran into Kathy and met some other new local folks, including Wright, John, and Nancy. As I’ve moved to DC, it’s been fun meeting other local heads. The second set started slowly with “It Hurts Me Too” and gradually picked up with “Second That Emotion,” “Eyes of the World,” and “Playing with the Band.” “Foolish Heart” was my favorite part of the set. I was fading out during the long jam that was “New Minglewood Blues,” and I was gone and ready to introvert by the time “Terrapin Station” closed the set. After running into Mark before the encore I woke up and grooved when the band busted out “Jessica,” a nice surprise. Amazing show, but it felt great to sit down on that subway seat and even better to lie down in my bed. Next weekend will be my first Billy Strings experience. Today is a recuperation day.
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May 2024
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