Last night, I was a very important person. That’s what my badge said and I’ll stick to it.
It all started a little earlier that afternoon when my friend Dorin, the rock nerd, sent me a cryptic email: “Would you like to stay up late tonight?” I was of course immediately suspicious. If I said yes, I would have to go along with whatever she had in mind. The alternative being to stay home writing posts for your selfish entertainment, I agreed. Dorin invited me to see Loverboy play at The Glass Cactus. Sweeeet!
I think Dorin is Canadian. She is not but she would make a mighty fine Canuck. She has known the members of Loverboy for ten years and never misses a show. I, on the other hand, while owning the ultimate Canadian survival kit, did not know anything about the band besides the tidbits imparted by her here and there.
They are very popular in North America, but as far as I know, never quite made it across the Atlantic. I briefly had had sushi with the drummer Matt Frenette and the sound engineer, Jerry Wong, last year, but had never heard them play before.
What was also completely hilarious was the fact that last month, planetross and I discovered that we both knew Jerry. What are the odds?
When Dorin and I arrived at The Cactus, we were given the kind of passes that open all the doors! My kind of pass!
After a few Mojitos that cost the equivalent of the skin of my bottom (yo, Glass Cactus! $10 for a midget Mojito might work in New York, but you sit in Grapevine, Texas, give me a break!), the concert started.
I was a little concerned about being able to make my way to the front of the stage to take photographs, but Dorin told me to just shove my pass in people’s face and scream at them. So that’s what I did and it was successful.
The Man himself, Mike Reno who left his hair band home, thank goodness.
Bass player, Spider Sinnaeve
On drums, Matt Frenette
Doug Johnson on Keyboard
Very photogenic Paul Dean on guitar
Out of sight, Jerry Wong, sound engineer, grey eminence
Matt Frenette loves to make crazy faces when he plays
It’s very entertaining.
Paul and Spider being compadres
Mike Reno, hamming it up just for me! The power of the Pass!
Doug Johnson who briefly left the band but just could not stay away
Mike Reno who should not play with bleach when he does the laundry
Paul Dean, totally feeling it
Spider being very cool
The Kid is Hot Tonight
After a few encores and a ton of autographs, the members of the band wrap it up. The music switches to Kanye West’s Gold Digger (which is the song I used to play every morning at the clinic before opening to rally the troops.) I turn my attention to the people on the dance floor.
Do I really need to comment on this very religious person? I did not think so.
A couple feeling rather amorous. On Gold Digger?!?
It is time to go backstage to eat the food of the musicians and go get all the secret information about planetross.
Jerry on a box. He is in a band called “Broken condom Babies”, the best band name ever.
Dorin and Jerry. The song “Dorin” from the Old 97’s is named after her, which is quite an achievement.
This is Bob. Bonjour Bob! Bob is the drum tech. He is VERY nice.
Finally after all the gear is loaded, I manage to get Jerry Wong’s attention for five minutes and grill him about planetross. Jerry had spent two weeks at his house in Japan when he played some concerts with Kelly Pettit and Jerry was very willing to dispense enthusiastic information about food he ate with them. Apparently, the 7-11 close to the house of Cheese sells the most delicious sandwiches called Nikuman. After imparting this absolutely vital piece of information, Jerry seems more preoccupied with talking to Bob than spilling the beans about our fellow blogger.
In the end, I really have not learned much about planetross. Just that a wanker apparently he is not, and also that he had a lawnmower that looked like a toy (which is really quite surprising, really!), but now he has an improved model which cuts a inch of grass wider than the former one. I wanted dirt. I got grass. The story of my life.
On the long drive back to Dallas, Dorin and I get Happy Meals. It is late but I am still feeling quite perky.
A few hours later, the alarm rings in a perfect rendition of For whom The Bell Tolls. I understand about “workin’ for the week-end”, but I really need “a hair of the dog.” None will be had. I wanted to comment on Pat Coakley’s post about photography, but I have not been able to put two ideas together all day long. Honestly, at 2 pm, I called it quits and went back to bed.
Dorin is not a very good influence on me. I should hang out with her more.
nathalie with an h's Confessional 