SHARING THE SHOWS
It had been nearly two weeks since my last show (these days, that’s a pretty big gap). But the end of the semester is always a challenging time for us professor folk, what with end-of-semester projects and that widespread panic (hahaha) that comes with some students in places of desperation trying to wheedle the highest grade possible without much effort.
For this reason, music is a much-needed medicine, so this show was a great idea. After a day trying to manage the problems that come up in group projects (i.e., mismatched expectations and work ethics of different group members), reaching out to students in trouble, and, more pleasantly, a coaching session for a client in my business, and a virtual faculty awards ceremony that was tedious but did give me an idea for a teaching project, I hopped the Metro to the 9:30 Club. I got off the train to a message from Stephen, who was lured to the show by his old college roommate Drew. I met him at the front of the stage for a few minute, and Drew regaled about how he had met Bob Weir back in the days of the original Dead. I always like hearing those. I glided toward the back where I met Pete and some loud drunk dude who was going on about all the shows he had seen back in the day and the shows he was seeing. I typically find those folks a bit irritating, but at a show, sometimes you just have to smile and nod. I don’t know too many Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) tunes, not having been an old school Deadhead, but I enjoy them just the same. Fortunately, Pete helped me point a few out, such as “Mission in the Rain.” I did know “Cats Under the Stars” (a favorite of mine), “The Harder They Come,” an Old & In the Way tune called “Midnight Moonlight” (which I first heard played by a cover band called The Deadbeats during my New Paltz days). Other highlights included the Dead’s “Eyes of the World” and “Shakedown Street” (which made for a kickass encore). Other covers consisted of “Let the Good Times Roll,” the Beatles’s “Dear Prudence” (my favorite Beatles song and done great justice by JGB, Phish, and Widespread Panic), “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” and finally, Sam Cooke’s “What a Wonderful World.” I love when songs help me make connections with other pop culture items; in this case, the first time I ever heard this song was in this classic scene in National Lampoon’s Animal House. John Belushi could do great things with a simple glance. Shame he died so young. To quote Mr. Mackey, “Drugs are bad, mkay?” Anywho, two highlights from the evening came from dialogue. While I was dancing, a woman in front of me turned around and said, “You’re not my date.” As people on my Facebook page know, I have a soft spot for lame comedy, so later on, when the same woman walked past me to go to the bathroom, I planned to look at her and say, “You’re on my date.” She laughed politely, but the delivery fell a bit flat IMO. Oh well. The best part was when, during “Dear Prudence” a young woman who identified as Miranda looked at my “Grateful for my Students” T-shirt and asked me if I was a teacher. My title is professor, but I always say yes when asked if I’m a teacher. I teach a high class load, and teaching is my lifeblood, even though I do publish. So I’ve earned that right. She wanted to get a picture of the shirt and revealed that she worked for the Department of Education. Having had a challenging week, that moment reminded me of why I do what I do. My only regret is not thinking of giving Miranda this site until after the fact (I was in a groove), but Miranda, if you come across this blog, thank you deeply. Every time I look at U Street, I’m brought back to my 20s, which were spent gallivanting around New York City’s East Village. There’s some nostalgia and wistfulness associated, but I’m glad to be able to appreciate it from the outside. After Pete dropped me off, I indulged in my usual routine of mini-show binging (Season Six of Married with Children). I always have to munch out after a show, but I decided to go with protein-based snacks instead of carb-based ones (the weather’s getting nicer, so I’m feeling the urge). Babybel cheeses and Atkins bars satiate me for sure. While getting to sleep was a challenge, I eventually got there. Thankfully, DC celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, the day in 1862 which officially abolished slavery in DC. Not only a nice way to kick off a three-day weekend, but it was a shining moment in our history for sure. At any rate, it was nice not to have to go to any of the work meetings that are traditionally held on Fridays and spend the morning blogging to some Dead tunes. And the plan for now is only five days until my next show. And it’s only three stops on the Red Line to Bethesda. Ciao for now!
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May 2024
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