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My last concert was Neil Young and the Blue Notes. That was in 1988, the year my first son was born. The tickets were a freebie and mom-in-law would watch the baby. Except for the car over heating it was an enjoyable night. As was last night.
After having heard about Ratdog from a friend, (yo, Don) I took the opportunity, when presented, to go see them, ironically, with my now 20 year old son. Our musical tastes are very similar, as compared to my other son who prefers the gangsta thug life music. (Batting .500 ain’t bad) It will be interesting to see what concert aspects have changed since my younger days.
We arrive. Amidst a phalanx of county mounties we must traverse to our assigned parking zone and eventual assigned listening area.
Anyway, it looks like I remember, on the outside. Parking lot full of people drinking, music blaring from numerous vehicles. People hawking shirts and other stuff. I didn’t overtly smell that smell, but there was lots of patchouli in the air. Sheriffs were around too. This is an outdoor venue. Well, there is a shell with about 3000 seating and lawn for many more. We were in the lawn. It’s always more interesting.
The first lost soul we encounter is an older man who is juggling balls. From the looks of him, he is still squeezing that last mike out of a hit from 1974. But he isn’t bothering anyone and no one is bothering with him. Right away something strikes me as different from my last concert. Where the fuck did all these old people come from?!
Some of these oldsters did not old so well. Some did. The scraggily grey-haired men in tie dye shirts, new tie dyes to account for the added a girth. I know this, because my son is wearing my Blues for Allah t-shirt. A shirt I shall never fit into again. (sigh) These fellas look just a slight askew in these surroundings, as thousands of youngsters are frolicking on the hill and sucking down $8 beers. It is then I remember, I am one of those oldersters. I’m too close to be objective so we’ll leave me out of it for now shall we?
Exactly at 7pm, without introduction, onto the stage walks Bob and his boys. The set is as follows:
Jam > Feel Like a Stranger, Casey Jones, Easy to Slip > Supplication Jam > Easy to Slip, Big Railroad Blues, Catfish John, Corrina@, Althea, Ashes and Glass > Stuff > Black Muddy River, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
E: Revolution
The show was excellent.
The Allman Bros were cooking as well. I learned today that someone fell down a set of stairs and died just as they were going on. I noticed nothing. The highlight had to be Franklin’s Tower with Bob and the Allman Bros. Which was, as one reviewer put it, “to slit your wrists”. Statesboro Blues, One way Out, The Weight all were excellent.
We have stationed ourselves at the end of the shell. There is a concrete wall and that is the line of demarcation. You can not stand or sit on that wall. You may however be 3 cm away from the wall. As the night progresses I shall watch numerous drunken people trip, fall and walk off this wall. I love the sideshow! Officer Krumpki
Here and there I catch the whiff.
Now my son tells me that the lamest thing is to wear the group you’re seeing’s T-shirt. In this instance all Dead is allowed of course. But the kids with the Allman Bros. 2008 T-shirts mustn’t have gotten the message. Speaking of T-shirts, forty-five freakin’ dollars for a tee shirt! That’s changed!
There is a plethora of freaks and fairies in attendance. Some should have stayed home. There are some poor specimens ambulating around the grounds. And I shall now describe some. First there are the oldsters I mentioned earlier. All I can say is “I mean seriously dude, give up the 60s.” But the best costume was “dress man”. Now one thing that didn’t change were the lovely young ladies in cotton gauze dresses, baring midriffs and dancing around. Dress man had one of these gauze dresses on himself. With a Bob Marley rasta hat and a black chef’s coat he was quite stylish. And he seemed right in his element.
The most Gollum like creature for the night was Thong Boy. Well, not really a boy. But he definitely had that Gollum big eye look about him. All he was wearing was pair of jean shorts that didn’t quite stay up when he walked. Hence the name Thong boy. Black. String. G. And a visual I will never be able to unburn from my memory. He was later seen running from security and then skulking back to throw stones in the security guy’s face. I read the release from the county sheriff’s at work the next day, a 31 year old man was arrested for assaulting a security man. I will assume it was him. Other than that only 3 arrests for pot.
Strangest apparition of the night. About half way through the set, two Heavy Metal boys come walking by. I mean in the 1980s these guys would have been hot with leather jacket, frizzed hair and 50 cal belt. Poison look out!
Ok, I have to say something about these dead bros. After reading don’s description of them in Ottawa I was sure I wouldn’t see any at a Ratdog show. Boy was I wrong. The subspecies don described could be classified, Abercrombis fitchicus Americanus. This particular subspecies tends more towards Tyedyus Garcias. They still exhibit the “Yo bro!”attitude, just no Aeropostle to be seen. Hats are still at that ridiculous clown angle, pants still hanging off their asses and the drunken stumble of amateurs.
As always you do meet some great people at such venues. Scott from Syracuse was one such person. We hung together for most of the show, sharing what we had with each other and generally spent the time amusing ourselves at the crowds expense and enjoy ing the music. He was good, he knew most of the songs the by third or fourth opening note. Gotta respect a man who knows his Dead. He disappeared only6 to show back later and drag me and my son fifty feet up the hill to a much better vantage point, acoustically and visually. It was here that I enjoyed the rendition of Franklin’s Tower.
But before that happened I met one Sparky Mark. As I’ve said, I’m a crowd watcher. I also read T-shirts and the like. Well I had noticed that several people had a pin on their hats, a set of wings with the lightning bolt in the middle. I do like my pins. I had seen this guy several times pass and finally asked him where he got it. He began a long story about 200% percent markups and the like when I said I’d go online and find it, he responded most unexpectedly by removing the pin from his hat and putting it on mine. His friend was incredulous that he was doing it. I was shocked. He seemed real happy, saying everything happened for a reason. And off he went into the crowd , never to be seen by me again. But every time I wear my hat I’ll think of Sparky Mark!
Then show could have been longer, but then, I always want a long show and was happy with the evening. It was to be a long adventure out of the parking lot to home. The usual was occurring as we sat in line waiting and waiting and waiting, vendors walked by selling, cigarettes and shirts. A couple of brothers walked by, looking as out of place as Axl and his drummer did earlier. I distinctly heard the words “opium” and “hash”. I wanted to follow up, but my son wouldn’t let me go after them. He said they might be cops. Our county doesn’t have any black police personnel. Then he said they might rob me. If the other ones weren’t getting my shit, they weren’t either. Then he said they might just rip me off by selling me resin. He’s such a stick in the mud By then they had melted into the night and were gone. Perhaps everything does happen for a reason.
Tonight I’m going to see ZZ Top open for Brooks and Dunn. Brooks and Dunn?! Oh well it’s a the state Fair so the crowd will be more mainstream I’m sure....
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Banned
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