SHARING THE SHOWS
I had to scrap just to get off the couch to go to this show. After last night’s show and a picnic in the heat, I only felt capable of switching the controls on my remote. But I was determined. When I told Pete this, he said I was “tough.” I take that as a high compliment coming from him, who goes to shows and hikes with impunity. After getting off the Metro, I strolled through Woodmont Triangle in downtown Bethesda, which is hip on a weeknight but really hoppin’ on a Saturday night, with people dining and looking to get their dance on. Assuming I get tenure, I’m considering Bethesda as a place to buy property. On my way, a kid who didn’t much older than sixteen or seventeen complimented my Dead & Company T-shirt. He had been to Bristow earlier this summer as well. Before I discuss the show itself, I have to comment on the fact that this music transcends generations. I don’t dismiss things like boy bands, disco, or emo, because they do speak to a lot of people. But rock and roll is timeless. A young dude, probably in his early 20s, named Jesse spun around the floor the whole night; while I helped start up the dance party on the floor in front of the stage, I’m sure his spinning is what REALLY got the crowd moving (well, that and fermented hops). He asked me if I had seen the Dead in the 80s. Dude, I was still collecting baseball cards at that age. I felt old. But at least it wasn’t the 60s or 70s; I’d be really worried then. At any rate, I met some interesting folks, as I always do at these shows. A dude named Wright was wearing a Detroit Lightning T-shirt; they’re a cover band out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, just a few hours from El Paso. There was a woman named Karen who asked if you could be a Deadhead without having seen the actual Dead live (it was a genuine question). Of course I told her I didn’t get into them until after Jerry died. And that kid Jesse was super cool. I talked to a nice young couple, Alex and Kate, from Wheaton, which I only know as the place with the nearest Costco to me. And I got to chat with TJ, the lead singer, while the band spent some time doing instrumentals. Of course, the night started out with the dance floor empty and a few of us just bopping our heads. The first set went like so: Deep Elem Blues (I haven’t heard too many Dead tributes do this one, and by that, I mean any Dead tribute) Tennessee Jed Alabama Getaway Promised Land Box of Rain Help on the Way Slipknot Franklin’s Tower Eyes of the World (which featured a very talented teenager playing the trumpet; love this generational trickle-down) Eyes of the World Brown Eyed Women Truckin’ The Music Never Stopped Might as Well During setbreak, I caught up with a friend on the phone while I walked around town trying to find a quick bite to eat. Sadly, the places that looked promising were all sit-down and expensive. I just wanted a quick slice of pizza (the food from the picnic had long since passed through my system), but settled from an egg roll from Mayflower Chinese Restaurant & Carryout. The second set: China Cat Sunflower I Know You Rider Shakedown Street (with a “We Want the Funk” interlude; TJ gave a shoutout to the Chuck Brown fans) Scarlet Begonias (this was probably one of the jammiest versions I’ve ever heard) Fire on the Mountain Bertha (during which a dude named Pete got on bass) Throwing Stones Not Fade Away Foolish Heart (another rarity from Dead tributes) Morning Dew E: Casey Jones (I was expecting “One More Saturday Night,” but this one was just as good, particularly as the tempo increased towards the song’s end) The walk to the Metro wasn’t quite as eventful as trying to navigate to L’Enfant Plaza the previous night, which was fine by me. After heating up and devouring a nice personal pizza (with the selling point “I’m single”), I fell asleep on the couch as an episode of Married with Children played, complete with Chester on my lap. Three shows this week was just what Doctor Concert ordered. As of now, it’ll be at least three weeks before my next one, which may be good as I finalize my tenure packet and start off the school year. But I’ll have the summer’s shows as my soundtrack (G-d bless free downloads).
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May 2024
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