Hello and welcome to Just a Little Love on a Friday. Yes, I saw Star Wars yesterday, and yes I loved it. Much better effort than the last two, but this is one that we, as a Star Wars Geek, have all been waiting for. It answers all the questions, or shows us how Darth became Darth. Very well I might add.
Jordi and I went to see it yesterday at noon, I know I have a great job, or lack thereof. Jordi is also a Star Wars geek. I was glad that I did not have to sit behind Darth Vader at the theater. Apparently all the losers went to see it at midnight. I did see one guy in the lobby with a light saber. No costume, just a light saber. Loooooossseeer. Okay, I admit, I have a light saber, and that I did not get it when I was fifteen, but there is no way I am going to take it to a theater. Why? Just in case something happens and we need to fight our way out? Jordi has a stormtrooper hat. He did not wear it to the theater.
I guess what I am trying to say is that there are certain levels of loserness. Jordi and I are on one level, a low level, but guys who wear costumes to movies, are on a whole higher level of loserness. Anyway, we enjoyed the movie and afterwards I wanted to go home and put on the next one just to see how it holds up back to back. I am sure it would have BUT I had something else exciting to do last night......
Courtesy Global Television and Paulie R's Camera. Thanks Mike and Paul.
That's right, Green Day was in town last night and I had duckets. Second level of Rexall Duckets but duckets none the less. The show was great, Donna and I had a great time. Evan and Mugsy, came over to watch McKenna so we could go out. Thanks guys. Now I am sure you are asking yourself, "Self, why did Chris bring this up and only say he had a good time?". Well let me answer that. I have plenty to say. To coin an old Dennis Miller phrase "I don't want to go off on a rant here...but..."
Okay, I used to frequent live shows. While I worked under A-Channels surpressive schedule and since McKenna has been born it has slowed down quite a bit. We basically pick and choose from the wide variety of live shows that Edmonton offers us. Green Day was a choice I made because I have heard, and seen their stuff on TV. Woodstock 2 comes to mind. The mud fight? Joel Witte Was there. That was rock history. So I plunk down my $100cdn for tickets for Donna and me to go and see the punks.
Well as Billlie Joe said at the beginning that they have been together for 16 years (has it really been that long?) which I immediately noticed that most of the fans were younger than 16. Now I don't want to sound old, but I guess that is how it will come off.
Things overheard at the show - "Mom, can I...." "Dad, can I..." "He is sooooo cute..." "What is Billie Joe doing with his hands in his pants?" "Could you please sit down, I can't see the show."
Okay the last two are questionable. The pants thing I did not hear, and the sit down came out of my mouth. But the first ones I heard over and over. When I went to my first show it was 1982 and it was Rush at the Bismarck Civic Center. NO WAY IN HELL my mom was going to go with me to that show. Not that I would not let her, but she would not want to be caught dead there. I cannot imagine going to a show with my parents. Not that my parents would need to explain things to me when I was a kid but. Let's say, Mom goes with me to see Blink 182, which I know parents take their kids to them, how am I supposed to explain why the flaming F*#K is funny? Really.
Another thing I observed last night in the crowd is I saw this row of 14-16 year old girls in front of us holding up their cell phones. I thought that they were calling a friend and letting them listen to the show. I have done that. But then I realized that it wasn't that at all. The Cellphone has replaced the lighter. No kidding. Kids hold up their cell phones instead of lighters. I guess I was not really shocked at that except that all 5 of these girls had their own phone. Crazy.
Another thing that led me to beleive that most of the people in the crowd were young because they cheered the pyro as much as the music. I like pyro(man love fire), but I sure as hell am not going to cheer it.
Courtesy of the Edmonton Journal
Now about the conert. The band has expanded to add another guitar, keys, and some horns. They sounded really tight, polished and the new material really rocked. BUT. Having keys is not very punk if you ask me. Plus Billy Joe did plenty of cheap crowd pops, that I was about to start booing. In case you don't know what a cheap pop is, it is when a guy comes on stage and yells "Hello Edmonton!" or "Calgary you Rock!" or "Canada Rules!". Cheap crowd pop because what do you think the crowd is going to do? Boo you at the sound of their hometown? Hell no. Billy Joe as far as I know used to have the rep of heckling the crowd. Bordering on stand up comedy funny. I was kinda looking forward to some good one liners. I always appreciate smart heckling. None. Just "Hellooooooooo Edmonton!" He even went as far as to thanking everyone three times for coming out. Not very punk if you ask me. I guess they are getting old too. He used to spit on the fans. If you are a punk fan that is the ultimate compliment.
In the middle of the show they dropped back to the three piece and that is when the show started kicking. They sounded more raw and chunky. They played some of their old stuff. Plus a few covers. Operation Ivy song that I liked. Except they brought up a few people to play the song for them. Now either the song is really easy to play or there were some talented musicians in the crowd. I tend to lean toward plants. No band is going to take the chance that the person the bring on stage is crappy. Plant musicans or guitar techs in the crowd and everybody feels good when the "fans" rock out.
They did a cover of We are the Champions which I thought was well done, complete with the confetti guns at the end of the song. They also did a cover of Shout with a omage to James Brown with the cape routine. None of the 14 year olds understood what was going on and I sure as hell was not going to try to explain it to them. I just let them think that Billy Joe invented that routine.
Edmonton Journal
Over all I thought it was a good show, entertaining. I would rather I saw it in a bar with about 300 punks but what do you expect at an arena? I can't even count how many shows I have been to, and I guess I am noticing things that maybe are different but they probably were there 10 years ago but I just did not notice. I am getting old. Oh well, I still know what is good (U2, Nirvana, the Hip) and what is bad (britney, n*sync, duff, the simpson girls). That is all I need. Oh crap, what the hell am I going to do when McKenna asks to go to see a show? I guess it depends on who it is on whether I go. If it is Dylan, Pearl Jam, or Springsteen I am there. Britney, I may have to put my foot down and not let her go. I know I am sure as hell not going. Donna can go with her.
I am going to try and get Pearl Jam tickets next Saturday. I have always respected that band, and I hope I get good seats. I wonder what kind of crowd will show up to that one. They aren't on MTV, so maybe the teenyboppers and their moms will stay home. Probably not.
Have a nice day and GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment