SHARING THE SHOWS
So I started off this morning with a moderate hike at Meyer Ranch Park (so many parks to choose from), and from there, I adjusted to the altitude. After a true Colorado omelette, a nap, a marathon writing session with my blog, book, and screenplay, I picked Amy up at her friend Andrew’s house in Edgewater. We went to the hotel some friends of hers were staying at and took a nice dip in their pool before hitting the show.
Amy is an extrovert, a true force of positive energy. Once we parked, before I even had my shit ready for the show, she was already chatting with the couple parked next to us, and by proxy, I was too. We parked in the top lot, so the climb in wasn’t as strenuous. We found Art from a Facebook group called Panic Passportal. He hooked me up with a “passport” with the Panic logo on it. You get stamped with the shows you go to. He stamped mine with the DC show (3/16/19) and Durham show (3/30/19); later, someone else stamped mine with the Red Rocks run. In Art’s words, it’s about the human connection, interacting with the folks you’re stamping. I observed him interacting with a lot of folks as he stamped their passports; I can dig it. The blog’s done the same for me. Amy and I set up camp next to Art at the top. As an introvert, I like to find a spot and stick with it; Amy was all about finding adventures everywhere. It worked for me. I ended up chatting some with Art and his son, Joseph. I fueled up with a mac and cheese dish topped with brisket. On the way, Art pointed out a beer that was positioned on the ledge above our seat, precariously over this dude’s head. He asked me to point it out to him, and I did, to which the guy thanked me. I said, “I’m just the messenger. That guy pointed it out.” On the food line, I thought, I shoulda said, don’t praise the messenger.’ That woulda been witty. Oh well, I’ll use the line next time. It started drizzling as we waited for the opener, and I was thankful for Bob’s rain jacket. I thought of the website that states that rainouts are rare because the band is well-protected. I guess we concertgoers are badass enough to dance in the rain (I am). The band opened with “Ain’t Life Grand” on JB. I videotape every opening song to put on Facebook, and as I taped, a guy walking by just grabbed a girl’s behind. Not the first time I’ve seen that at a show, but no less upsetting. I never thought #metoo would reach this scene, but what do I know? “Mr. Soul” always rocks, and so does “Good People.” I had never heard “Dark Bar” before, but it was nice, especially when it circled back to “Good People.” “Wondering” and “Walkin” had me grooving (I also spotted a rainbow that had me close to tears), and “A of D” had me spinning in circles, so much that I got a little dizzy, but it was worth it. “Saint Ex” was a good slowdown tune, and “Flat Foot Flewzy” is always a good one to get me moving. The second set opened with “Climb to Safety,” the lyrics of which I find uplifting. I was reminded of a discussion I had postshow with a dude after 3/30/19 about how his kid was making fun of him because saw his new girlfriend in that song, but it’s all in the beholder. “On Your Way Down” was a new one for me, but a cool one. “Proving Ground” and “Jack” are both chill, and “Bowlegged Woman” was my first live. I talked to this young dude named Alex who had just been skiing that day. I still can’t fathom skiing in June, but with the snow that hit Breckenridge last week, it was happening. He showed me video where he was doing jumps and flips, and I was just amazed. I was in the bathroom when they segued to “Arleen,” which prompted me to sprint back to my spot. The drum jam was the best I’ve ever heard from them; I felt connected spiritually at that moment. “Blight” was a nice segue out, and “Tie Your Shoes” is always good for a spin. The old chestnut “Space Wrangler” closed the set. Amy was back for the encore. They played “End of the Show,” which I’d never heard before, but Amy was tired of hearing as an encore, as it’s very slow. I prefer a rocking one myself, something to go out on a high note with. Occasionally, a slower one, a la “Shaking the Tree” (SCI 5/27/19), does have me close to tears and reflecting. Amy and I had a good conversation as we got her back to her friend’s place. We stopped at a 7-11 so I could get caffeine, and it turns out we both have Slurpee obsessions. And all the while, the wind gusts were everpresent; thank you Bob for that jacket.
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