Because Again... I'm A Twelve Year Old Boy At Heart

Okay, so this is hands down the funniest thing I have ever seen on The Daily Show. Truly a golden nugget from the vault of the greatest non-news show in television history. I miss Stephen. Enjoy!

P.S.: Don't drink anything while you're watching. Seriously.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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www.thedailyshow.com
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SXSW Wrapped in Bacon (part two)

this time it's photogenic

Okay, so the last post was all about the videos, mainly. There are a bunch of random photos I'd like to share from our time in Austin.

There were loads of great signs and shirts and hipster doofi adding to the general fun and frivolity that is SXSW. So in no particular order, here we go!!!

Breakfast of champions consumed pretty much every day...multiple times a day. Hey, don't judge. Tomato juice is a breakfast drink.

Groovin' Baggage Claim

Colorful double mohawk man

molesting the Banana Dude

Queens of the Free Beers! (our band name)

Oooo. Pretty.

Pretty, Part Deux

Um.. Hello... Fajitas.

Hangin' in Toilet Town (perhaps it was the Fajitas)

Cupcakes... with a "happy ending"?

Wait...what? When did we go to the Furries Convention?

Mystical-Crazy-Zipper-Face-Inca Head crush

Okay Okay. Relax. Take your Ritalin, Dude.

Hey! I'm standing right here.

I'll drink to that!

Baby's first encounter of the Hipster Doofus kind

Buy me lunch first, Sailor?

Empirial Storm Troopers digging the scene

Clearly this man's answer is a resounding YES!

(that reminds me of a joke: my tight pants are like a cheap hotel--no ball room)

And here is my absolute favorite sign from SXSW posted on a website:

It was enormous fun. But now it is over. And so it goes.

SXSW Video/Photo Wrap Up (part one)

(now with extra bacon)

Okay, so I've been a slug all week. I realize these videos/photos/observations are old news now, but I couldn't muster the energy to get on it earlier. So sue me...I'm old now.

Anywho... turns out vacationing with Jim and Mary Ann is easy-peasy. They are great travel compadres--very low maintenance and very easy going, especially if there is lots of bacon involved.

As the sign suggests, the genesis of all good things in life... is bacon. Sadly, we never got around to trying this treat.

All the unending hours of prep, pouring over the band lists day after day paid off. Even though there were some bands we never got to see (RaRaRiot, Damnwells, Those Darlins, Waco Brothers) we did one hell of a good job managing our entertainment. The only decision I might change if I could jump in a Hot Tub Time Machine is bail on Stone Temple Pilots after four songs and high tail it back up the street to catch Ray Davies. Although I was able to get this groovy rock 'n roll photo at STP.

One regret in four days is pretty damn good, I'd say. Especially considering this was our first megalomania festival.

Canadians are the sweetest group of people on Earth! They let us deface their flag for grins AND gave us extra free drink tickets.


Oh Canada... we stand on guard for thee... and your freebie cocktails!

Surprisingly, I like the Blues. Who knew? Well, let me clarify that... I like watching Sharon Jones and the DAP Kings sing the blues. I admit I was a bit hesitant to stay to see her because I kinda had my heart set on seeing RaRaRiot and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart across town, but once she took the stage by siege I was hooked. The midnight show was her third performance that day, but you would never have known it. Her voice was powerful and clear and she did not stop moving. The energy was incredible.



And boy can she work that fringe!! Once she takes off her shoes and earrings--Look Out, Baby! Big-Time Fun.

Big ole bean bag squares are as comforting as a bear hug when you've been hanging in the heat, listening to music and imbibing more than your share of free vodka.

Sondre Lerche is adorable. He's so tiny and elfish you just want to carry him around in your pocket.



Ditto with Zoe Deschenal! At one point she pulled out an adorable miniature guitar. To which a young girl in front of us made this hilarious comment "Oh, come on! Could she get any more adorable? What's next, is she going to pull out a puppy?"



My fantasy husband's side project, The Spring Standards are really, really good!! Not surprising since he's involved, but still really good! The lead, Heather, is crazy talented...juggling playing the keyboard AND drums in one song.



I think I'm in love with those Scottish lads, The Frightened Rabbits. Seriously. Okay. They have not usurped Rhett's reign over my heart and soul, but still... LOVE them. We saw them twice and I would have been ecstatic to see them all 28 times they played during the week, but you know, I was with friends and it would have been uncool not to share decision making. But seriously. I would not have tired of them.



I admit I wasn't that familiar with Alex Chilton who passed away during the SXSW week. Aside from the theme to That 70s Show (In the Streets) and a mention in a Replacements song, I was completely unfamiliar with him and his work. The concert Saturday night was a wonderful tribute to this man who never reach a level of notoriety he felt he deserved, but who influenced countless musicians. To make that sort of impact on others...that's worth something, don't you think? That has more lasting value than fame and fortune.



John Doe playing "I'm In Love With A Girl"... I actually recognized this one.

Evan Dando

The finale of perhaps his most memorable song, "September Gurls"

There are more videos on YouTube by me and others with much better, clearer equipment. Also my friend Cindy has an entire string of terrific postings on her blog, Onthatnote.com including some amazing photos of Courtney Love and Hole.

I said "Hole" (tee hee)


The first thing I think of when I see this photo of Cindy's is "Good Lord. I hope to Hell she remembered to wear her gutchies."

Have fun searching.

Friday Photo #38 (the extended EP version)

A Long Day's Journey Into...Pittsburgh?

or Murray's Odyssey

Where's a Hot Tub Time Machine when you need one? For that matter, where's a hot tub when you need one?

Okay, so it's taken me all week to remotely recover from our Austin adventure. More precisely, it's taken all week to semi-recover from our travels home on multiple eastbound planes.

Dude. It was epic. No shit.

The last I left off, Mary Ann and I had dragged our sorry butts to bed around 5am-bellies full, ears buzzing like the interior of a bee hive and all tanked up on hootch. Not a bad way to slip off to slumber land except for one small detail...we had to get up three hours later at the way too early hour of 8am in order to be ready for the airport shuttle at 10am.

And by "get up" I mean crawl pathetically towards the bathroom, whimpering and moaning like an injured dingo, longing for the cool, cool comfort of icy porcelain to stem the steady, 3/4 time, throbbing, drum beat of pain coursing through our nauseous noggins.

In our misguided zeal to drink in every last bit of flavor (and liquor) from SXSW, we seriously miscalculated the math of recovery time and were paying the price. It took both of us several tries to actually navigate movement from the bed to bath.

Jim, who pansied out on us at 10:30 the night before, was feeling no ill effects of his decision to bail early. I gotta say I was hatin' on him a little bit right then. But only a little.

Here's a little known fact (to me anyway) I've learned about Jim from this trip. He loves bacon. No, he is IN LOVE with bacon. He loves it perhaps more than anything or anyone else in his life, but only when he travels. He cannot get enough of its salty goodness. It's like he's conducting a clandestine torrid affair with this Princess of Pork product every time he finds himself in another town. He can't resist its seductive siren's song. Most relationships aren't this loyal. Seriously. Ha Ha!

We've decided we are going to bury him in a chrome roll-topped, chaffing dish-like casket filled with bacon. Instead of the usual wheat spray display, it will be a bundle of perfectly charred bacon strips baring a sash stating "to my one true love". This is the kind of shit that makes one howl with laughter when one's faculties are impaired by being stupidly hungover.

But I digress...

So after we eat our fill of breakfast and wash ourselves in coffee to try to spark an internal wake up, I ingest a handful of ibuprofen, don my Vampira dark glasses in an attempt to prevent the Texas sun from boring a whole in my brain via my bloodshot eyeballs and board the shuttle to the airport.

The shakiness of our personal start of the day should have clued us in to what lay ahead.

At first everything was going swell. We boarded on time, buckled in and sat... and sat... and sat. For over two hours, we sat waiting for the wretched winds to ease enough for the okay to take off. Mind you we only had a one hour layover in Dallas to catch our connection home.

Yeah. One hour. Not gonna happen.

Nothing to do except slip on our newly bought horse shoe shaped neck pillows, and catch some much needed winks. When we finally did land in the big-ass metropolis known as Dallas airport, we needed to sprint from Terminal A to Terminal B via the Skylink air rail. As luck would have it, our plane was still at the gate having been delayed by the inclement weather. We had a chance at making it.

Aside: now keep in mind I specifically booked our connection through Dallas, because, come on, flying via Chicago in March is just... you know, crazy talk, right? That's correct, genius. Turns out Chicago was 70, clear and calm. Oh Universe. Why must you always kick me in the crotch for your own twisted enjoyment. And please... not so loudly with the laughter. Major hangover here.

Anywho, we jump on the tram in time to hear the announcer say, "Attention all passengers. This train will not stop at Concourse B due to a security issue."

What the? You couldn't have told us that BEFORE we boarded?!?

So we run, walk, ride on the special cart to the gate. All hope is not lost. We can see the plane is still docked. We got a shot at this! We get to the counter and are greeted with...

"The flight is CLOSED, loser. Now step away from the counter before I release my devil dogs to tear you limb from limb, then use your severed arm to slap you in the face over and over until I tire of the sight of you crestfallen."

Nope. Lucifer's lapdog would not budge. But the plane was right there! No doubt it was waiting for Jim and Mary Ann's luggage to be loaded. We begged, pleaded, bribed but she would not thaw her icy heart enough to let us board. That's what we here in the Burgh call being a ginormous Jag Off.

So we said "Buh, Bye" to our bags and worked out a Plan B with Baby Jane's sweeter sister. Fifteen minutes later we were booked on a flight to our homeland via Charlotte arriving (God willing) at 11:30pm. Honestly, I still wasn't convinced we were getting home that night.

We may have been exhausted and disgusted, but we still had enough cognitive brain function left in us to snap this fun photo of me and my new boyfriend, Boney James. He's very low maintenance, doesn't eat much and always gives me his dessert.

After noshing and updating family as well as co-workers, we headed to the gate where we heard this lovely announcement:

"Ladies and Gentlemen. We WERE scheduled to board at this time, but we're waiting on a part for the plane and will be delayed. You stooges from Pittsburgh can just cool your jets. You ain't going anywhere, suckers! Not with that one hour layover in Charlotte. BWAhahahahahahaha!! *cough cough* *hack*"

Son of a biscuit eating bulldog! Are you kidding me?!?

And then I burst out laughing, because really...it was just too ridiculous not to be funny. Or maybe I just snapped. Or maybe I was going through the DTs from not drinking for ten hours. Whatev. It was humorous now.

Thirty minutes later we were in the not-so-friendly skies heading for the eastern seaboard. Aaaah, but this time the wind Gods were at our back and propelled us forward at the speed of a jet juiced on roids. We had enough time to leisurely stroll up to the gate in Charlotte. No lie. Strolled. No dripping forehead. No pit stains.

We were greeted with the most beautiful sign on Earth. It's so gorgeous, I'm posting it twice.

Look at that. It's beautiful. Even now it brings a little tear to me still blood shot eye.

Aside from having to strong-arm an American employee to release the luggage from its glass enclosed cell, the last leg of our Odyssey went off without a hitch. When we finally landed in Pittsburgh, I understood then why the Pope drops to his knees and kisses the tarmac every time he travels. I wanted to give my town a big ole, sloppy wet kiss... with lots of tongue. I was that happy to be home.

Our six hour trip turned into its own 14 hour fail blog. All that on three hours sleep and the mother of all hangovers. I finally walked through the door of our home at 12:37am, passed out in my own bed at 1:00am and cried out for mercy when the screech of the bastard alarm sounded at 5:00am.

I started my week already two days behind and have been playing catch up ever since, but boy... it was soooo worth it. :D

And So The End Has Come...

Okay, so it's almost 4am and I am tired...like walking dead tired. Seriously. I can barely type coherent sentences.

Today was the last day of our frivolity and we did it up right. And by right I mean we saw a grand total of eleven bands and Margaret Cho tonight and consumed gallons of alcohol. In fact, I'm still buzzed. Thank goodness we waited to until the last day to over indulge.

P.S.: it was f*cking COLD!! Yesterday it was 75 and sunny...today 45 and winds the velocity to rip your flesh from your bones. Okay, not that bad, but bloody miserably cold. Another good reason for us to imbibe aplenty, you know, for medicinal purposes.

So, here's the long and short of our final day in lovely Austin:

My friend Cindy graciously picked us up from the hotel and drove us north to a burger/beer joint (Dungo's) to hear her music friends and neighbors perform. They are a great bunch of people.

Headed to Rachel Ray's shindig at Stubb's BarBQ. Heard Jakob Dylan (yeah. I've been spelling his name incorrectly. Mea Culpa), She and Him and some wretched rap crap band. Commenced consuming Bloody Marys.

Headed across town to the Belmont to catch the band my fantasy husband produces, The Spring Standards (excellent!)... commenced consuming vodka tonics en masse whilst awaiting said band.

Stumbled into a cab to shoot cross town to scarf a ginormous slice of pizza before Matt Pond PA and Margaret Cho. Chug more vodka.

Flag a cabbie to go back across town to Antone's for the big Alex Chilton tribute at 12:30am. Jim pussied out on us so now it is our duty as friends to make his life hell and mock him mercilessly for bailing on us.

Cindy drove us to an all-night diner for some primo Texas breakfast grub before heading for the hotel.

Band recap for the night:

Brent Adair
Flat Stanley
She and Him
Jakob Dylan
some hideous Sgt. Pepper jacket wearing rap band
Karnivool (a really cool Aussie band)
The Spring Standards
Matt Pond PA
Dwight Twilley
The Postelles
Alex Chilton tribute with Jon Auer, John Doe, Mike Mills, Susan Cowsill, Evan Dando, Sondre Lerche and the WatsonTwins

I have lots of photos and videos to post some time next week, but now I gotta get my ass upstairs, torture Jim and hit the hay. 8am ain't too far away.

It has been a tremendous experience here at SXSW. I can't thank Cindy enough for her hospitality and guidance. Wilma, Betty and Barney made it through unscathed and no one yakked up a lung. Bonus.

Back to the Burgh and realty tomorrow. Austin, you have been awesome.

Aye Carumba! It's Only Friday?!?
or giving up and letting go, in a good way

Okay, so I think we're finally getting the hang of this beast of a festival known as SXSW. Today was the first time we all felt as though we were really rolling with it, not getting uptight about sticking with a plan and basically just letting things happen.

We started off walking to Red River Street to catch a Scottish band "We Were Promised Jetpacks" at the Mohawk. It was a gorgeous day! All sunshine and puffy clouds. We got to sit on the upper deck...in a chair, I might add...and listen to the boys with the charming accent rock out.

That done, we mosied down to nosh and see where the winds blew us. Here's a brief list of what we encountered:

I am loving East 6th Street! Let me just throw that out there. L-O-V-E it! There are so many great characters and goof balls. And literally one out of every five people wondering the streets is a musician. You can identify them by their skinny black jeans, equally black dyed hair and tattoos-- not to mention the fact they're rolling their amps and lugging their guitars from one bar to the next. I don't know why, but the site of the lads and lasses transporting their gear in the street among the masses makes me smile. But I digress and I'm slightly incoherent so forgive me...

Fun on 6th Street began with with crowd of tattooed drummer and flailing dancing boys who set up shop in the intersection and encouraged the most adorable three year old boy to join in the fun. It was delightful. Truly was my favorite part of the day. I have video of this that I'll post when I get home.

Got a cosmic head squeeze by a couple of crazy Incan zipper-faced people (photo will follow)

Accosted Banana Man while he was pimping for his band. He showed us his tip... Of the banana suit! Jeez. Get your heads out of the gutter!

Drank free hootch and listened to Luke Ducet thanks to the kind people of Canada. Mary Ann kinda defaced their flag a little, but, you know, they're so nice they forgave us AND gave us more free drinks.

Headed to the Convention Center to hear Jacob Dylan and Neko Case whilst sipping more cocktails, lounging on the most comfy bean bag this side of the universe. The recharge was greatly appreciated.

Took the long way across the river to catch Cheap Trick sing that classic "I Want You To Want Me" and a kicking version of "In The Streets" for Alex Chilton.

How's this for weird coincidence... as we were walking near the river, a couple was walking toward us. No one else on the street, but the five of us. Turns out it was Michele and Jon Auer. She's a Twitter friend and he's in the band The Posies and Big Star. I knew they were coming to SX, but never EVER expected to run into them on some random street. Life is interesting sometimes.

We kinda rolled with things the rest of the evening and found ourselves at the Austin Music Hall getting hijacked by "the funky soul phenomenon" named Sharon Jones. We had every intention of sneaking out after a couple songs to catch RaRaRiot, but HOLY CRAP!! She is amazing! I've heard her songs on the radio before, but no one belts out a song with the power of a locomotive or works that fringe like her. This midnight show was her third gig today and she never stopped. Wow! Thanks to Mary Ann for pushing us to see her.

So, to recap:

Had a great time letting go a little and allowing the current to take us wherever. Drank early and often. Heard great music from We Were Promised Jetpacks, Luke Ducet, Jacob Dylan & Neko Case, Rogue Wave, Cheap Trick, Freedy Johnston, Smoky Robinson and Sharon Jones and the DAP Kings.

It was another rich, full, happy day.

It's very late and this got very wordy. Tomorrow is another early start packed with who knows what. Off to bed for some well earned shut-eye. G'night... I'm so tired you'll have to think of your own witty ending.

Wait. It's Only Day Two?!?
or how much activity can you cram in one day anyway?

Okay, so today was day two of the great Flintstone Texan escapade. There's so much going on here that it feels more like we've been here at least four days already. It has been a blast. Exhausting, but a blast.

Lots of bands today, but first a few more observations from yesterday which I forgot in my sleep-deprived state.

We got lots of swag when we picked up our badges. I mean a TON, which also means we had to lug a TON of free crap around with us for most of the day until we thinned the swag heard by chucking the mags, tags and advert rags. But I'm keeping the condoms for grins. Oh yes I am.

I made the mistake of asking who Roky Erickson was which opened the door for some middle-aged peculiar cat to go on forever about his psychedelic roots and musical history and blahblahblahblahblahblah and omg shut up shut up shut the hell up before I shove this stir stick in my ear!!!!

But he meant well.

Remember the kids from the group Fanfarlo? Well one of them was totally sporting a stick-on porno stache, another was channeling Ted Kazinski only with a pink hoodie and junior the multi-instrument virtuoso was like..13 years old. That said, they were quite the highlight of the evening.

Young people smoke...a LOT. Seriously. A L-O-T.

Now for today's observations and happenings:

Paunchy middle-aged guys should not wear the double pony tail... neither should younger men. It just looks gay, Dude. Even if you are in a band.

It's rather frightening to stand behind tipsy, atonal, erratically dancing white guys while wearing open-toed sandals. Just saying.

An old teetering, drunk guy in plaid shorts chomping on a cigar leaves himself open for ridicule.

Watching Stone Temple Pilots + the sweet scent of ganga = 1993.

Tiny women really can pedal over 500 pounds worth of adults across town in one of those bicycle rickshaws.

Country Joe MacDonald mopily singing about freaking Florence Nightengale will send me running from a room.

It gets flipping chilly at night in Austin in March.

The recap:

Started the day off with oh-so-tasty crepes at a french place. Discovered a new band "The Daylight" at an outdoor party while basking in the warm sun. Saw Frightened Rabbits again (I'm seriously in love with this band). Caught Sondre Lerche perform. Made it in for Nicole Atkins and John Hiatt. Experienced the sheer power of STP. Walked in for Centromatic...walked out three songs later. You already know about Country Joe.

There were several bands we missed like Camper Van Bethoven, Ray Davies, Evan Dando, Lou Barlow... but you know, sometimes you have to make that musical Sophie's Choice. Plus I can't hog all the choices.

All in all a good day. Now I must return to my room so I can continue my torid affair with the hotel bed and its 400 count sheets. Adios.

(p.s.: sorry if there are missing words or misspellings. I'm not proofreading because I'm honestly too tired to care.)

In Which Wilma Flintstone Reflects On SXSW Day One

Okay, so me, Betty and Barney made it to Austin safely. It's been a rich, full day. It's late... very late, but I wanted to share some observations of our first experience at the Mother of all music fests.

1. lots of hipster doofuses with crazy short-brimmed straw-ish hats, bushy side burns and Elvis Costello eyewear.

2. tons of musicians in their "uniform" of tight, skinny leg black jeans, black leather jackets, black hair, black shoes...

3. generally loads of folks with ample tatoos, pink or green hair, piercings and odd, colorful outfits

4. everyone of these sorts have been very nice.

5. music playing literally EVERYWHERE!

6. drinking commenced early...continued late

7. kick-ass Mexican fare with my bud, Cindy.

8. Musical acts were outstanding! Okay Okkervil River performing with Roky Errickson--not so much, but unbelievable performances by Frightened Rabbit (I'm totally in love with these guys now!), Raul Malo kicking some amazing Tex-Mex mariachi beats and newcomers Fanfarlo laying the crowd out with their arsenal of instruments: guitar, bass, keyboards, mandolin, trumpet, violin and a freaking clarinet!?!

9. One word AWESOME and exhausting. Okay that's two words, so sue me I'm tired.

We had two more shows lined up, but we've been up for almost 24 hours and our dogs are barking. The spirit is willing...the flesh meh. At least we survived day one.

So adios muchachas. Tomorrow is another day to drink in more music and merry mayhem.

Yabba Dabba.. Doh!

or Wilma, Barney and Betty head for SXSW

Okay, so tomorrow me and my two buds, Howard and Mary Ann leave for the musical spectacle that is SXSW. (Geo, being of sound mind opted out of this particular jaunt.) I am equally excited and overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed because seriously I feel like I have been cramming for a final exam to a class I have never attended. There are a gajillion bands playing...and that's just on the "official" showcase listing. There are another thousand or so on the "unofficial" showcase list.

Yowza!!

I have officially slaughtered a small dell of trees in preparation of the four-day extravaganza. Paperless society, my ass!! Friends and other various SX veterans keep telling me to plan, but expect to just go with it once we get there.

Fair enough.

I suspect the consumption of free liquor and food will help stem my tendency to freak. Hell, it's just music, right? Something we don't like we can just move along to the next venue. The good thing is my pals are pretty laid back, and we'll be assisted at least part of the time by my friend and Austinite, Cindy.

Fortunately, the sun is expected to shine all week, heating up Austin to the mid 70s. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... That alone along with the Bar-B-Que will be worth it.

If I can find a computer and am coherent at the end of the evenings, I'll try to post updates of our Flinstone adventures outside of Bedrock. But then again, the less coherent I am the better my writing might be. We shall see.

Now if I can just figure out what shoes to wear and how much to pack and, oh yeah I need these papers, and what about snacks, and....

Pray for us.

In Which Sometime Ones Musical Dreams Come True

Okay, so I am one lucky SOB.

Seriously.

First of all, I'm married to the greatest man on earth. He continues to go above and beyond. Case in point, last Friday we drove five hours across the chubby Commonwealth of PA to Philly in order to attend a concert featuring the two musical loves of my LIFE... Francis Dunnery AND Rhett Miller!!!!

I repeat:

Francis Dunnery AND Rhett Miller... together... on the same stage... in the same evening!?!

The whole event came about to celebrate the 20th anniversary of WXPN's morning DJ, Michaela Majoun. Turns out these two gents are her favorites as well. Marvelous taste Ms. Majoun has.

Yoda! What did I tell you about messing with my keyboard?

That's Michaela on the left. I LOVE her for putting this together. She got more than one big ole bear hug of thanks from me that evening. I'm happy to say I refrained from planting a big, sloppy, wet kiss on her. Now THAT would have been awkward...even if we were drunk. ;-)

Anywho, we met up with Kate (she's the woman right above me), Francis' house concert booker along with some other house concert hosts. Tony, our favorite merch guy was there, too. Erica and Francis brought their German guests (who hosted Francis), Rolf and Anka and their two adorable children, Julie and Lily. It was like old home week.

Geo and Rolf

Rolf's daughter Julie, looking adorable in Geo's hat

That's the cool thing about Francis. Once you have him to your home, you're part of his clan and are invited to visit him any time. We really like these people very much. They are so warm, affectionate and inclusive. They feel like family, without all the crappy expectations.

So back to the show.

Francis was up first. He played a short set which included his popular "Too Much Saturn" and this cover of Peter Gabriel's "Solisbury Hill".

He's such an amazing, effortless guitarist.

However, he's so used to the intimate house setting, I think the chattiness of the crowd threw him a bit. They were really loud. I find that so rude, and not just because they're talking over my buddy. As we like to say here in Pittsburgh, it's just ignorant. Geo's favorite line is "don't you just hate it when the band you've paid money to see is so loud you have to scream over them to talk to your friends?" Ha Ha! He kills me.

Then it was Rhett's turn.

In his usual fashion, he plowed through roughly 15 songs with his usual high energy, working up a complete, full-on sweat by the third song. The crowd had gathered around the front of the stage (including me, natch), but still there was chatter. I don't know. I don't get it. I seriously do not get it.

Another Girlfriend

Singular Girl

He ended his set with "Time Bomb" (his signature closer), jumped off stage and headed for the back when a radio-type asked him for an encore. So he finished his evening uncharacteristically with the rocking "Our Love", incorporating Michaela's name into the lyrics.

Then Kate let us tag along backstage where we were greeted with a big bear hug and kiss (for me, not Geo...although maybe he got one too) from Francis.

Y'all know how much I love hugs, right? Well, I do. LOVE em. Can't get enough of them from people I dig.

Rolf and his family were there, Kate, Erica, us...all yakking about this and that together. I looked to the other side of the room, and there was my little Rhett... all by himself putting his guitar away with no one talking to him. Unable to bear anyone being left out, I took one for the team and went to say hi.

I know, right? It's a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

But honestly, I felt bad. Everyone else was there for Francis. Turns out Geo and I were the only two of his fans in the room. We had a lovely conversation about recording, the beauty of bonus tracks, the Olympics, how my beloved Pens beat his Stars... I was surprised he brought that up. I had sent him a picture of the final score to jag him. In any case, he was as sweet as sweet could be, especially to agree to this..

So, my two dream men of rock finally met and performed together. They seemed to really hit it off, too. We must be living right this year. Either that or perhaps I have a fatal tum-ah which will cut my life short and God's doing me one last solid for the road. In any case, as the cheezeburger cat says "I can diez happy?"

Yeah. It was a good night. It was a very good night indeed.

Friday Photo #37

Oh yeah, like you're surprised. Two of my current favorite things together on the screen...Curling and a person named after a male body part. You just knew I'd have to share it.

My inner 12 year old boy is chuckling.

(Note: I was rummaging through my old posts and realized I never posted this gem from the Olympics. Good Lord! How could I have missed this? It still made me chuckle, so here it is.)