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Reckless Kelly and Micky and the Motorcars in LA

April 10, 2009
rkphoto

Chris and I are big fans of the bands Reckless Kelly and Micky and the Motorcars. It has even been mentioned that we might be groupies. For your consideration, I present to you the charges:

  • We’ve seen Micky and the Motorcars in Vegas one time.
  • We’ve driven to Los Angeles to see both bands together twice.
  • We’ve driven to Idaho to see both bands together once.
  • We are planning to drive back to Idaho in August to see them play again.

Verdict: Guilty. We’re groupies.

We left the house in Vegas around 8 and made it to grandma’s house just after lunch. Dropped off the kids and grandma’s house, drove around the south bay for a bit and then headed up the 405 freeway in afternoon traffic. Ahh, how I don’t miss the 405 parking lot… We had dinner at a tiny place called Dan Tana’s, that seems to be a bit of a hidden treasure. After dinner we walked next door and got in line. Even though I grew up in So Cal, I had never before been to the Troubadour before.

It probably doesn’t help the groupie argument to tell you we were actually the first ones in line.

First up was Micky and the Motorcars. Of the four shows we’ve seen, this was the best set list by far. They played both mine and Chris’ favorite songs, plus a slew of other great tunes that we both really like. The sound down front wasn’t great, but it’s always a blast being right up front with all the drunken crazy chicks.

One of the great things about going to see these guys is that before and after their set, they typically hang around the bar area and are extremely accommodating. They’ll hang out and chat with fans right up until show time and then again after their off stage all the way through the end of the other bands playing.

After a quick set change, next up was Reckless Kelly. By the time they went on stage, the place had filled up pretty well. This means more drunk chicks to hang out with down front. This is really a good and bad thing. Good because it adds to the entertainment value of the show, bad because the likelihood of getting drinks spilled on you increases ten fold.

Reckless Kelly came on around 10:15. Just like with Micky, they played a ton of our favorite songs and we both agreed this was a better set list than either of the two times we had seen them previously. Part of that could be due to the fact that they played for 2 full hours. About 3/4 of the way through the show, Chris and I had had enough of the drunken chicks down front and decided to move a little further back. The place was small enough that even from the back, we were still only 20 feet from the stage. Plenty close to still enjoy the show and much less likely to end up wearing Bacardi and Coke.

When the band went off stage before their encore, Chris and I took the opportunity to go check out the merchandise and we each got a Micky and the Motorcars shirt and I got a Reckless Kelly sticker to add to my laptop. We made it back in time to hear them do a cover of the Beatles’ Revolution and then end the show with Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah.

Rather than sticking around after the show to meet the bands again, we high-tailed it out of the Troubadour and headed off to Pink’s Hot Dog stand to meet my sister and her boyfriend for a late night snack. Pink’s had an hour wait but they had already been in line for 55 of it so we snuck right in there.

We had a great time seeing two excellent live bands and you can be sure that this will not be the last time we see either band play live. If things go as planned we’ll be in Idaho for the Braun Brothers Reunion in August and HOPEFULLY we can get the bands to add Las Vegas to their list of places to play! Do yourself a favor and pick up Naive by Micky and the Motorcars, and, Reckless Kelly Was Here.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With:

Mid-week Concerts

December 11, 2008

It’s Thursday night in Las Vegas. Tomorrow I have to be to work at 7:00. Tonight, however, we have tickets to see Gary Allan in concert at the House of Blues. I’m predicting tomorrow morning is gonna suck.

When I got off work today, I knew we were going to the concert tonight, but the one thing I wasn’t sure of was what time the show started. My guess was that the doors would open at 6:00 and the show would start at 7:00. There’d be an opening band and then Gary Allan would be on stage around 8:30, play until about 10:00 and we’d be home by 10:20. I was wrong on all accounts. When I checked the tickets, it just says “Doors at 8:00.” This tells me several things;

  • There will be no opening act
  • The show won’t start until 9:00
  • The show is not going to end until 10:30 or so
  • I was right, tomorrow is gonna suck

I’ve been to the House of Blues many times. I know that for their mid-week concerts (and maybe their weekend concerts), they have a curfew. I thought I remembered hearing that it’s a city ordinance, but I could be wrong on this. I know one thing, though; I am not a fan of mid-week concerts that start so late. I don’t think I’m getting the value I deserve for my ticket price. If I’m going to pay $40 to see a show, I expect either an opening band or the headliner better play 2 and a half hours at least.

My wife and I both enjoyed the show tonight while we were there. But as I was heading home and thinking about the situation, it really irked me. I don’t know that I would skip a show just because of these circumstances, but it will definitely play a part in my decision making prior to purchasing tickets in the future.

Filed Under: Music, Ranting Tagged With:

Procrastination and the Faux-hawks

September 26, 2008
fauxhawk

pro·cras·ti·nate
[proh-kras-tuh-neyt]
–verb (used without object)
1. To defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
–verb (used with object)
2. To put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

WHY do I put things off so long? Hey, that was supposed to be rhetorical.

But seriously, I do it all the time and it just makes no sense. I like to consider myself a slacker, but at the same time, I like to think that I can get things done when they need to get done. So why is it, exactly, that I can’t seem to go to the doctor’s office when I first realize I need to? Instead, I put it off until I’m at the point where it’s a toss up between doctor’s office visit and emergency room.

Current situation: Rock Band Injury.
Stop laughing. It’s not funny. OK, it is funny, but can you hold your laughing until I’m not arround? It’s only polite.

I was playing Rock Band 2 the day it came out and I was kicking ass on some drums. However, I was playing drums on both hard and expert modes which means there is a LOT of foot pedal involved. The shorts I was wearing let my wallet rest below my butt cheek. When I sat down behind the drum kit, the wallet was under me, but still, no concern.

The following day I notice that my leg is a little bit sore. The day after was even worse. Rather than doing anything about it, I simply ignored it thinking the problem would go away on it’s own. Once again, I was wrong.

Yesterday I gave my massage therapist a call and asked if he’d come over to see if he could help massage the issue away. I explained the cause and effect and instead of saying, “Sure, I’ll rush right over”, he says, “Go see a Doctor… Tomorrow!” He’s a genius, why didn’t I think of that.

I went to the doctor today and he thinks I may have a touch of Bursitis. He gave me some samples of some anti-inflammatory drugs and sent me on my way. Had I not procrastinated for nearly 2 weeks, I’ll bet I’d be all better by now. Instead I have to worry that I’ll be fine in time for our drip to Disneyland next weekend.

Oh yeah, I mentioned faux-hawks, too, didn’t I?
For those who don’t know what a faux-hawk is a hair style worn by dudes who have a full time job that would frown upon them having an actual mohawk but want to look bad-ass when they hit the clubs. If you look it up in the dictionary, you may find it right next to the descriptions for “popped collar” and “douchebag.” While these three things don’t always go together, it’s amazing how many times they do.

Tonight we went to see the Foo Fighters in concert. They were fantastic. However, I could not get over the amount of faux-hawks in the crowd. I’m a big fan of the Foo, but never realized that they had become the Band De Jure for the faux-hawk faithful. I felt seriously inadequate being around such a collection. Am I not a true fan if I don’t have a faux-hawk or popped collar? To make sure I fit in, whenever possible I tried to be a douchebag to make up for my follicular shortcomings.

I hope I don’t need to turn in my fan club membership card if I’m found out.

Filed Under: General, Ranting Tagged With: , , , ,

Cross Canadian Ragweed in Utah & Mustache May

May 6, 2008
mustache-may.jpg

This past Friday I left work a little early with the intention of heading to St. George Utah to see Cross Canadian Ragweed in concert. The plan was to leave the house around 3PM. But, thanks to another lengthy visit from the air conditioning company from hell, we didn’t get on the road until nearly 5PM.

We arrived at the venue at about 8:15 local time. Yes, I forgot to calculate in the time change. We were able to find a spot to park about 50 feet away from the front door. I found this odd, but it would wind up to be just one of the many oddities of concerts in Utah.

We headed to the front door to pick up our tickets at Will Call. We gave the guy our name and he looked us up on a printed sheet and hands us our tickets. We walk past the security guards (a guy in his 50s and his two teen-aged kids) and head inside. This is so different than going to a show in Vegas where they basically give you a body cavity search before entering the arena.

Now that we are inside it’s time to grab a drink. We walk up to the bar and see that there are a couple teenagers working this section, too. Oh, looky there… no alcohol on the menu. Bottled waters were only $1.00 which is unheard of at any concert I have ever been to. We could have ordered a Frazzle, which is like an Icee, but we decided against it.

Now we head toward the stage. That’s a short trip. This entire place can hold no more than about 350 people. But, the opening band is already on stage and there are no more than 100 people in the place. We find a spot up front and settle in. Then, we start to notice it. Almost everybody has snuck in their own alcohol. Some had flasks, but most had something mixed in a water bottle that looked faintly like piss. With no access to alcohol, I was a bit jealous of the piss drinkers.

During the show the lead singer mentions that the management has made it VERY clear that he is not supposed to curse on stage. Uh, OK… He kept to that rule basically all night. Though, he did let slip an F-bomb at one point. Another thing that he spoke about was the fact that it’s “Mustache May.” If you don’t have any facial hair, for the month of May you are supposed to let your mustache grow. If you have a goatee you are supposed to shave the bottom and keep the top. So, in the spirit of being a team player, I’ve shaved half my facial hair and now look like a cross between a 70′s porn star and a used car salesmen. Enjoy!

Mustache May 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: , , ,

Cross Canadian Ragweed at HOB:LV

January 14, 2008
Cross Canadian Ragweed

Cross Canadian RagweedLast night was about the 6th time we’ve seen Cross Canadian Ragweed in concert. I have to say, the definitely DO NOT disappoint!

We got to the show about 10 minutes before the doors opened. While picking up my tickets at will call I asked who the opening act was going to be. The lady informed me that there wasn’t one and that CCR would be playing for about 2 hours. SWEET!

We found a spot on the left side about 4 feet from the stage. We had about an hour to kill so we had a few beers and just basically hung out. The lights finally went down and CCR took the stage. At the end of their first song the lead singer announced that they were audio and video recording the show for a possible something or other. If the video does end up getting used, we’ll most likely be in it as we were right in front of the guy who kept taking shots of the crowd.

The band ended up playing for 2 hours and 20 minutes including playing Primus’ Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver. But, this is the second show in a row where they have removed Carney Man from their set list which is a bummer.

I was stoked to be able to take my buddy Sean to the show and turn him on to CCR. I had let him listen to my CDs of their music, but they don’t hardly compare to how great the band is live.

Last night’s show did have an extra twist, though. About 20 minutes before the show ended, two young girls (early 20s) pushed their way in front of us and stood between us and the stage. They had obviously been drinking a lot. They immediately started making out. There was a lot of boob grabbing, ass slapping and your basic, run-of-the-mill girl-on-girl tonsil hockey. While it was definitely distracting, the guy standing next to me summed it up perfectly when he said, “Too bad they aint perty.”

Indeed.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Van Halen FTW

December 31, 2007

Last night we went and saw Van Halen in concert at the MGM Grand Garden arena. I have been so jazzed about seeing this show, I was really hoping I wouldn’t be let down. I can definitely say, I was NOT let down at all. The show was great.

If you haven’t followed along with the rotating cast of players in Van Halen, Sammy Hagar is out and David Lee Roth is back in al lead singer and front man for the band. Long gone is his shoulder length blond hair, replaced by some massive sideburns. Michael Anthony is no longer playing bass, enter Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s 16 year old son. Not only does he play bass, he’s also doing double duty as a backup vocalist. The kid is good.

They played for over 2 hours and didn’t play a single song from the Sammy Hagar era. That’s a pretty big chunk of time to just cut out of history, but they played so many Halen classics that I didn’t really miss hearing the newer stuff.

One thing that I think Van Halen has perfected is the use of the jumbo video screen at their shows. Their stage setup is minimal leaving plenty of room for Dave to run around. But, they have an enourmous video screen that is as wide as their stage and about 20 feet tall. Even if you have horrible seats, you can still see the action.

At one point I was thinking how cool it must be for Wolfgang to be 16 years old and playing in front of sold out crowds. But then my parental instinct took over and I thought that it must be so fucking cool for Eddie to be on stage, look to his right and see his kid playing bass and singing back-up for one of the worlds biggest bands of all time. That has just gotta be cool.

It’ll be interesting to see if this newly reformed Van Halen line-up will put out a new album and go back on the road in a year or two. If so, I’ll definitely go back and see them again.

Oh, and here’s something that made me feel just a little bit old… The first time I saw Van Halen in concert was 23 years ago. Ugh.

If you want to see some video clips from the Van Halen tour, YouTube has a bunch. Here’s a link to some. Enjoy.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: ,