My 2007 Christmas

Now that you know what I think of the whole Christmas giving experience, this is how things worked out.

Everybody loves the Baby! (this is a good thing)

We did receive a lot for the baby. From some unexpected sources too. Mostly everyone in the family gave Rebecca a gift of some sort, the folks in the Users Group got together and we got some bonds from them (completely unexpected), neighbors gave her gifts, and we received gifts from people from out of state. Granted, Rebecca won't realize how lucky she is, but I sure appreciate everyone's support!

Various parties and gatherings

The first party of the season was November 28 with the Users Group Board of Directors. We got together at the Fisherman's Inn at Kent Narrows. Everything went pretty well, everyone enjoyed themselves.

The next thing that happened was on December 1. This was the video shoot of the David Wayne Band (see other entry).

On the 12th I had my usual users group meeting and this was our Christmas Party. I brought Teri and Rebecca this year. Everyone was very nice to Teri and Rebecca (I wouldn't expect any different). Everyone had a good time, except Teri who eat something that upset her stomach and she had to excuse herself from a lot of the meeting.

Heather's birthday is on December 7, but with everything else going on, we didn't get together until December 20. We had a nice dinner, and had a good time.

The next night, 12/21, Teri, Rebecca, and I went to Mike Regementi's Christmas Party. This we a good time and meet a lot of people we didn't know. It was also the first time we took Rebecca into a new social situation. I think everything worked out pretty well. Teri had to nurse for a little while, but this worked out fine. Everyone accommodated her and everyone was very nice.

Which brings me to the annual Young Family Christmas Eve gathering! There were some members of the family who hadn't seen Rebecca, they saw her on this night. In short, here is a picture of everyone who made it.


Finally Christmas Day arrives! This year wasn't too much for Rebecca, but I am sure next year it will be crazy! We got up (Teri didn't sleep very well), had breakfast and dived into opening gifts. I got Teri a massage chair. She kind of knew what it was since it has been in a box in the garage for the past week. But she (and everyone who tried it) really likes it. Then it was off to Teri's parent's house.

We were running a little late, but everything worked out pretty well. We hosted dinner, and had to get back home to cook. A lot of people showed up and dinner turned out to be a real family affair. My nephew Charles and his fiance Amy, came down from New Jersey. Everyone eat well, and had a good time was had by all.

Now I have New Years to look forward to. And we'll see what 2008 brings! I'll probably post something about what happened in 2007 soon.

David Wayne Band

My brother asked me to video tape the band that he is in, The David Wayne Band, for use on a web page. Basically the two original songs that they have written. This was an interesting evening, and everything seemed to work out fine. This is also a test to see how the video uploads work to the Blog. Below is the video of two of the songs. I had hoped to combine two sources of the videos, but this is just a single source and my brother thinks it's fine.
As far as how the evening went, well basically fine. But things just took longer to get going then expected. I was suppose to start shooting the band at 6:00pm. Long story short, they weren't ready for the shoot until after 8:00pm. You can see how it turned out.

The Holidays

Parties
It usually starts around Thanksgiving and runs through the first of the new year (actually it's starting to stretch to MLK Day in Govie Circles). That's right, it's The Holiday Season. This can go a couple of ways. You either don't do anything and now have 'parties' to attend or you are always the socialite and now have a bunch more parties to attend. And the party breaks down with these kind of attendees:

• Host - Going crazy to make sure everyone is having a good time (who would tell them different?)
• Host Friend - Supporting the host, but just not quite as crazy and is betting on the host helping them at their next party.
• First to arrive - These people are generally organized and will be the first to bolt because of the spouse, kid, pet, relative, whatever. Just get in and out.
• Last to arrive - Unorganized, but are still wanting to bolt quick!
• Homeless - Just looking for a meal. Will do minimal socializing, but eat everything in site! And gone as soon as the food is. But don't worry, you'll see then next party.
• Working stiffs - They have been assigned a job by the host, and damn it, it's going to get done no matter who they have to annoy.
• Social butterfly - The person's goal is to speak to everyone at the party for at least 5 minutes if they want to be spoken to or not.
• Wallflowers - This makes up about 80% of the people at a party, and you are probably one of them.

And are they really parties? Especially parties at work or sponsored by your company. Work parties are the worst! Because it's not really a party, it's really a meeting where they serve cold cuts and there is alcohol available. You end up hanging around the same people that you see all the time in the office and rehashing a TV show or maybe a funny thing that happened on they way to the party. Like, I saw this deer on the way in to the office today, it had to be 10 feet tall.... And you just wish the deer would have gored this guy Now that would have been interesting!

Gifts

So it's time to buy people stuff. Who do you buy for, how much, and who gets dumped. Parental units always get a gift. They made you, least you can do. Siblings, if they have bought for you in Christmas past (and vice-versa) they get a gift, if not, a hug and a Merry Christmas for you. Siblings children... under the age of 12, yes, 12-17, if they make an attempt to give you a gift, yes, over 18 they are an adult and should try to participate. If they are over 18 and not giving to you, they don't get. Obviously your own children get a gift. Friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc, get this straight early on. Now how much to spend:

Parental Units - Keep it around $100.

Siblings - Depending how many you have, plan on spending about $300-400 on the lot and break it up between them.

Siblings Children - Whatever is left over from their parent. Generally $20-50, if they fall into the category above.

Children - I'll let you know as time goes on.

Exchanging of the gifts

So you followed the above chart on who to give to and how much to spend. It seems reasonable, but this is what happens to me, I'm getting over it. We have our big family gathering on Christmas Eve night. I basically cut out my out of state sister, my other sister who never got me anything (I'm broke, boo-hoo for me), some older nieces and nephews who have jobs, but don't think they should get their uncle anything. I kind of feel bad about handing out gifts around them, but skipping them, but you know, from about the age of 11 on I always made an effort for give my siblings a gift, the younger ones should learn the same. Sorry to be the Grinch, but that's life. There is this place called the Dollar Store that you can make an effort to get people something. They don't get it.

New Years...

So with Christmas behind me, it's time to look forward to New Years. For a few years a bunch of neighbors and friends would get together at my house and we would play some non-drinking, boring, adult games until midnight. Watch Dick Clark, say Happy New Year, hug, and everyone would go home. But Gram basically kills this. She doesn't like any of my friends, and is generally a pain to deal with. Now with the baby, we'll see how bad it gets.

So that's my take on the Holidays in general. I'll post some specifics later.

Bruce in DC

I already posted about the baby being born, this happened in the early morning of November 10. Well, as things would have it, I had tickets to see Springsteen on November 11 and 12, in DC. Since Teri was in the hospital and being well taken care of, I didn't see any reason not to go to the shows. I went with her blessing, although I don't think her parents were too keen about it (add it to the list). In my defense, I did go back to the hospital each night to be with her after the shows. Now about the shows:

Sunday, November 11 - Veterans Day
I meet up with Chris and off we went. Once I got down there I realized I had left my building badge at home (DUH!). We circled the block a couple of times and found a spot that someone was leaving. We went to the Irish Channel Pub and hung out with some fellow fans. There was a couple that was there and I think it was his second or third Bruce show, and her first. I was kind of reminissing about some of the various concerts that I had been to. It was kind of funny to think that I am the old guy that the kids listen to. I remember when I would listen to the old guy spinning a yarn.
Everyone thought Bruce would do a couple of the songs that mention soldiers and wars. He did mention sending songs out to some folks at the VA hospitals, but that's about it. The show was pretty decent. A couple of tour premiers, and generally a good show. I didn't like the fact that before Reason to Believe got underway, and just as the crowd was starting to get into it, Bruce shhh'ed the crowd. BAD FORM! This song was a huge highlight at the shows in Philly. But now it sort of dies on the vine. Here are a few pix from the show:

November 12 Show

The second show of the set. This night was a little different group. I went to the show with my brother CJ, David Wayne (of the David Wayne Band), and Heather. This time I remembered my badge and parked in the GAO building as planned. I hoped to meet up with Chris again at the Irish Channel, but he went to the Green Turtle instead.

While at the Irish Channel I did run into a guy I knew, Magnus, and we haddn't seen each other in a few years. The story with Magnus, we drove to New York in 2000 to take in a couple of the shows at MSG. On the way there, just north of Balitmore on I-95, a jail break was happening! It was wild! People and cars were running all over the place. I never heard if anyone got away, but it was an interesting story that we talk about when we meet up.

We went in the show earlier then I usually go, but I had David and CJ with me, who didn't really know the routine. As we were sitting there, Heather and I started chatting with a guy sitting next to us. As it turned out, he works at GAO. I gave him a copy of the show, and he was happy to get it. Over all the show was good. CJ, David and Heather really enjoied theirselves and it was all good.

As I was leaving home for the evening, I noticed my headlight blew out. Everyone told me about it. After I came home, and everyone went their own way, I went back to the hospital. Sure enough a cop pulled me over for having it out (and speeding). I got a warning for the speeding, and an inspection ticket for the headlight. And wouldn't you know it, I lost the ticket for the inspection. I would think they would send me something in the mail, but nothing to this point.

So many shows...

I've been asked a few times, how many Springsteen shows have you been too? Why have you seen so many, and why do you keep going?
As for the number of show, it looks like 60 to this point. And is you are wondering where, here is a link to show.

As to why, well the people are always great. I'm now starting to be one of the old guys with stories going back, so I get to spin my yarn to the youngsters!
But the biggest reason: I've never seen the same show twice. Even the shows I complain about, they are still top notch!

The birthing experience…

The birthing experience…

First off, everything ended up fine. As you can see from my previous entry, Rebecca and Mommy are doing well. But now I have to document the story of what happen in the delivery process.

As of November 7, Teri was scheduled to go into the hospital on the night of November 12 (a Monday) and begin the induction process. This we due to Teri’s blood pressure being high. The doctors felt that the baby was ready, and it would be better not to wait any longer and risk complications for the baby or mother. Teri was on bed rest at this point for about the past week.

Teri got a call on the morning of November 8, from the doctor’s office stating that there was going to be scheduling complications at the hospital on 11/12, and to prepare to come to the hospital on tonight. I had made arrangements at work that I would not be in on 11/9 and be out the next week. I took Teri to the hospital in the evening, her parents meet us there, they hooked up an IV, and Teri was set. I went home, Teri’s parents tried to pull this BS about staying that night with her, “…for what? Watch her sleep?”

I was back the next morning. I should have waited until at least noon, nothing happened. My sister Cindy came and went (smart move). Finally around 6:00pm they started to move things along some. Around 11:30pm Teri was near 10cm dilated, which is the size for birth. This is when she started pushing. She pushed for the next hour and a half. At which time the doctor didn’t see a lot of progress. She gave Teri the option to try pushing for another hour, which may or may not have made more progress or go in for the Cesarean Section delivery. Teri promptly opted for the C-Section. At this point, they offered to have someone in the operating room with Teri. She chose me! What was I going to say? Teri had been in Labor for the past couple of hours, and the whole lead up to Labor…

I got into the scrubs, they cleared the room where we had been the past day, and off we went. From my point of view, things weren’t too bad. Teri and I were behind a curtain from where all of the ‘action’ was taking place. I held her hand and gave moral support. And at 2:36am, the Rebecca came into the world. And I have to say, I was over whelmed with emotion. I think I was crying more then Rebecca. You can check out the slide show as the day progressed.

Now a word about the C-Section. A lot of people might think they know what it is, an operation to remove the baby as opposed to a vaginal (natural) birth. You cut the woman open, take the baby out, and sew her up. Not quite. Between the outside world and the baby are about 10 major organs, the liver, pancreas, large intestine, small intestine, etc. These organs need to go somewhere while the baby is being removed. No room inside to scoot them around, no, they are taken out and set a side. Yes, major organs are taken out of your body. The baby is removed (and all of its stuff). Then all of those organs go back in, like assembling a jig saw puzzle. In the end the hospital stay is 4 days instead of 2.

I stayed with Teri each night she was in the hospital. There is a chair that folds out into a bed that I slept on. It worked out okay. While at the hospital and being there with the various doctors and nurses examining Teri, I picked up on something. Women have little sympathy for other women. It’s like a one-up-man-ship type of competition. As an example; A doctor came and to check on Teri. Teri went through her symptoms and how she was doing. The doctor basically said, “Suck it up, I had all three of my kids by C-Section!” No sympathy what so ever. And there were a few other instances like this too.

Now we are back home and trying to figure out a schedule that works best. Teri is breast feeding. Rebecca sleeps fine during the day. And there really isn’t much for me to do with the baby. I hold her and change diapers when necessary, but other then that, not too much.

Van Halen, DC

The Fall Tour rolls on...

On tap for November 1, Van Halen at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

The Donk and I meet up and come down to DC for the VH show. For me it's handy to park and walk about 2 blocks to the arena. Saves money and parking is very secure. All in all a great show, and I'm glad we made it to this and the show last month in Philly.

The setlist was the same, but I had become more familiar with the set since seeing them, so I recognized a couple of songs I didn't know. Building up to this show Donk informed me at there was a disaster of a gig a couple of days before in KC, MO. From my point of view, this show was fine and the band seemed tighter then the month previous.

The plan was to grab dinner at Legal Seafood, but the place was packed! We waited a while, hoping a spot would open, no dice. We ended up grabbing arena food.

Since we've seen the show already (the Donk actually took in both shows in Philly), we made up a game, "Daughter or Girlfriend". Since this was a heavily geezer show, there seemed to be a bunch of older guys with younger girls. It was up to us to determine if it was the guys daughter or girlfriend. The next part of the game was to find a female at the show, not a daughter, under the age of 30. This proved very difficult. I guess it's just part of growing older...
Sitting next to me was a 40-something (maybe 50?) chick . We chatted a bit. She started out the conversation with saying, "...I need a beer!" And I'm thinking, "Well I ain't gonna buy you one!" She asked, "So when did you see Van Halen last? I saw them in 1984!" I told her, last month. It just wasn't clicking. But all in all, a good show.

Welcome to the World!

Rebecca Kathryn Young

Born on November 10, 2007 @ 2:36am

Weight: 8 pounds, 4.6 ounces Length: 19.75 inches

Gypsy Biker and Shut Out the Light Lyrics

Some of you maybe unfamiliar with the lyrics to Gypsy Biker and Shut Out the Lights. Here they are:

Gypsy Biker
The speculators made their money
On the blood you shed
Your Mama's pulled the sheets up off your bed
The profiteers on Jane Street
Sold your shoes and clothes
Ain't nobody talking 'cause everybody knows
We pulled your cycle out of the garage
And polished up the chrome
Our Gypsy biker's comin' home

Sister Mary sits with your colors
Brother John is drunk and gone
This whole town's been rousted
Which side are you on
The favored march up over the hill
In some fools parade
Shoutin' victory for the righteous
But there ain't much here but graves
Ain't nobody talkin'
We're just waitin' on the phone
Our Gypsy biker is comin' home

We rode her into the foothills
Bobby brought the gasoline
We stood 'round her in a circle
As she lit up the ravine
The spring high desert wind
Rushed down on us all the way back home

To the dead it don't matter much
'Bout who's wrong or right
You asked me that question I didn't get it right
You slipped into your darkness
Now all that remains
Is my love for you brother
Lying still and unchanged
To them that threw you away
You ain't nothin' but gone
Our Gypsy biker is comin' home

Now I'm out countin' white lines
Countin' white lines and getting stoned
My Gypsy biker is coming home.

Shut Out the Light
The runway rushed up at him as he felt the wheels touch down
He stood out on the blacktop and took a taxi into town
He got out down on Main Street and went into a local bar
He bought a drink and found a seat in a corner off the dark
Well she called up her mama to make sure the kids were out of the house
She checked herself out in the dining room mirror
And undid an extra button on her blouse
He felt her lying next to him, the clock said 4:00 am
He was staring at the ceiling
He couldn't move his hands

CHORUS
Oh mama mama mama come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light

Well on his porch they stretched a banner that said "Johnny Welcome Home"
Bobby pulled his Ford out of the garage and they polished up the chrome
His mama said "Johnny oh Johnny, I'm so glad to have you back with me"
His pa said he was sure they'd give him his job back down at the factory

CHORUS

Well deep in a dark forest, a forest filled with rain
Beyond a stretch of Maryland pines there's a river without a name
In the cold black water Johnson Lineir stands
He stares across the lights of the city and dreams of where he's been

CHORUS

Gypsy Biker/Shut Out the Light comparison

I found this comparision of two of my favorite Springsteen songs, Gypsy Biker and Shut Out the Light. I liked the article, so... SWIPE!

For nearly 35 years Bruce Springsteen has been singing about the American working class, in his anthems of hope and redemption. Throughout his long and successful career, he has become not only one of popular music's most celebrated figures, but an American icon. As a songwriter, Springsteen is among Rock music's finest, a master storyteller whose songs often carry a political message that is not always obvious at first listen, but over time tends to seep in to the listener's conscience. Springsteen's latest release, 2007's Magic continues in this tradition, most notably with the sepia toned rocker Gypsy Biker, a song that in many ways can be viewed as an alternate take on the story Springsteen tells in his 1983 ballad Shut Out The Light. Though written nearly 25 years apart from one another, the two songs tell a chillingly similar story based around the same theme, though their structures and production are hardly alike. By the early 1980s, America had watched the aftermath of the Vietnam war bleed into their culture. The reality of the day began to take shape; after Vietnam, the U.S. would never again be the land of redemption for all of its people. As an artist who had made his name on the hopes and dreams of his country, this affected Springsteen not only on a personal level, but an artistic one as well. But like any great artist would, Springsteen took this harsh reality in stride and integrated it into his songs, where it would become an integral part of the work he would release in the following years. Shut Out The Light deals with the story of "a Vietnam veteran struggling to adjust to post-war life" (Graff, 46) through Johnson Leneir, a soldier returning home from war, and feeling completely adrift from reality. Fast forward twenty-four years, and Springsteen is still at it, with the War in Iraq nearly five years old, and most of the world still unsure as to why it began in the first place, Springsteen has found himself revisiting many of the themes he explored in the early 1980's. On the surface, Gypsy Biker appears to be a celebratory song, a welcome home to a relative who has been away. Upon closer examination, we find that it is actually a song of mourning, telling the story of a modern day soldier coming home from war, only this time lifeless, and in a casket. Above all, what Gypsy Biker shares with its 1980s' predecessor, is the subject matter that it is drawn from, the fact that the war America is fighting today often seems no different than the one that stole America's innocence in the 1960's. While the wars that these stories are drawn from may be the most obvious similarities between the two songs, the message they convey through their characters remains remarkably similar as well. Though the story of Gypsy Biker deals with a town's reaction to the death of one of its young men at war, the frustration felt by its characters is somewhat reminiscent of the sense of loss and confusion embodied within Johnson Lineir upon his return to his home town in Shut Out The Light. What makes Shut Out The Light so effective is the sense of aloneness Lineir seems trapped in throughout the song. The narrator's account of him entering a local bar where he "bought a drink and found a seat in the corner in the dark", accentuates to the listener that what may have originally appeared as solitude, is actually a feeling of extreme isolation. Similarly, in Gypsy Biker the fallen soldier's brother narrates a story that projects his grief and mourning. Though the song contains many characters, the lyric "Ain't nobody talkin', 'cause everybody knows, our gypsy biker's comin' home" confirms that though the characters may not be physically alone, their reaction to tragedy is much like that of Lineir's in Shut Out The Light. Just as Lineir had to struggle to get the courage to return home and no longer be alone in the physical sense, Gypsy Biker illustrates a family's struggle to find connection between one another in a time of pain. While the songs’ characters hold many similarities, there is an element far more obvious that makes for a unique link between these two tracks. That link is the repetition in Gypsy Biker of a line used in Shut Out The Light. In celebration of Johnson Lineir’s return, Springsteen sings “Bobby pulled your Ford out of the garage and polished up the chrome”. In Shut Out The Light, this line indicates what should be a happy moment for the pain stricken veteran, the sight of his beloved car being a symbol of the life his loved ones had been waiting for him to return to. However, when Springsteen sings “We pulled your cycle out of the garage and polished up the chrome” in Gypsy Biker, the line takes on a whole new meaning. What represented an act of celebration and kindness in Shut Out The Light is turned into a sad memorial for a fallen loved one. While Lineir’s Ford represented the life of freedoms he was expected to return to, the Gypsy Biker’s motorcycle stands as merely a piece of a man’s memory, being polished up in tribute to his life. These contrasting vantage points work as a haunting reminder of the harsh reality a country at war. Though the songs share many similarities thematically, their contrasting song structures are what set them apart from one another. While both songs are written in a narrative, folk influenced style, the major contrariety between the two songs' structures is the lack of a chorus in Gypsy Biker. To a first time listener, the haunting chorus of Shut Out The Light acts as a net to pull the audience further into the song. "Mama come quick, I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick" sings Springsteen, "Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night, Hey now Mama don't shut out the light". When this gripping chorus makes its first appearance at the one minute mark of the song, any listener who was unsure of whether or not the story was about to become a happy one, gets a wake up call. The painful ambience grows with every return to the chorus, becoming more and more powerful each time. In contrast, Gypsy Biker's lack of a hook as poignant as the one found in Shut Out The Light results in a tone less easily defined. Though the refrain "Our gypsy biker's comin' home" repeats at the end of each verse, it's repetition is much less insightful towards the song's theme than that of the chorus in Shut Out The Light. As a result, in combination with Springsteen's gritty, near mumbled vocal stylings, Gypsy Biker must be listened to far more carefully than Shut Out The Light in order to understand the full picture being created by the artist. Nevertheless, song structure is not the only major difference between the two songs; their contrasting styles of production push them towards two different genres of music all together. The dark lyrics of Shut Out The Light are accompanied by a stark arrangement "built on simple chord changes" (Sawyers, 212) played on acoustic guitars that transcribe the dark aura of the song's story into musical form. With this approach, Springsteen successfully recreates the sombre tone he mastered on 1982's critically acclaimed Nebraska, where his minimalistic approach to production complimented the message of his songs. The lack of major production on Shut Out The Light not only helps to create a mood that compliments the rest of the song, but it allows the listener to easily hear every word the singer sings, pulling the listener in with every syllable. On the contrary, Gypsy Biker takes the exact opposite approach. While Shut Out The Light recalls Folk music of the 1930's, Gypsy Biker is hard driving Rock and Roll sung by an artist on a mission. Backed by the mighty E Street Band, the song explodes into a guitar driven fury after the first verse, with Max Weinberg's drums plowing like a steam engine behind a lyric that fills the listener with a yearning for revenge. The intensity of lines like "To the dead it don't matter much, 'bout who's wrong or right" are matched by dueling guitar solos from Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt that are just as gripping as the hushed acoustics in Shut Out The Light. Though they may be polar opposites in the Springsteen canon as far as production goes, these two songs create their own unique intensity by using two completely different approaches. In conclusion, Shut Out The Light and Gypsy Biker are both similar and contrary at once. Though their story lines and characters share much in common, their production and structure are hardly related. As equally chilling tales of loss, anger and frustration, what makes these songs so remarkable is the artist. It has become rather rare in today's music scene to find an artist 35 years in to his career as a singer-songwriter that can still write lyrics as moving as he did 25 years earlier, while managing to taking a new approach to performance and production. Then again, if you look closely, Bruce Springsteen has been evolving artistically since the inception of his career, it should be no surprise that he is continuing to do so today.

So what else has been happening?

The short answer is Baby.

On October 6, while I was in Philly, Teri had a Baby Shower at home. It went well and I thank everyone who came to the shower. Everything that was received was great! And we really appreciate it all.

So I got home, and it's time to get the Rebbecca's room together. First step was cleaning it out. This was actually accomplished in September (for the most part). Then Teri wanted to paint the room. Initially she picked a yellow color. I wasn't too wild about this and we went to Walmart and agreed on a lavender color. This worked out much better with the blue carpet. That being settled, the furniture needed to be assembled. We did one piece together, but this was a good thing to have Teri's parents involved. So we picked an evening and we assembled all of the furniture.

This past weekend, my sister and brother-in-law came over and painted. This really wasn't my thing, and it was theirs, so I worked on creating a DVD for my sister. You have to know your skills. My sister actually ended up coming over Thursday-Sunday. Between painting, and playing cards. Finally the room was painted and dried. The next step was putting up the wall mural. This done, we put the furniture in it's proper place. All done there too. You can see the results from the picture below. I think everything worked out pretty well. Now we are waiting on the guest of honor.

The weigh in

On Monday, 10/22, Teri went for her last, detailed, sonogram. There was concern for about a week that the baby had turned to a breach position. Monday the sonogram revieled that she flipped back to the correct position. Also they gave a current weight estimate. With a month to go, Rebbecca weighs 7 lbs, 13 oz. They expect her to gain about a half pound a week from this point on. So we are looking at a 10 pound bundle of joy!

Philly Road Trip!

It's a boys-weekend-out in Philadelphia! The Donk and I got tickets to the Springsteen shows in Philly for October 5 and 6. And it was a great time!
October 5 show

He was running a little late, so we didn't make it up to Philly quite as early as hoped, but nothing major. I was meeting someone who I had a pair of tickets for. As it turned out, we checked into the hotel and they met us on the way into the arena. No fuss, no muss.

And the show was a much better time then in Asbury. Probably for the simple fact that it was air conditioned and the set was a little tighter. Nothing major happened.

A little about the show. The revamped Reason to Believe is just incredible! The crowd really gets into it! In Asbury Bruce got a little chatty about politics and the war. I agree 100% with Bruce, but give me a break for 3 hours. I'm not one of those Republicans who will tell him to shut up and sing, but just let the music do the talkin'. In Philly he did tone it down a bit. This made the songs that reference these things that much better.

Here is the setlist and picture from the show:

Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Candy's Room
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Brilliant Disguise
My Hometown
Darlington County
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Thundercrack
Born to Run
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
American Land

October 6, Philly stuff
We got up a little later then expected, showered, checked out of the hotel and went to IHOP for breakfast about Noon. While at the IHOP, there were a bunch of Bruce fans. A group of women from Florida and some other points in the south, in town for a Girls Weekend. After breakfast, Donk and I went downtown. He wanted to pick up a couple cigars at a tobacco shop that we eventually found.

Then it was off to do the Philly steak thing. If you aren't familiar with this, Philly Cheese Steaks are the big thing in Philly. And two of the best are right down the block from each other. We parked and walked down the street. On the way we asked some locals which one, they recommended Geno's, and that's where we went. This place was very popular! You can see from the picture that folks line up for them. Donk got his steak, we walked down the street and I got pizza at a J&J Pizza and that was dinner/lunch.

October 6, The Show

We arrived a lot earlier then the previous night and checked out the tail-gating scene and all of the other goings on. Pretty typical of what we usually see at a Bruce show. One thing that is being pushed is E-Street Radio that is on Sirius satellite currently, and its a smart thing for Sirius to promote.

Finally the show gets underway! We knew this was going to be special when Bruce opened with Night! This is a great opener, and for the first time on the tour, he opened with something other then Radio Nowhere. And the show just got better from there. When he did Reason to Believe, the crowd really got into it, the energy level really sky-rocketed at this point! Then came Pati's A Town Called Heartbreak. Better known as a Town called Piss-Break. We bolted to the bathroom, and a good timing. We got back just as Incident started! Cadillac Ranch was a total audible, and a good time had by all. At the break for the encore, a lot of people held their cell phones up. And it made for a neat view. This is in contrast with Asbury, where they were practially band from the arena. Bruce even noticed this when he came back out and said something like, "...that looks real nice..." We raced out during American Land and got a jump on traffic to wrap up a fun weekend!

Again, setlist and pictures from the show:

Night

Radio Nowhere

Prove It All Night

Gypsy Biker

Magic

Reason to Believe

The Ties That Bind

She's the One

Livin' in the Future

The Promised Land

Town Called Heartbreak

Incident on 57th Street

Cadillac Ranch

Devil's Arcade

The Rising

Last to Die

Long Walk Home

Badlands

* * *

Girls in Their Summer Clothes

Thundercrack

Born to Run

Dancing in the Dark

American Land

Van Halen!!

And a continuous busy week, it's time for another reunion, this time, VAN HALEN!!!
On October 1, the Donk and I got a pair in Philly this time out, and it was a very enjoyable evening. They did all of the classics, and I was very happy with the show. I didn't get any pictures. There are some stock pictures below, and here is the setlist:
You Really Got Me
I'm The One
Runnin' With The Devil
Romeo Delight
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Beautiful Girls
Dance The Night Away
Atomic Punk
Everybody Wants Some
So This Is Love
Mean Street
Pretty Woman
Drum Solo
Unchained
I'll Wait
...And The Cradle Will Rock
Hot For Teacher
Little Dreamer
Little Guitars
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
Guitar Solo
Ain't Talkin''Bout Love
1984
Jump


Unlike Springsteen, this is the set for the whole tour. To this point, nothing has changed. But for the first time seeing it, much fun was had.

Bruce in Asbury Park!

The Fall Tour rolls on! This time a rehearsal show of Bruce and the E Street Band in Asbury Park, NJ!

On September 25, Teri and I are off to see Bruce on his home turf in Asbury Park. I wanted to take Teri as she won't be able to make any shows later this year with the baby either being so close or already here. The drive up went fine and I met the folks that I had planned to exchange my floor seats with regular seats. All in all it worked out fine. To this point.

Once inside we discovered that the tickets that they gave me were actually seats, not GA as I was told on the phone. We got these swapped after a little delay, and everything worked out fine. But then there was the heat! I knew from Donk, who went the night before, that it was hot, but it was MISERABLE! Luckily we had seats near an exit, and were able to take a couple breaks, but it was really bad for Teri. In the end, everything worked out okay.

The other thing that was really annoying was that the security guards were VERY over zealous in their attempt to keep people from using their cell phones... Get with the 21st century people! Documenting an experience with a cell phone is what people do! It became really distracting during the show with these guys running up and down the aisle being the cell phone cops.

As for the show itself, the setlist was a little rough, and the heat really put a damper on having as much fun as I like to have at a show. Here are a couple pictures.


And finally, the setlist from the evening.
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Night
She's The One
Living In The Future
The Promised Land
Town Called heartbreak
Darlington County
Born in the USA
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Balands

Girls in Summer Clothes
Thundercrack
Born To Run
American Land

Walking with Dinosaurs

On September 22, my Mother, nephew Tyler, and I went to the performance of Walking with Dinosaurs at the Verizon Center in DC. Maybe I was hoping for a little more, but it really wasn't that entertaining. I know it was made for kids, Tyler is 8 and he was kind of bored with the whole thing. He enjoyed the trip down to Washington, but he really didn't seem very interested in the show itself.
In any case, I did take some pictures and the slide show is below.

Aerosmith, 9/16/07

The Donk and I went to the Aerosmith show on 9/16 (I know, its been nearly a month since I've posted). The show was great and it was made even sweeter by seeing the show for less than half price! I took a bunch of pictures of Joan Jett and Aerosmith for you to checkout.



All in all, it was a good time, and this kicked off the Fall Tour. The Summer Tour wrapped up with The David Wayne Band at Young-fest 2007.

On the Music industry...

This is the place for me to rant.
A couple of posts down I review the Magic. You maybe wondering, "How did you get a copy to review?" Basically, sources not completely legal.
With that out of the way, the whole issue needs to be addressed. The music industry is a total mess! The powers that be decided to dump the whole digital download to Apple and the iPod. But $1 per song isn't bad for 10 songs a year, and a lot of people sign up for it. Then one month they are really bored, and end up downloading 50-60 songs. BAM! A $60 bill on their credit card. This would piss off a Saint! And this person will wise up and start looking for alternative (usually illegal) ways to acquire this music. And the music industry gives you the guilt trip. If they didn't charge so much in the first place, there wouldn't be a problem.
The other thing that is stupid is the long release cycles with music. The Springsteen album was announced on August 16 for a release date of October 2. Why do they need a month and a half to get this out? I could see something like a press release on August 16 for a release on September 2. To pack and ship, 2 weeks is reasonable. Or maybe, and it will be available for download purchase on Monday...
But no, the music industry strings it out so long, and those of us who really want it, get it early. Get with the 21st Century. This is a 24/7 society and the media industries need to get it straight.
I'll get off my soapbox now.

Aerosmith Tix...SUCESS!!!

Over the past couple of weeks I contacted sellers of Aerosmith tickets on eBay. You can see the response below from one such seller. Most thought their tickets were worth a lot more then face value. In reality though; while I really like Aerosmith, they are NOT a $100 band. Very few are, but many think they are. So I waited them out and ended up with a couple of decent seats (as you can see in the picture) for less then half of face value.
The face value on the ticket is $125 + $15 fees + $6 for parking. So these tickets oringinally cost someone over $290 for the pair. Today I purchased the pair for $120. Slightly more then I wanted to pay, but I am satisfied with what I got. The Donk and I plan to enjoy ourselves very much Sunday night!
Now I just need to find the guy who was trying to sell the other set of tickets...

Magic Review

Magic Review

When I hear a new song or album by Bruce Springsteen, I look beyond the song itself and start to imagine how it will be performed live in concert. IMHO, a new album is an excuse to tour. And with the tour I look at how other songs will be played with the new material. In this context I write the review of Magic to be released on October 2, 2007.

First, an overview of the album. Magic is basically a social commentary, a picture of society in 2007. This isn’t a Born in the USA type of rocker, with fist pumping songs to scream to. Bruce is at the stage of his career where he is more of the elder statesmen of rock and roll, not the junior congressman from New Jersey. But that doesn’t mean he has lost his ability to write about relevant feelings in these here United States of those that are down and out or cast off by society.

Now I’ll run through each song as I see it.

Radio Nowhere - The title sums it up. This song is about the lack of good music on the radio.

You'll Be Comin' Down – Good song. I can see this one being a ‘get your ass out of that seat’ kind of song during mid-set, maybe coming off of several slow songs.

Livin' in the Future – And the rockers keep on comin’! This will be the new ‘Sunny Day’ song for this tour, where the crowd is singing along and everyone is feeling good.

Your Own Worst Enemy – Well, they all can’t be rockers, or for that matter, winners. Not real sure what it is about, maybe a Big Brother kind of complex. I hope we don’t hear this one every night.

Gypsy Biker – The premise of this song is that a famous athlete dies, and his buddies pay homage to him in a ceremony where they take his motorcycle out and burn it. This may sound a little corny, but I can see where it would be important. This is a big picture type of song with stunning imagery. It also has a great set of instrument solos, harmony in the vocals, and end of song chanting for the crowd to get into it. In short, best song on the album.

Girls in Their Summer Clothes – Great title for a song, everyone can imagine this. Unfortunately, the upbeat ends with the title. This song is about a character (Bill) kind of down on his luck, maybe unemployed, and you experience his day as he goes about his business around town. Slow pacing, and kind of wordy. A little work on this song could have made it worthy of the title.

I'll Work for Your Love – At first I wasn’t sure of this song. But after a couple plays, I realized that it is a hymnal. In the tradition of many church hymnals, this song discusses sacrifice for the love of another and uses a lot of Christian imagery. In fact at one point, it sounds like a recorder (the flute like instrument) playing, which is often used in conjunction with church choir.

Magic – Statement on society as a whole. This song describes how you are lead to believe what someone else wants you to, not necessarily what is reality. The line, “Trust none of what you hear and only part of what you see”, sums up the song. The song conveys the feeling that the media show what they want you to see, not what is really happening.

Last to Die – This is in the vain of Seeds and some Devils and Dust. This is a commentary of our society of how those in power make decisions that the under-class must live with. But it doesn’t really go anywhere. The lyrics are kind of all over. Maybe some work with the band and it will work.

Long Walk Home – The first version I heard from the Sessions tour wasn’t much, but that’s the Magic of production. This song is kind of My Hometown that the character moved back to. Forget all the problems of 25 years ago, and realize where you are from. This song has grown on me and is one of my favorites of the CD.

Devil's Arcade – It seems like when Bruce refers to ‘the devil’ he is referencing George Bush (Devils and Dust was a testament to this). This song is no exception. I can see this piece being the final song of the main show (before encores). The marching type beat reminds me of Into the Fire from The Rising. Used in concert the same.

Terry’s Song – This is will be a ‘secret’ track on the released CD. Earlier this year, Bruce’s friend of over 35 years, Terry Magovern, died in his sleep. This song is a tribute to him. And like a lot of songs from one guy to another, it speaks from the heart without being overly sappy. I give it a thumbs up and I can see where a lot of men will dedicate it to their friends that pass.

In Summary: This is a very good CD. Possibly one the best work Bruce has done since Tunnel of Love. I think a lot of songs on this release will have legs for years to come and become instant fan favorites.

Since ratings are needed now a day; as it compares to other Springsteen CDs: B+

Compared to other music CDs: A-

Looking for Aerosmith Tix (part 1???)

Donk and I want to see the Aerosmith show at Nissan Pavilion. As I did with the Def Leppard tickets, I have contacted some of the many sellers on E-Bay who have 0 bids. Usually they either acknowledge my offer or not, and are on their way.

This one particular seller decided that I needed to be schooled. He's gonna school me on how ticket buying works! So this is the e-mail exchange:

ME: Hello,If things don't work out with your minimum bid, here is my offer. I will give you $100 for the pair. Please let me know. Thank You, Mike

Seller: At the show I could get $200 for these tickets with no VIP passes even if I were trying to sell them from the back of a police car, naked, with a spider web tattoo on my bald head. L8

ME: Good luck on selling them at that price. Aerosmith is not a $100 band. Be sure to take some peanut butter, because you might be eating those seats.

Seller: You are right, they are a $200 dollar band.I sold the other pair for $325. And just got a hit on Craigs list (which of course might fall through) for $320 for the other two. I hate peanut butter I only eat tickets with caviar. They are absolutely $200 dollar tickets and if you don't think so you know nothing about ticket scalping - watch the listing, watch me work my magic. I will get at least $300 for tickets, maybe $400. [I do have some 300 level seats my buddy wants to get rid of, they are yours for $150] Plus another thing you dont understand....I am going to show with my VIP Tickets and VIP parking pass, I can eat these tickets with my friends, they will absolutely pay me $125 each (face value) of the ticket. Let me make this clear 2 YA --- I had a total of 6 tickets to start. My two VIPs with VIP parking pass and a Premier Parking pass, I sold the Premier parking pass for $50 on Craigs list [the premier parking pass you can buy at the show for $20 I sold for $50, but they are not $100 dollar tickets, think before you Write], I sold 2 of my 101 Row G with VIP passes for $325 and will be using my VIPS, this leaves me with those two tickets which I have paired with VIP Passes, If I dont get $350 for that pair I will take my friends to the show and they will pay me $250 and I will wash your car, But Mikey let me give you some advice...If someone has a buy it now best offer listing for $450 and you offer them $150, it is just plain stupid and does nothing but slow down the wheels of commerce. If I asking $450 I am obviously looking for an offer around $320...common sense... the girl who paid $325 was her first offer (she had common sense)...Use it.... I am so sick of E-bayers who have nothing better to do than make low offers then harrass the Seller, GET THEE A LIFE. I will send you all invoices with the buyers name removed after I sell these tickets I paid $270 for for at least $350. L8

Seller: Oh yeah I sold two VIP passes to show...no Tickets just passes for $95 to a guy in Cali. who was sending them to his daughter for her birthday...just passes for $95...and just a premier parking pass for $50...and these aren't $100 tickets...what planet are you from.

Guess he told me... I may stop by the seats he advertised and see how things worked out. By the way, face for this show is $125, which is WAY too much for this geezer band.

Strange and busy weekend

Friday
No one wanted to go to the Orioles game with me then see George Throgood at Rams Head Live. So it worked out that Teri and I went to the O's game. I thought it would be too hot for her, but it worked out okay. The O's did end up loosing 7-4. Which made 4 in a row since they signed the manager to an extended contract.
On Sunday I am scheduled to work the mid-night shift. So to shift my sleeping, I am staying up late, and getting up late. Friday night, I made it to 3:00am (or so).

Saturday
I got up after noon (it's not that hard for me to switch this schedule). I had breakfast, and Teri and I started cleaning the house. This is a pain, but needs to be done for the party.
About 4:00pm I received a call from my supervisor at work. Apparently there were problems at work. Electrical power was lost where it wasn't suppose to be lost. I went into the office to try to work things out. I thought I got things straight, the customer seemed satisfied.
I got back home and Chris came over to plan out the menu for the party next week. He and Teri got this worked out. We hung out for a couple more hours. I also assembled my popcorn maker that Heather gave me for my birthday. This worked out well. I discovered that it doesn't need to stay on the cart, and can sit on a table. This will work out great for Poker Nights.
Teri went to bed and I got caught up on TiVo. I finally watched Californication. I like this show! Another winner from ShoTime! I'll be sure to watch it every week now.
I also watched an episode of The Office from the UK. It's kind of like I remember the office of my old company there. They say things and show things that wouldn't make it past the US censors, but that's the way the UK was. If you get in earlier then usual someone may say, "What happen? Shit the bed?" This isn't very PC here, but is fine in the UK.
I ended up going to bed around 4:00am.
Sunday
I got up a little before Noon. I wanted to be tiered enough to get some sleep before work. Kind of a slow day. I picked stuff in the garden and sat around for a little. I should have done more. I got a call from the customer who had problems Saturday. I had to go back into the office. This time I think I got everything worked out. They verified that e-mail was flowing properly.
When I got home Teri volunteered to pass out the party invites around the neighborhood and I started filling in the trench with the electrical cable. This was a pain! I finished about half of it, I'll finish the rest Monday morning. I took a nap, and made it into work. Apparently things weren't exactly setup properly as to which rooms I had access, but after a couple phone calls, it got straight.

And the Orioles...they lost the entire series to the Twins. They signed the manager, Dave Trembley, because they were 29-25 under him. Now they are 29-31 under Trembley. Way to go O's! And about today's game:
"Erik Bedard hadn't lost a start since June 10, but the reenergized Twins attack made short work of the O's ace on Sunday, scoring two runs each in the first and second innings. Baltimore battled back briefly, but the bullpen faltered in the 11-3 defeat. "

Today's musical stuff...

Today was a preview of the 2007 Fall Tour. My day in chronologic order (mostly).

Van Halen in DC

I work about a block away from the arena in DC, the Verizon Center. So when I got work that Van Halen was playing here, I decided to go to the arena and try for tickets. i arrived about 9:40am, tickets go on sale at 10:00am. There weren't many people there and I got in line. The whole process was ver orderly and there were 3 ticket windows selling tickets. Very organized! But 5 minutes into tickets being on sale, the only seats comng up were 400 level seats. THESE SUCK!

I had Donkey on the cell phone. He had the same thing happening to him. He threw them back a few times. Finally, some 100 level seats. Donkey got them. I had similar seats at the window, but his were a little better. I go back to work.

At this point, I am wondering why the rotten tickets so shortly after going on sale? I went to the Ticket Master page. And I noticed that there is a new set of tabs (see image below).

BID ON AUCTION?! WTF?
If tickets weren't expensive enough, this put them over the top. Now they charge a SUPER premium for seats in an auction.

New Springsteen! Radio Nowhere

I got over the whole VH dibacole and now I get an MP3 file with the upcoming Springsteen release, Radio Nowhere. For your listening pleasure, click on the MP3 player over on the sidebar.

My thoughts; I like it! It's no Born to Run, but it's a lot better then the Ghost of Tom Joad! Give it a listen (click in the object on the bar on the right), and leave a comment with what you think.

A pirate looks at 40...

(excuse the Jimmy Buffet song reference, but it seems appropriate)

Life at Forty
On August 16, 2007, I turned 40. If you didn't send greetings or gifts, I accept belated of both. I remember way back when I started working professionally the signs that would go up on the bulletin boards once in a while, “Lordy, Lordy, look who’s 40” and “Come and celebrate …’s big 4-0!” From that point on I guess I always thought turning 40 would be a momentous occasion. Your friends would all make a big deal about it, it would be a great time, etc. My birthday was nothing like this. I did take the day off of work (hoping for something, anything…). I harvested from the garden in the morning, updated the blog, poked around the house. I then rented a trench digging machine from Home Depot, dug a trench with my brothers assistance (running electric to the shed), picked up Teri from the airport, returned the trencher, eat a pizza, and went to bed. This basically sums up how boring my life is. But really I should reflect on a few points in my world.
Work
Last year when I was laid off, it really through me for a loop. I had become complacent and really turned into the King of the Meeting. I could run a meeting, take proper notes, follow up, plan the next meeting, and start all over again. None of these skills are particularly helpful when looking for a job. I also discovered that I probably have too much experience than anyone wants to pay me for. This happens when you have worked in the IT industry as long as I have and doing as many different things that I have done. Fortunately, I was able to find a job that paid the mortgage, and then one that allows me to pay the bills and stay close to home. But I did learn from this, and feel that going forward; I’ll have a more productive career. My brother gave me news tonight that he is starting a new job Monday. I'm really happy to hear this, I was concerned that he may have trouble finding something. We spoke about the mistakes that we made at previous jobs and how we can improve at our new jobs. I think things will work out fine.
Entertainment
I think somewhere in your 20's you find something that entertains you, and decide from that point on that this is what makes you happy. So unless it is substance abuse, or something really socially unacceptable, you will continue to do this thing to find happiness. For me, concerts, and baseball games have been a source of entertainment. And from the previous posts, you can see that I do this a lot. And will continue to. It's actually kind of a burden for a lot of events, but it's the closest thing to social enjoyment that I can find.

Relationships
Over the past year or so, I have had some close friends go through divorce and separation. It seems that happens a lot when you have been with someone a while, and now a day, you grow apart. The reasons that my friends have parted seems to be similar, the relationship was a certain way early on, but now, there doesn't seem to be anything keeping you together. The flame has burned out. Other interests have arrived. You want something new. It's grown stale.
I try to be the best friend that I can when my friends have trouble. Sometimes I don't know what to say, sometimes I say stupid things, but I try to stick with them throughout and hopefully learn something about my friends, and about myself.
I use to think that it was just selfish for people to break up when they think they found a better mate. I'm not sure anymore. It takes a lot of guts to make big changes in your life like this, and sometimes it's necessary to take a leap of faith.
Family
As time goes by I've discovered that it's not a bad thing to have family physically near by. Last weekend we had a gathering at my sister's house. As you can see from the picture, it was a decent turn out. Not everyone could make it, but those who did, seemed to enjoy their selves. I passed out a couple of invites to the party on 9/2, we'll see who shows up.
My sister Cindy is coordinating the baby shower for Teri, which should be good too. Not all sister-in-laws will do this.


So...what's your point?
I'm not sure I have a point. I make observations and find humor in the world. Life could have been better if I had made millions of dollars in the dot com era. But life could have been a lot worse too. I'm sure the new baby has surprises that I can't even image at this point, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've wondered from time to time if I shouldn't have made major relationship changes in my life. I think at this point, I am 51% happy with my life. If someone is 100% happy, they are either Hugh Heffner or an idiot and not trying.
The next year will be challenging and interesting. I hope that I can keep expanding my horizons and learn new things about the world and life.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Cover of Magic

This is the CD cover for Bruce's Magic release. It won't be long now!

Fall tour, 2007

The Fall Tour is starting to shape up. So far it looks like it will be a Van Halen show and some Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band shows! Somewhere in there, I will become a father, but in the mean time, I'll stick with the touring bands. And for reference, a picture of each act.



Bruce is touring with a new album, supposedly the last with the full E-Street band. VH is touring, well, because they need the dough! In the picture it is, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and Eddie's son Wolfgang (Wolfie) Van Halen who will be playing bass on the tour. It should be fun!
As for one of the geekier things, scoll down the side of my blog and you can see the countdown clock to the new Springsteen CD, Magic.

Crows in Frederick

The last stop on the 'summer tour' in in Frederick, MD at Harry Grove Stadium on August 15, 2007. Again tonight it is the Counting Crows, Live, and Collective Soul is back on the bill.
Transportation was more certain for this show. My brother was attending the show with me. I take the MARC train to the Frederick station, he drives to Frederick, picks me up at the station, and off we go to the show. Yes kind of boring, but after walking around Aberdeen, I'll take boring. Long and short, that is what happen. We had dinner at Pizza Hut and it took a little longer then expected, but we made it to the show.

The Show
We arrived an immediately noticed that it was a lot of people there. For the other two Crows shows, there was a nice crowd, but nothing out of the ordinary. There were cars all over the place and the personnel on hand were trying to figure out where to put everyone. Once inside (Collective Soul was already playing) we looked around for a little bit, and I suggested going to the floor (it worked for me the night before). But this was different. There was a line of people to go onto the floor. It was crazy! We ended up finding some close seating, but as you can see from the pictures, we weren't on top of the stage by any means.
Live and Collective Soul were good and stuck with the previous setlists that they had done the other times I saw them. The Counting Crows, on the other hand, really mixed things up! The first four songs were the same from Aberdeen and I was worried. But then almost the entire remainder of the set was different from the previous night, and contained a bunch of songs I hadn't heard from earlier in the tour! I was very impressed! I know my brother wasn't a huge fan of the music, but I think he enjoyed the show as well.

The Audience
As I mentioned, it was crowded and folks had to wait in line to get onto the field.


Collective Soul
As I said, Collective Soul was pretty good, and they really enjoyed playing in front of this crowd, as the crowd appreciated them. Not the best pics, but here are a couple.


Live
Set seemed the same at the previous times. This does not detract from the fact they were very high energy and really into the crowd. Songs were familiar to the audience and it worked in concert between band and audience. A couple pics of Live.


Counting Crows
Very happy with the setlist! Here it is:
Michelangelo
Have You Seen Me Lately
Recovering the Satellites
Mr. Jones
Goodnight Elisabeth (no middle alts, but ending one's I've never heard) *
Another Horsedreamer's Blues!!!!!!!
Big Yellow Taxi
Accidentally In Love
Omaha
St. Robinson
Come Around
Black & Blue
Hard Candy
A Long December
Hanginaround
***********
Time & Time Again
Insignificant
Holiday In Spain

* Towards the end of Goodnight Elisabeth, Adam stopped the song to, what seemed to me, break up a fight. He said something like, "...this is a peaceful song. I was just about to get all dramatic and shit. You're ruining it!" He picked it up and got dramatic.

As for pictures, here are a couple, but they didn't come out very well.

Like father, like son

Like father, like son. While waiting for the train today, I noticed these two. Dad on his Blackberry and son on his Gameboy. The irony was uncanny!

Small town Crows

On August 14, I took in the Counting Crows show in Aberdeen, MD. This is a continuation of their minor-league baseball park tour. Also on the bill were Live and Low Stars. Due to the circumstances that follow, I wasn't about to catch Low Stars.

Hop on my choo choo...

I left work on the MARC train from DC as I do everyday. The only difference is that today, instead of getting off at the Odenton stop, I stayed on it to the Aberdeen stop. My plan was this:

• Take the train to Aberdeen - This worked out fine.


• Take a taxi to my cheapo, Days Inn Motel - Not so well.


• Get to Ripken Stadium a little early to make sure I see the Low Stars - Didn't happen.

Aberdeen...the walking tour
I got off the train, and looked for a taxi. I didn't see any and thought that I wasn't that far from the motel and could just walk it. My sense of direction failed me and I walked a mile in the wrong direction. I then went the right way, and it ended up taking me an hour, and walking 5 miles. I did get a couple of neat pictures while walking around though.

From 2007-08-14 Co...

I didn't make it to the motel until 7:00pm, the show started at 6:30pm. I checked in the motel, got a TAXI and made it to the show just as Low Stars were finishing. I eat some pizza, and Live came on. I decided to get down into the crowd.

This turned out to be a good move, as I had a BLAST! It's fun to hang out with young people some times. At the Def Lep show the average age was about 43. The average age on the floor was about 23. They had had a good time over the summer, gotten tan, not afraid to party a bit. Yup, being young again... But I digress. Being a lot closer to the stage gave me the opportunity to get some really good pictures.
Live
As I mentioned earlier, I missed seeing Low Stars, that's life. Live does put on a decent show, no complaints. Here are a few pics.


Crowd..
As I mentioned, the crowd was on the younger side, I grabbed a few snaps of the people around me, everyone seemed to have a good time.


Counting Crows
I have been following the setlists of the shows. In Wilmington, DE I was disappointed that they
talked about their new CD, but didn't play from it. They corrected this oversight in Aberdeen. In Aberdeen, 5 new songs! Out of 16 songs played, nice turn around. Some I liked, others not so much, like anything. I'm not going to bore you with the setlist, I'll jump right into the pictures of the Counting Crows! It's a bunch of them, but these are some of the best concert pictures that I've taken, so I hope you like them.