Remains to be seen
Will you be by my side"
Happy Labor Day! Hopefully everyone found some joy and adventure over the summer. This was a busy one in our household. Thankfully no pandemics, broken air conditioning units, or other unexpected home improvement projects that plagued our past. Not to jinx myself, but happy to report everything ran relatively smooth over the past few months. For the first time in a few years this past summer was the season of amazing live music experiences. In case you haven't noticed, everybody is on the road and everyone is going.
I unexpectedly had the fortune of bookending my summer with the Flaming Lips. First over the Memorial Day weekend in Washington DC at The Anthem (pic on the left from the balcony , above the masses and laser beams) and just last weekend in Bonner, Montana at the beautiful KettleHouse Amphitheater (on the ground a few yards back, among the masses and under the laser beams) Both shows were celebrating the 20th anniversary of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots which was played front to back during the first set and after a short intermission we were treated with a potpourri of the Lips' catalogue for set 2. Much to my surprise, the second sets were quite different for these shows so it was nice to see the Lips weren't resting on a three month old setlist and keeping things fresh. Now I've seen the Lips four times and as usual an unfamiliar song gets under my skin and this last time was no exception. This time around the unexpected tune was Vein of Stars from the At War With the Mystics album. Listening to to it under the cool Montana sky on a clear night and a half moon on the Blackfoot River was somewhat otherworldly.
I'll probably lean in a bit more on these and some of the other magical concerts I saw this summer, but I noticed a general theme during the "Big 3" summer of 2023 shows I attended. Wasn't sure how and why but dammit I got downright emotional and teared up during all three events. Was it that I'm comfortably in the middle age of my life, psychologically processing the past few batshit years on the planet, seeing these bands perform at the twilight of their careers, inhaling god knows what for four hours (I'm looking at you Dead and Co fans)? The answer is.....yes.
So the moments that got me this summer.....First up, Flaming Lips at the Anthem. I've heard the song a million times but Do You Realize? just hit me in a different way this time around. Our dog was having some issues in the days leading up to the show and we weren't sure if this was going to be the time we had to say goodbye. Three months's later I'm extremely grateful that's he's currently passed out drooling and snoring in the living room. But those days around the show were a bit dicey.
"Do you realize, that you have the most beautiful face"
That line which is so simple hit me because images of our sweet Willie were front and center in my mind. In case you were wondering, he does have the most beautiful face.
Second adult cry came during Dead and Company at Wrigley Filed in Chicago. The show was an emotional rollercoaster for many reasons. Those guys know how to build a setlist. After some rockers and the drums/space section out from the smoke reentered the band and the opening chords of Stella Blue conjured from the speakers with Bobby Weir taking the vocals.
"It all rolls into one, And nothing comes for free, There's nothing you can hold, For very Long, And when you hear that song, Come crying in the wind, It seems like all this life, Was just a dream"
I mean come on! Do you even have a soul if this doesn't affect you?
Lastly, The Cure at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philly. Fortunately I wasn't alone in my sadness for this show. I mean it's kind of the whole theme of the Cure right? The tune that hit me at this show was one I'd never heard till that night. It's a song coming on their forthcoming album called, I Can Never Say Goodbye. Robert penned this song about losing his brother. Here we go again!
"From out the cool November night , Something wicked this way comes, To steal away my brothers life, Something wicked this way comes, I could never say goodbye"
That being said, these were single moments of these shows but the majority of the time I was singing along, dancing (well it that's what you want to call it) with a big grin on my face feeling grateful to be in the moment with the masses again. (well, most of the masses)
Speaking of emotions, one thing that does trigger melancholy in my bones is the sound of seagulls crying. Not sure what it is, but it always makes me feel my feelings. I must not be alone, because the "seagull sound" is used in some popular tunes from the 80's. The first one that comes to my mind is from the great Kool & The Gang. I remember hearing this song many times as a child, but listening as an adult I realized how deep Kool and his Gang get with their songwriting. This one deals with grief, being in the moment, and reincarnation?! A big jump from Jungle Boogie! (which I also love) The video is a classic and as many times as I've been to the beach, I've yet to come upon a party quite like this. I'm thinking for a future birthday I may need to recreate this White Party soiree. I'll keep you posted. Also using the sad seagull theme is the former Eagle (Not Seagull) himself, Mr. Don Henley. His may be more of a guitar or keyboard effect to mimic the sound, but it still haunts me.
Thanks again for reading, hoping to not have such a lag in posts in the future. My favorite season is rapidly approaching so I'm sure some inspiration will hit again soon. Till next time, cheers.
