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Friday, March 23, 2007 - 15:27:26
Reflections On A Rock Concert
Opening act Rose Hill Drive: Not bad. Has to be a mixed blessing opening for The Who, because while it's great exposure, every single person in the arena is thinking, "GET FINISHED AND BRING OUT SOME WHO!"
Rose Hill Drive members look like "Spinal Tap." ALL of them. Nice boys, but I expect them at any minute to start talking about how their speakers "go up to eleven."
Amused at the repeated announcements offering, among other tour-related merchandise, "official bootlegs" of tonight's performance. And a new oxymoron is born.
Wishing like anything for my Sony Alpha-100, which would have taken kick-butt pictures of the whole thing. Alas, stuck with a single megapixel in a cell phone. *sigh*
The Who entrance: Happiest I've felt in months. Giddy. Holy crap, I'm looking right at "Tommy," and he's still hot and muscle-bound, with eyes as blue as the sky.
Pete Townshend immediately disabuses everyone of the notion that he might have lost his powerful "windmill" guitar strokes. WOW.
During the hard-hitting part of "Who Are You?" I CRY. The freaking Who makes me cry. I am getting old. No sobbing, though, just eyes full of tears with the happiness.
Impossibly young-looking drummer who replaced Keith Moon and is really getting a workout: LUCKIEST DRUMMER EVER. Except for Ringo Starr. (I find out later that the drummer, Zak Starkey, of Oasis, is in fact the SON of Ringo Starr. Talk about irony.)
The excerpt from the new rock opera "Wire And Glass" that I thought I wouldn't be excited about? Actually pretty darn awesome. These guys aren't coasting on their monster hits of yesteryear, they're still creating, and doing it well.
AARP members rocking out all over the place = JOYFUL. This sight makes me so happy. My mother is among them, and a lot less dorky.
During "My Generation," my mom poking Alex and I, and proclaiming, along with the chorus, while pointing to herself, "They're talkin' about MY GENERATION!" warms my heart and makes me feel like a happy little kid again, since that was the first time I heard a lot of this music. Because my mom? Always cool. Weaned me on Beatles, Credence, Three Dog Night, Ike & Tina, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and yes, The Who...and so much more.
Is beer REALLY that important at something like this, that you'd miss significant portions of the show going and getting tiny plastic overpriced cups of it, then going to relieve yourself of it, over and over and OVER again, requiring me to stand up to let you climb over me coming and going, each time? Really? You can't go 3 hours without beer, or have it before or after the show? Seriously?
Speaking of drinking, someone throws a coconut-scented frozen drink which hits my mother right on the head and splatters a dozen people. CLASSY, Arkansas.
Pete Townshend greets crowd, informs us that this is the first time The Who has ever played Little Rock ("NORTH Little Rock," says my brain again, quietly), and says lots of nice things about us. Then a joke at Aerosmith's expense, followed by the revelation that he kids Aerosmith; Aerosmith and The Who toured together in Japan recently and share much love an respect. The thought crosses my mind that THAT show would be 31 flavors of awesome, and if I saw both those bands at the same time, I'd probably poop myself. Or something.
"Real Good Looking Boy" goes over much bigger than I'd have anticipated, probably due to our proximity to Memphis and the touching Elvis montage playing on the jumbo screens.
This crowd is soooooooooo white. I see people from ages 12 to 70, but all white-bread.
The relevance of lyrics written decades ago to what's happening in the world today is both astonishing and saddening. We don't learn, it seems. See: "Won't Get Fooled Again."*
I like that Pete introduced Baba O'Riley, commenting on its much higher popularity here in the U.S. than in England, with speculation that America is one of the few places left in the world with "wide open spaces," and that the lyric "out here in the fields" likely struck more of a chord with us. Alex and I performed stupid universal symbol for "rock on" with upraised hands during first "teenage wasteland" chorus, as we promised my sister we would.
After that number, commentary (again by Pete, who did most of the talking) on the concept of a "teenage wasteland," with apologies to young people for "the mess we've left." A beat, then, pointing out four cherub-faced young teen boys up front, "Eh, you lot can f***ing clean it up. You look fit enough." Wild applause, and shots of the boys up on the giant monitors, looking like they'd been touched by royalty, which, in a way, I guess they had.
Poignant montages of old Who footage, including Keith Moon and John Entwhistle. Aw.
Wondering if we'll be getting any "Happy Jack" or "Squeeze Box" or "I Can See For Miles." (Answer: No. Too many hits.) It's all good, because we do get "Eminence Front," "Behind Blue Eyes," and much much more.
Laughed hysterically when guy behind us proclaimed, "They must be done now, cuz I can't think of any more songs they do," and then again, when they launched into the next number, he said, "They musta just wrote that."
Security officers make 19th visit to the female concertgoer I am by now referring to in my head as "EDS" (Extremely Drunk and Skanky). This calms her down for approximately 1.5 seconds, or until security officer's back is turned. Attention Drunk People: YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE SHOW. If I wanted to see this, I'd stay home and watch "COPS."
A little later, I'm actually hoping EDS makes it home alive and unmolested. Girls, there are reasons besides the obvious ones that you want to maintain control of your faculties, especially in public.
People who leave before the encore: THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
Encore is lengthy, and consists of a "Tommy" medley, which the crowd goes nuts over.
Nothing is sadder at a concert than one drunk guy in an arena of thousands, holding aloft one lone lighter and swaying, all by himself. Well, maybe a one-man "wave" at a basketball game, but at least that would be over quicker.
Roger Daltry says lots of nice things about Little Rock (fleeting "We're in NORTH Little Rock" thought passes quickly). Hopefully he'll tell all his music-legend friends. Pete Townshend introduces all the band members as they leave the stage--did he say Simon Townshend on guitar? Yes. Yes, he did.
We hotfoot it outside, the goal being to beat the drunks onto the road (which is really not much of a challenge), and get out the doors just in time to witness a two-generation takedown by police. Exciting! It's a young man and a middle-aged woman, both on the ground with knees in their backs, being cuffed. The woman is loudly protesting, asking for help, and proclaiming, "I AM NOT A CRIMINAL!" and yet, she won't stop twisting around and attempting to injure the officers. By the time we get by, she's got three officers struggling with her, and they still haven't managed to get her subdued. Wow. I mentally give thanks for my law-abiding nature, and that of my family.
Traffic home is pretty mild, and we spend much of the ride speculating on the nature of the post-concert arrest. Did the young man get into trouble, and the woman (who we were thinking of as his mother, for no particular reason other than their ages and the fact that they were together) attempt to interfere, and assault a cop? Was it the other way around? Did they do something simultaneously? Did they not even know each other? Alex makes the confession that, cop or no cop, if someone is putting HIS mother on the ground, he'd most likely be going to jail or getting shot. Because "that's my MOM, Dude!" My husband, potential police gunshot victim. Let's hope his mom keeps her nose clean. (I nearly die laughing at the thought of Alex's mom so much as jaywalking.)
* "Won't Get Fooled Again"
We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that's all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
No, no!
I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss
Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 17:04:21
The Kids Are Alright...I Hope
And yes, you read that right. Two 40-year-old people and their mother/mother-in-law, that's who's going. My mom will totally be rocking out, y'all.
The only downside to this whole thing is that now if there is EVER a Led Zeppelin reunion Alex will make me go, because that's where we fall in the great "Who is the better rock band?" argument. We both love both groups, but when it comes down to choosing just ONE, I fall firmly in the "The Who" camp, while Alex is a Zep-preferring heathen. He also likes the WRONG kind of dumplings in his chicken and dumplings. And yet, somehow, we make it work.
Saturday, March 17, 2007 - 00:16:57
You Have To Love This
Possibly a Code Pink protester, cross-dressing in knockoff hot-pink Chanel, upstaging the Plame testimony:
I mean, that little stunt took dedication, planning, timing, and probably a fair share of luck. The absolute best photos of this I've seen were taken by flickr user jahat.
Sunday, March 11, 2007 - 13:07:37
Live From The Peabody
We're enjoying a relaxing weekend, had a great dinner last night at Brave New Restaurant, which you'll hear more about later, because I freaking LOVE that place. The Peabody Little Rock is everything it should be, even if we wish it had some technical upgrades like wireless internet (seriously, Peabody!!) and On-Demand (i.e. "pausable) Pay-Per-View movies (they DO have movies, but if you get interrupted while watching one, you're just gonna miss out.) The beds are great, although I do bring my own pillow and blanket to every hotel I visit, because I'm neurotic like that, and there is an imaginary blacklight in my brain. We're settled in with room service and the Razorback game on TV, and our only real ambition for the day is to make it downstairs to see the March of the Ducks at 5:00, and then start thinking about dinner at Capriccio's. Life is tough. More on all this upon our return, but for now I leave you with a grainy cellphone photo from our window, and proof that there's really no compelling reason to get out of bed at The Peabody.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 15:54:39
Because If I Just TOLD You About It, You'd Call Me A Liar
I give you the ultimate tailgate-party accessory, the "Cruzin' Cooler." I am nearly speechless at the mere existence of this product. From the website:
"All the Cruzin Cooler needs is a designated driver. When the party is quite a ways from the parking lot, don't struggle with the cooler-drive it! Cruzin Cooler turns a large cooler into a motorized scooter, complete with power steering, disc brakes, and foot pedals. It's the easy way to transport food and drinks at sporting events or to the neighborhood barbecue. It maneuvers easily, clipping along up to 12-15 miles per hour. Cruzin Cooler has a 24-can capacity (with ice)."
There is a cup-holder...
which opens to provide access into the cooler itself, lest you have to leave your seat or stop driving to get a new cold drink.
Not Included: Functioning alcoholic operator.
Monday, March 05, 2007 - 14:59:20
Arkansas: Do You Flickr?
Why not? Even if you don't take photos, there is so much to enjoy of the bounty that is flickr.com. Requiring no registration to view photos, flickr has long stood head and shoulders above other photo-sharing sites, and its innovative tools, such as groups, pools, and extensive tagging system makes it just one of the greatest internet experiences around.If you have an interest, there is almost certainly at least one flickr group devoted to photographing that interest. You name it, it's there. I'm not sure why it took me so long, but it was only a couple of weeks ago that it occurred to me to search for photos tagged "Arkansas." This led me to the group photo pool titled "Arkansas," and a world of Natural State beauty and interest. The very nature of flickr-hopping leads one to make more and more discoveries. Did you ever read the encyclopedia as a kid? No? Seriously? That was just me? OK, well, what would happen, is that you'd look up one thing, and that entry would contain something else that you'd like to investigate, so you'd go there, and be led somewhere else...with the internet, it's instantaneous and much more fun, plus, no paper cuts!
If you follow a photostream to its owner's profile, you might even luck out and find new blogs and websites of interest, and people with whom you have much in common, who might be right next door. It's an incredible world-shrinker, is flickr. I've made my own contributions toward illustrating Arkansas life, but as you can see, I am no photographer--I'm just "journaling" in a different way (click images for details):
Fortunately, much of flickr is populated by photographs of astonishing beauty, by skilled photographers. Fittingly, today, one of the newest additions to the photos tagged "Arkansas" is titled "Grumpy Max." Hee. (Any similarity to persons real or fictional is purely coincidental.)
I'm going to stop talking now and just share just a few of my recent favorites of the fantastic Arkansas-themed photos on flickr. And remember, to put it in flickrspeak, most of these images are "best viewed large." Because these photos are copyright-protected, I'm just providing the following links, and strongly encourage you to check them out, and then to "explore Arkansas" through flickr.
Gambler P, by JLee77 of Hot Springs
Big Dam Bridge and Big Dam Bridge in Fog, byNorth Little Rock's Brian Cormack
Arthur's House, and Peaches, Honey, Tomatoes, by Ozzie from Batesville
After The Rain, by Gene Anston
A Closer Look, by Bryant's Debbie Sikes (mother of Kris)
Untitled McFadden and Untitled Lake Ouachita, by Kris Sikes (son of Debbie)
Still, by Mandy Gann of North Little Rock
The 1st 35 Arkansas Military Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, by omniprotest
Triptyck, by Steve Spencer
"Ghost Boats on the Mississippi," by Gary Bridgman of Memphis (almost Arkansas)
Peter Hanger Gin by Pris Weathers
If you are, or know of a great (or even not-so-great) Arkansas photographer, or have some flickr finds of your own, please make a note in the comments. And don't forget, when surfing for fabulous images online, to look in your own backyard. A unique moment might be closer than you think.
(New pet cat, Jack, courtesy of Maumelle Friends of the Animals. Great bunch of people running a fine organization.)
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