Bright Eyes
Last night Pat and I went to a concierto de rock. For our non-Spanish-speaking friends, that means we went to a rock concert. I know what you’re thinking, “First a movie and now this! What’s next, a trip to Vegas?? You’re so exciting.” I know, I know. We are quite exciting and we go where the road takes us.
For real, though, we went to the Bright Eyes show last night at the armory, and it was wonderful. We live close enough that we were able to walk and avoid any parking annoyances, so that was a bonus. When we got to the armory, there was a long line of hipsters outside, and it was cold and windy and it started sprinkling. With the walk and the cold, my knees started to ache from arthritis, and I got one look at those hipsters and I thought, I have no business being here. Within a few minutes, the hipsters to our backs and the hipsters to our fronts started chatting with us, and the line started to move, and the sprinkling stopped – things were improving dramatically. We got inside and immediately saw some of Pat’s library buddies, and we got some beer – things continuing to improve.
I won’t go on and on with the details because I understand that concerts are a you-had-to-be-there experience, but I will say that it was a fantastic night. As far as concert-goers go, this was by far the most polite crowd I’ve ever seen. The sound in the armory was kind of awful, but it somehow added to the experience. There were two opening acts, one that was mediocre and one that was great, and Conor Oberst came out incognito during both of their sets (but we totally knew it was him) and joined in. By the way, Conor Oberst is so cute and mini; I wish I could carry him around in my pocket. Anyway, Bright Eyes was great. I am a bit of a purist about my music and I fear change, so I become a little alarmed when things don’t sound the exact same live as they do on the album (I kept expecting Emmylou Harris to come out during certain songs), but it was really great nonetheless. We weren’t able to stay for all of Bright Eye’s set because we were going to turn into pumpkins soon, so Pat said, “I think we’re going to have to leave after the next song.” I said, “Ooooh, I hope it’s Bowl of Oranges.” And GUESS WHAT CAME ON NEXT? Bowl of Oranges! So we missed the finale, but that was the best possible finale I could have imagined.
In honor of the Bright Eyes show, Pat woke up this morning with bright red eyes. Yup, I think he got the oozy infection that Greta had last week. Fun times. School has been absolutely crazy for him, but the good news is his last project for this quarter is due tonight at midnight, and then he will be DONE. Such a relief. Pat’s coworkers commented to me last night that he has been sans funny bone lately, likely due to school (in addition to everything else), so we’re all looking forward to getting our Pat back.
Happy Friday, y’all. What was your best concert experience? Or, possibly more entertaining, what was your worst concert experience? Quickly, my worst concert experience, hands down, was going to see Tori Amos at the non-air-conditioned Landmark theater in August, when I had a kidney stone, with my ex-boyfriend (who was newly my ex at the time). Fun times!
Fran
Comments
#1
Lavery, Foreigner was my first "official" concert ever, also! (Saw Ray Charles and Bob Dylan in elementary school). My dad took me and a friend when I was in 10th grade---it was AWESOME! It was in Syracuse, but not in the dome. Landmark again, maybe? Yes, Franny, I've had great luck at the Landmark. Miss it; no great venue like that here in Charlotte.
#2
George - We accept your comments at any time. Plus, I wouldn't necessarily expect you to comment on my mommy letter.
Lavery - Foreigner, eh? Hehe. I remember when you went to that Prince show. Didn't you go to a bar afterward and he was there?
Jenny - That's like when Taryn and I went to see Black Crowes (with the high school guys) and I said, "Oh, so that's what p0t smells like."
Amanda - Apparently everyone has fun at the Landmark but me.
Kensey - I guess that's what you get for going to a Sisters with Voices concert. Tee-hee.
Stella - Better to vibrate your sternum than your bowels. I heard a first-hand story about someone I know who went to an Atari Teenage Riot show back in the day. The bass was so crazy it caused some GI issues in many.
#3
I know pnf is on to a whole new post by now but I can't believe I forgot to mention, among the best, Neko Case just this summer at Central Park Summerstage (for free!!!). She's the greatest. Great show, beautiful night outdoors, funny 'stage banter': that show might be in the #1 slot for now.
#4
first: foreigner (sp?) at the dome in syr for my 8th b'day...yes, i asked for it. i loved me some "juke box hero".
worst: a tie between seeing ben harper (love him) with a bunch of teeny boppers (hate them)...including the really annoying girl in front of me with the high pony tail that kept whipping me in the face...
and the time i had the flu without knowing it at a neko case concert in ohio...where i just kept thinking "how can it possibly be so cold in here with all these people and lights?". i spent the entire time trying not to shiver.
best: prince in buffalo. hands down nothing can ever top it. not no one, not no how.
#5
First - Grateful Dead. My brother took me for my 13th birthday. I was not remotely prepared for the things I witnessed.
Worst - tough call...... probably Jay-Z. Not that I dislike Jay-Z but the venue (glorified high school gym) had such horrible sound qualities that all I heard was base the entire time.
Best - there are a few. Robert Earl Keene at a little club in Boston where I got a scalped ticket for $10, Ryan Adams when he had a full on fit on stage, The Police at Fenway, Melissa Etheridge - 5th row with my friend Paul and 500 women.
#6
My best concert experience is a 2-way tie:
1) Madonna, b/c she's awesome and I'd wanted to see her since I was 10 yrs. old.
2) Bonnie Raitt, second row at the Landmark
Tough call. Worst experience---PHISH. Worst.
#7
Ian's experience made me laugh out loud, so funny to set someone on fire at a concert!
My worst was getting pepper sprayed at an SWV concert in high school. That stuff is really no good. I wasn't out of hand, some folks were and they just decided to "calm down" (choke) the audience as a whole by piping it through the air system. Please don't pick on me for seeing an SWV concert, please.
#8
It might surprise you to hear that not a lot of big name bands come to Hobart to perform. That is because we are at the arse end of the earth and the next stop from here is Antarctica. And even that's two weeks away.
My worst concert experience was the Hard-Ons, a punk rock outfit. I'm not averse to punk (fan of the New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Turbo Negro to name a few) but this was utterly devoid of any musical qualities. They had brought a sound system big enough for the Melbourne Cricket Ground to suit a space the size of your average suburban loungeroom. I couldn't hear the music so much as I could feel it vibrating my sternum. My clothes were billowing around my body from the onslaught of pure, unadulterated noise.
Best concert - saw Brian Wilson and Smile in San Fran two years ago when I was visiting my Dad. Captivating.
#9
DrThing - I'm not at all surprised to hear your response for "best." BTW, was your chorus teacher a cartoon man named Otto and did he also drive a bus?
Pam - Wow, so I have thought in retrospect that having alcohol during my worst concert experience may have helped it, but now reading your experience maybe not! I did see one girl last night who was obviously drunk and being very aggressively affectionate with a certain male. I thought, "Oh dear, she may have regrets tomorrow."
Kir - I think one thing I've learned from the responses is that you should NEVER go to a concert with an ex, especially if you just broke up and already had the tickets and figure you may as well go together. Lesson learned: sell them, trade them, do whatever you've gotta do.
Margaux - That's uncanny! I'm glad you enjoyed your Tori Amos experience at the Landmark more than I did. She's such an amazing performer, and that's such a pretty venue.
George - Pat saw Dylan around that same time and said he was amazing. My best friend saw him with Elvis Costello just recently and said he (Dylan) was horrible. Sounds like he should have left on a high note Costanza style.
Shelley - DMB, ew. I hate jam sessions. I get so mad and feel like as each minute progresses that I am being more and more ripped off. Jam on your own time, not when I'm paying you to play songs I recognize.
Ian - That's ridiculously funny. Glad it turned out the way it did.
#10
First concert was Three Dog Night at the state fair in Syracuse, but I was too young to remember. First concert I remember was a school (yes, school...I had a very hip chorus teacher) trip to Binghamton to see Whitesnake and Great White. Other cool chorus trips were Poison/Warrant and Bon Jovi/Skid Row at the carrier dome.
Best concert has to be ringing in the new millenium with 100,000 friends and Phish on a seminole indian reservation in south Florida. They played from 11:30 to 8 am in the morning, non-stop.
Second best was actually our last Phish concert, NYE in Miami a few years back. Melissa's parents actually got us the tickets through mail order, and 7th row floor was definitely the closest I have ever been at a Phish show.
#11
First? Rick Springfield at the War Memorial. I hearted Noah Drake!
Best - So hard to pick. Either Norah Jones at Max's (Eastman Place) about 4 years ago? It was the summer right before she blew up (figuratively speaking). I think it was the second year of the Jazz Fest. The place held about 150 people. Intimate show. Great musicians. Good times. The other would be the double-bill of Bonnie Raitt & Lyle Lovett at FLPAC about 6 years ago.
Worst? (I sense a theme here) Some show at Water Street about a decade ago with an ex. He & I were still pretty good friends (we had broken up a few years before), but I got very intoxicated and ended up, well, falling into that sexwithanex trap. Shudder. So the show itself was good (I think? can't even remember who the band was) but the consequences were bad.
#12
my first concert was Debbie Gibson too!
I've seen a lot of awesome shows in my day so it's tough to pick just one. But I will agree with you that going to a show with a newly ex-boyfriend is never any fun. I'm sure Modest Mouse would have performed better if it were not for our awkward presence. (*shivers*)
#13
Fran, I must comment because my best concert experience was Tori Amos at the Landmark! It was probably three or four years ago. We had great seats, seventh row I think. It was awesome.
My worst? I don't think I have one, but a woman came very close to vomiting on me at a Neil Young show at SPAC a few years ago. That wasn't enjoyable. Who knew people got so rowdy at a Neil Young show?
#14
The worst wasn't the band's fault: it was The National at a new place in NYC called Terminal 5. I guess it was so new they hadn't figured out how to make sure the audience could actually hear the band, which is, you know, kind of important.
I thought about it for a while, but I just can't pick a best. When I saw Bob Dylan in high school he was really awesome, but I probably remember it as better than it was for sentimental reasons: I was a huge classic rock nerd seeing Dylan live for the first time.
#15
Hands down, seeing Dave Matthews Band at the old Foxboro Stadium. I had heat stroke and we had been drinking Budweisers and Jager shots all day in the parking lot before the show. Every time another long jam session started up I whimpered.
Conversely, my first concert ever was New Kids on the Block at the same stadium. My sister and I puff painted our Keds. I wrote I Heart Jordan Knight 4Eva.
#16
My first concert ever was Debbie Gibson (I'm not kidding). But she was already going down hill at this time. It was a charity event where you just had to bring a toy (Toys for Tots?). So it was basically free. Anyways, being my first concert, I brought a lighter with me, to wave during the slow songs. I bring out my lighter at the appropriate time, and start waving, and all of the sudden the arm of the girl next to me goes up in flames. My bad! I start freaking out, but it came as quickly as it went. She had a very old, pilly wool sweater, and once all the fuzz on it burned, the fire went out. No damage to her at all. My heart was racing like crazy, but she was laughing.
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