Rockin' Out with Bob Weir and Rat Dog

On Saturday October 24th (yes I know this blog post is WAY late... sorry kids!) myself, my brother, my boyfriend and some friends ventured uptown to the Beacon Theater to see Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and his band Rat Dog, close out the final night of their three-night stand. The show was fantastic, from the set list to the energy of the crowd.



My absolute favorite part was the Persuasions coming out and performing "It Must Have Been the Roses" (one of my favorite Dead songs) acapella. Plus they came out during the encore and performed "Ripple", another one of my favorites!



The set list is as follows...

Set I:
Casey Jones
Jack Straw
Cassidy
Little Red Rooster
Dark Star Jam
Lazy River Road, She Says
Liberty
Bertha

Set II:
Mexicali Blues
Friend of The Devil
Black Throated Wind
It Must Have Been The Roses (The Persuasions)
He's Gone
Jam
The Other One
Stuff
Morning Dew
Dark Star
Cassidy
One More Saturday Night

Encore:
Ripple
U.S. Blues



A great time seeing a legendary performer with those who appreciate music history as much as I do =)

BRUCE at Giants Stadium

SO last minute on Sept. 29, I decided I wanted to go see Bruce Springsteen for Night 1 of his five-night stand at Giants Stadium (which was the following night!). A very nice dentist sold me his pair of GAs for $50 a pop (a BARGAIN!) on the 30th in the morning, and myself and Joey were off an an early bus to claim our wristbands. Once we got to the Swamp, we were handed numbers 622 and 623 and we waited anxiously with the rest of dwellers for the magic number to be pulled.

To make a long story short, everyone who was handed a wristband was guaranteed entry into the Front Pit (thereby getting as close to Bruce as possible) and the number that was pulled was considered "number 1" - as in you were the FIRST fan to get into the Stadium. Lo and behold number 487 was called and myself and those around us were ELATED, as we were guaranteed front rail spots =)


Me at the rail in the Front Pit.

I left this spot once and didn't eat or drink for the rest of the night. It was a nightmare to navigate the Pit and people were getting NASTY. We did look out for one another though. There was enough G-Ds Herb floating around as well... the smell was everywhere!


The Front of the Pit Crew!

Everything seemed to work out that day... from getting a great deal on a hot show (Bruce played his classic album "Born to Run" mid-set) to meeting awesome people to getting a spot on the rail... hell at one point during the show Bruce grabbed my hand!! The pictures speak for themselves - a lot of the people I met up front were kind enough to share. It was yet again, a Rockin' Good Time.


Bruce and the E Street Band


Bruce and the E Street Band (again!)


Bruce by our side of the Pit!


Bruce up-close right before he grabbed my hand!


I'm wearing the fingerless black gloves in the video!


BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!!!!!


The Set List written by Bruce for night 1 (via Twitter)


The end of Jungleland....

Alice in Chains at Irving Plaza

The other week Alice In Chains played Irving Plaza in NYC with their new lead singer - it was HUGE! The show was definitely oversold and over-let-in but WHO CARES.. AIC rocked.. I watched the entire show from my coat check post =) Great time had by all.


Me at my little booth - I am usually half way out as the ceiling in that room always shakes..


Alice in Chains from the VIP balcony at Irving Plaza



Alice in Chains performing "No Excuses" at Irving Plaza

Thanks to Joey C. for the photos!

End of Summer Summary

Though I did not get to see as many shows as I would have liked this summer, I did get a few awesome music moments that I would like to share with you. I visited Paris and London (with a day strolling around in Amsterdam), making sure that I had a music history twist to all of my adventures. Look for more music stories this fall - I already have a few tickets in hand =)

On a beautiful Parisian day, my friend Gary accompanied me on one mission: to pay my respects to Jim Morrison at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in the center of Paris. DON'T buy a map for 3 Euros from the guy outside - it was easy to find the grave... Just follow the American college kids strolling through the various little pathways filled with both Jewish and Christian graves (interesting!). There was a metal barricade around Jim's grave for obvious reasons (though for a few seconds, I rebelled to have these awesome pics snapped...)


Pic by Gary


Another pic by Gary

One thing that really bothered me was that fans were QUITE disrespectful to the graves around Jim's as "memorial" graffiti was visible all over - NOT COOL. It was a privilege to have been able to pay my respects to an artist and poet that has revolutionized society, and shaped me personally!

London was a completely different vibe. There was ONE thing that was on my "to do" list her: ABBEY ROAD. My group and I were residing in the dorms at Regents College where I was able to visit little rock and roll shops on Baker Street and take a Beatles walking tour. The last stop of the tour was where I wanted to be... unfortunately, I was bumped into and my camera was shattered in little pieces and I forced to use a disposable for these amazing shots!


Abbey Road crossing, London UK


Abbey Road Studios


Me crossing Abbey Road (photo by stranger)


Me crossing Abbey Road again... just in case... (thanks stranger!)

NOW HERE IS THE BEST PART OF THIS KARMIC TALE: when my roommate Angela and friend Gary saw me after and heard my tale, they insisted that we all go back so we can capture me crossing in digital! True sign of friendship right there...