What I Did On The Last Bit Of Summer Vacation #Bragaboutit (Part One)

Okay, so as Summer's glorious reign begins to wane, I thought I'd reflect back on some highlights from the second half of my favorite season on this spinning orb we all call home.

Sun + Surf + Friends + Old 97's = PERFECTION

What could be the cherry on top of the beach-time-with-girlfriends sundae? Why, having the greatest live band alive perform at the shore, of course. I was stoked when the summer leg was announced and my favorite foursome, Old 97's was set to play in both Dewey Beach AND the legendary Stone Pony on back-to-back evenings!! And to add to the pot 'o music gold, Tommy Stinson of The Replacements fame was slated as their opener.

Steph, Melissa and Sheila joined Cindy and me for the beach bash. These ladies are so awesome to be with. There is no drama, no walking on egg shells, no jealousy...just a loving, supportive sisterhood that rocks out together.

Melissa making an impression

It was all about Melissa that night. She's a guitar freak who knows her shit regarding axes (Man, that lingo sounds uber lame coming from me. It will cease and desist. Promise.), and she lovesLovesLOVES Ken from the 97's. I'm not sure which she loves more, him or his guitars, but either way he/they rev her engine.

oooo…pretty red to match my blood shot eyes

Anywho, it was her day, fo sho. She hit the trifecta. Outside the venue, she got to talk shop with Murry, the bass player about his bass and other equipment queries. Then she met Tommy Stinson coming out of the men's room before the show and impressed him so much, he dedicated a song to her, calling her out by name. THEN, Ken was grinding his guitar all up in her euphoric face during the show.

WINNER!!

"how do you like my ax, Melissa?
my guitar's not bad either."
BadaBING!!

"THE tommy stinson, muthafuckers!!"
or something like that
you get the idea
there was glorious cursing

Rhett introduced Tommy, twice in fact because the crowd wasn't getting the gravitas of the situation, punctuating the second go-round with "the Great Tommy FUCKING Stinson!" I had no idea what to expect from the former child prodigy and founding member of the Replacements. He was unexpectedly jovial, charming and engaging with the audience. He laughed all the way through his set, poking fun at himself for forgetting lyrics occasionally. I liked him a lot. I understand why Mr. Miller enjoys his company so much.

Besides, who wouldn't love a legendary punker who isn't ashamed to dangle store rewards cards from his badass, punk rock, large-link chain, huh?

no shit, man
he likes him a savings
and no, i was NOT looking at his package

At the Pony, whenever he duffed a lyric, he burst into a rousing chorus of "Hey, Good Lookin'". As Chris Hardwick from the brilliant @midnight would say... POINTS!!!


 Now if only the audience would shut the hell up!

The setlists for this tour are predictably Most Messed Up heavy. I've been lucky enough to catch enough shows to hear ever song from the album performed live. (as the kids say on The Twitter: #Blessed) The shows have been uncharacteristically similar except for a number of slots wherein Rhett mixes it up from show to show. I've noticed there're about five or six master lists recycled throughout these legs. However, the blue-eyed lovely one is conscious of fans seeing back-to-back gigs, and he takes great pains not to do the same list two nights in a row.

oh, hey there handsome

No matter. These four play their brains out, and Rhett changes-up his interpretations from one venue to the next in accordance to the energy of the house, or his mood, or the amount of Jameson in his red solo cup. :)  Or so it seems to me, but what do I know, except they are NEVER boring or phone it in. Besides, they have such an enormous ouvre of amazing material, I honestly can't fathom how he chooses what they play from night to night.

guest geetar hero

rockstar move
perspective is a funny thing
#bigfoot

rockin' the white pants
this pose… *sigh

see that look
yeah, he's thinking about how hawt I looked in my tankini four years ago
what? shut up!

ridiculously cute

ken, after his red guitar finally worked

I dig Rhett's new trend of slinging his
guitar to the side while singing
hawt

In Dewey they came crashing on stage with a fierce WUZZA and didn't let up until Rhett raised his guitar triumphantly over his head after 90+ glorious, sweat-soaked minutes. In between they had fun playing around with each other and the fans. There was no female opener to join Rhett on 4 Leaf Clover this evening, but Tommy came out to play alongside Ken on Intervention. They never disappoint. EVER.

another triumph of rock in the books
red solo cup celebration

Weird Note: halfway through the show, a fight broke out. Yes, a fight. What the Hell, Eric?* I didn't see the brawl myself, but the end result was a man being carried out upside down by security. Or so I'm told. WTF, man. It's the beach. Calm the fuck down!!

*a That 70s Show reference

And what is with dudes busting in front of their women folk to be against the stage?? Where the fuck are their manners?!

Also, this happened…

dude's got a freaking jet pack!!

Moving on to Jersey...

we got a little extra sun on this trip

Both shows were fantastic, but The Pony was especially off  the charts! Crazy high energy that made me tired just watching them.

guitar fight

whistling boy

one kick-ass bass playa

Their performance of Longer Than You've Been Alive was downright inspired, sung and played with incredible passion. They maintained that level of verve all the way through the last bittersweet chord of Time Bomb.

ken, shredding

and the fans were all singing' and screaming' and squealin'

The packed house was all in, too. One of the best crowds of which I've been a part. Singing, screaming, shaking their asses. No pushing, shoving or fighting in contrast to Dewey. A cohesive unit whose only goal was to be collectively immersed in the moment with a religious fervor.

from the interwebs
thank you stranger for your photo skillz

NJ's favorite daughter, Nicole Atkins stepped up to sing a spirited 4 Leaf Clover with Rhett. And then they unveiled a new, pumped up version of the more somber Dressing Room Walls.



(There are a whole slew of videos from the Pony on Charlie Cirillo's YouTube Channel including Every Night, Most Messed Up and Time Bomb. I don't know him, but clearly I agree with his taste in music.)

pre-rock jump
the waiting is the hardest part...
(courtesy of denise zimmerman)

the satisfied smile says it all
no, thank YOU all for an amazing evening

The entire concert was so fabulous! Truly a "triumph of rock." The beach setting definitely agrees with these fellas.

life is better at the beach

Cindy and I got a rare chance to visit with everybody briefly after the show, including Mike, their tour manager and Jeff, merch guy extraordinaire. Even though they had a long drive to Massachusetts ahead of them, they graciously took time to speak with everyone who was waiting around. I really love these gentlemen.

i threw in the finger for no extra charge

This was the first time I've ever been to the Pony or Asbury Park. It was too cool to be in this storied venue. The walls are covered with hundreds of guitars, photos of performers (primarily Bruce) and the soundtrack is distinctly Jersey. The house has such a great vibe. You can sense the spirit of legends oozing from its walls. It's a perfect space for my Texas Monsters of Rock.

the pony is strangely isolated

Bruuuuuuuce

1001 guitars

Asbury Park is not at all the dangerous dump of yore. It has become gentrified over the past several years, and transformed into a beautiful destination. The boardwalk is cleaned up and filled with swanky restaurants, shops, an adorable spray park and an arcade museum filled with vintage pinball machines. The beach is clean and well attended. The surrounding eight block radius, which once was sketchy, is now a bit of a hipster haven with boutiques, trendy coffee shops and organic fare restaurants. It is lovely!!

spray park on the boardwalk
you know, for kids

Tilly
this freaky-ass visage was everywhere

swan rides on the adjoining river

hipster breakfast joint, Toast

We stayed at a gay hotel at the end of the boardwalk called The Empress. I had high hopes it would be similar to the ultra fab OUTNYC in New York, but alas, the amenities were less than fabulous. The pool area, replete with dangling disco ball, Tiki Hut bars and handsome males was gorgeous, but the rooms were in serious need of updating. I mean, standard issue bottled shampoos, gels and lotions??!

Hooka, Pa-LEASE!!!

They need to spring for the spa-quality product dispensers if they want to be a drag-queen destination. So disappointing. I have faith they will step up the renovations in time for our next jaunt east to have our faces melted by the 97's.


As indicated by the title, more end-of-summer fun to come in later posts. Until then, here are the setlists to peruse at your leisure if you are so inclined, as I am because I'm a big setlist nerd.


Dewey Bottle and Cork                                                                The Stone Pony

WUZZA                                                                                        WUZZA
Streets of Where I'm From                                                            Streets of Where I'm From
Dance With Me                                                                             Dance With Me
Longer Than You've Been Alive                                                  Longer Than You've Been Alive
She Loves The Sunset                                                                   Indefinitely
Ex of All You See                                                                         Ex of All You See
Niteclub                                                                                         Niteclub
Lonely Holiday                                                                             Bird In A Cage
Give It Time                                                                                 This is the Ballad
Iron Road                                                                                      Iron Road 
Nashville                                                                                       Nashville
Every Night Is Friday Night (without you)                                  4 Leaf Clover (w/Nicole Atkins)
Question                                                                                        Question
Let the Whiskey Take the Reins                                                   Wish the Worst
W TX Teardrops                                                                           W TX Teardrops
Barrier Reef                                                                                  Wasted
Let's Get Drunk and Get It On                                                      Barrier Reef
Mama Tried                                                                                  Dressing Room Walls
Big Brown Eyes                                                                            Let's Get Drunk and Get It On
Intervention                                                                                   Can't Get a Line
Career Opportunities                                                                     Big Brown Eyes
4 Leaf Clover                                                                                Doreen
-----                                                                                                ---       
Most Messed Up                                                                            Every Night Is Friday Night
Time Bomb                                                                                    Most Messed Up
                                                                                                       Time Bomb

In Which Mascots Rivalries Bring Out The Best In Baseball

Okay, so a number of baseball clubs have mascots who race each other in the middle of the fifth inning in an attempt to lure fans back to their seats after losing them to boredom and the sweet siren's song of french fried EVERYTHING around the fourth inning.

The Milwaukee Brewers have sausages,

The Oakland A's have past players

The Washington Nationals have oversized Presidents

and the Pirates have Pierogies, in deference to our large Eastern European population. And their delicious booty-expanding fillings. Mmmmm….

Anywho, the last couple of years the competition has been getting fierce between the Presidents and the hometown dumplings. There is no love lost betwix these rival mascots. They travel to each other's cities several times during the season to throw down in a hugely amusing manner.

It started with this pile up and beat down:




Then our stuffed dough balls drew first blood by plotting a prank to T-Bone Teddy on the homestretch by launching himself off of a table. You can watch the video here. (Oh, and hey I actually figured out how to post it below. Score one for the antiquity. Woot!)




Tonight Teddy had revenge on his mind, and turned the table, so to speak, using the same diabolical technique to table dive on an unsuspecting Potato Pete.



OMG, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!

Geo and I were CRYING watching the GIF over and over and over and over… infinity.

If I wasn't such a fucking dinosaur and had any kind of computer skills, I could post the hilarious GIF directly onto this blog. But, alas, my T-Rex arms are too short and my brain too pea-like to make that happen. Instead, a link to the GIF is here.

Teddy totally made Potato Pete his bitch, YO! Then just to be a total douche, he crushes him AGAIN after taking the tape. Ha Ha!

There are TONS of other mascot mayhem videos on the YouTube to entertain your ass for hours. I just wasted about 30 minutes of my life laughing my butt off.

Oh, baseball. You're antics are good for the soul.

In Which I Attempt To Cope With Life's Tough Passage

Okay, so it's been a rough number of months. I don't want to bellyache too much here, because, really who wants to read that crap, so I'll attempt to be brief.

Geo's Mom has been in and out of the hospital/rehab since March. What started off as surprise knee replacement surgery (from which the 87 year-old Wonder Kid kicked butt recovering), has progressed to our Bionic Baba grappling with a mystery blood loss, leukemia scare, possible bowel obstruction, low blood sugar and general fear of living alone. And just as she was starting to manage the tide of physical therapists, occupational therapists and nurse visitations, she's back in the hospital due to dehydration and possible gall stones.

That poor thing. Her entire quiet, controlled world has been turned upside down. She's a worrier by nature anyway, and now she is overwhelmed. Adding to the pot, she has contracted the Mother of all staph infections, C-Diff which has kept her isolated from the general populace in her rehab facility. As if that isn't enough to contend with, she is having a particularly awful side effect from a new medication which may or may not be the source of her current psychotic break. There seems to be no end in sight. Heartbreaking.

Growing old is not for the weak.

Needless to say, between my schedule, Geo's busy season at work and his steady trips to visit his Mom in the hospital/rehab, we have had little time together. But, boy howdy, we found time to have a ginormous, knock-down, drag out fight, the intensity of which has not been seen since we were newlyweds and the heat of our shouting melted the wallpaper.*

Then the Pens squandered a 3-1 game lead to lose to the FUCKING RANGERS!! ACK! Only booze helps.*

(*Note of full disclosure: in my ongoing inability to finish what I start, this post was begun months ago, hence the hockey reference. The Pens went on to squander the series, resulting in an early golf season and a major personnel shake down. Blerg.)



Sprinkled amidst the stress has been a number of high points which have helped keep me sane. Meanwhile, it's my stoic Geo who really needs the distraction as he tries to come to terms with this newfound sense of helplessness regarding his Mother's care and general well-being. Alas, there lies the rub of our current situation. In any case, here's a brief round up:

Mother's Day was a boisterous house full of family and friends. It gives me great joy to watch Big Mar sparkle and come to life in her social element surrounded by those she loves.

Photobombing guests with the classic Pitt Cheerleader move. Bonus: Ricky didn't snap his spine and Murray didn't pee her pants.

YOLO, MoFos!

I took four days off to travel to visit my sister-friend, Steph and her adorable cherub, Melody. We hung out, spent a day at Ocean City eating every deliciously unhealthy thing we could get our hand on and were immersed in bouffants, boas and animal print at Hon Fest in Balmer. Her hubby even made us dinner one night. HOLLA! So much fun!

baby's first carousel ride

little mj could not get enough of the beach

stimulus overload décor only acceptable at the beach

a plethora of kites

Honfest, doggie style
wait... that doesn't sound right

my favorite Hons of the day
men in frocks... gotta love it

honfest mascot

priceless

The following week was Pelino Sisters Week At Long Beach Island. June proved to be unintentionally busy. I pinkie swear to Baby Jesus I did not plan to travel so much that month. Anywho, this year my brother's wife, Leslie braved the incessant talking and joined us. It was as heavenly as usual. Cocktails, sun, seafood, cocktails, surf, cocktails. Rinse and repeat. I have to say it was so fun having Leslie chill in the lagoon with me all afternoon. These girl weekends always rejuvenate the soul.

four.. four pelini sisters

my adorable sister

our private pool on a gorgeous shore morning

big mar and her sun-lovin' brood
partial, anyway

And then there were the outings with my spectacular niece, Regi. She introduces me to all sorts of zany stuff, like Evil Dead, The Musical. A campy, tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek musical based on the splatter horror flicks starring the one and only, Bruce Campbell. For a diminutive local, storefront theater, it was really well acted, especially the young man playing Bruce Campbell.

poor dear. i am her id

These people were hilarious. And the splatter was awesome. Gobs and gobs of it sprayed the designated splatter zone. And everywhere else, for that matter. Being the space was only five rows deep, pretty much all of the theater was a splatter zone. We all were handed ponchos, but several patrons opted to mar their cheap suits in streaks of stage blood.

front row splatter lovahs

doesn't he look like Bruce Campbell?!

The laughs were often and of the belly variety.

She and I also went to see the live RiffTrax (former cast members of Mystery Science Theater 3000) performance of Sharknado. Mike Nelson and company set up shop in a theater in Minnesota in front of an audience and riff on the abundant stupidity that is Sharknado much to the delight of audiences in select theaters across the US. Uber amusing.

And then this happened.

RAAAAWR!

YOWZA!! Mr. Hunkapaloosa, Joe Manganiello (a local boy from my neighboring borough) was in town for the premiere and his directorial debut of the strip club documentary, La Bare. There was a Q & A with Alcide after the showing. He was just as delightful, charming and self-depracating as you would hope. He represents the Burgh very well. And he dates Sofia Vergara. Jebus! I can't even imagine how gorgeous those chillins would be. Their all-consuming beauty would be deadly.

Man, it's fun to hang out with a grown up niece.



On the musical front:

Went to see Alabama Shakes. The music started sounding the same after about five songs, but Holy Hell, she is quite the force. To be honest, though, the evening was as much about the camaraderie with my girlfriends and Top Cat as it was the music.

The Mavericks are a Tex Mex prescription to cure any ill, for an evening anyway. No opener, a plethora of hits and covers over two + hours, two encores including an accordion version of Boogie Shoes, and an uber animated long-haired guitar player in a white suit. Who could ask for more. Dancing and singing with friends does a heart good.

I know, I know. you can't see his face,
but I love the lighting and this is my blog so..
shut the hell up
and enjoy these videos

And then there was Neko Case backed by Kelly Hogan at the Byham Theater, where acts perform under a ceiling of boobs.

Neko did an in-studio performance at WYEP the afternoon prior to the show, singing three new songs and sharing some jarring facts about her family dynamic. The interview is streaming here. And yes, Kelly WAS playing a Garden Weasel tine. The show was incredible. She has a strict NO CAMERAS/CELLPHONE policy. She's a very strong person who demands your attention. Standing on stage in her skeleton pants, with her mane of unruly red hair, and feral intensity... she made me want to be fierce.


The ever-energetic Fitz and the Tantrums was my inaugural outdoor concert at the fabulous Stage AE on the north shore. They are just one big, non-stop party! A huge neon heart, lots of spot lights with happy face cookies, and a confetti cannon amped the evening up to eleven. The packed house willingly aped Fitz' gestures, pogoed (even me even though jumping up and down is a dangerous thing for a woman of a certain age, yo) and took over the vocals for several of their bigger hits. A sweaty, fun time was had by all.

a happy ending

Here's Nicole shadow dancing her wee heart out.





And lastly, local favorite sons, The Clarks had their CD release party for their outstanding effort, Feathers and Bones outdoors at Stage AE. Their show capped off a delightful evening with one of my favorite chica buddies, Suzanne. Deck Mojitos, barbecue and exquisite White Pear Martinis in a swanky-ass eatery was the precursor to the Clarks triumphant performance. Much like my loves, Old 97's, they've been together for 28 years. Much like Most Messed Up, Feathers and Bones is their most mature, honest and well-received album to date. Their new stuff rocks live, too! Scott, Rob, Greg and Dave could not be any nicer. Always sweet to their fan base.

In addition to a stop at WYEP, Scott and Rob always take time to stop by our little dog and pony morning show to sing a few songs and do the weather. Scott's a freak about weather. Their performances are at 11:00 and 40:00.

proud papa scott singing with his adorbs daughter

shimmy shimmy low

One of the things I love about their outdoor show is how their wives and kids sit on the side of the stage during the show. During Shimmy, Shimmy Low, Scott's little girl ran up and sang with him. So freaking SWEET!! And so wonderfully Pittsburgh.

the families bunked on the stage

the grateful local legends

Here's the band singing Map of the Stars off the new album.





The summer was in full swing that evening, making it necessary to go home and hose off before bed, but I'm not complaining. I love this season, sticky weather and all.


Great friends, family and music are the stuff of survival when life rears up and punches you square in the nuts. I'm so grateful. I only wish Geo could have a similar release.

"Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option." - Maya Angelou

I've been thinking about these wise words a lot over the past several months. I am a lucky woman blessed with many friends located near and far. Each of them fit into a particular facet of my splintered personality. Each is a wonderful human being whose strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies add brilliant colors to my life's paint box. Each is a unique spirit, whose light, kindness and humor bring unmitigated joy to this ole bag o' bones.

There are levels of closeness in relationships. Some of these outstanding humanoids have struck a chord deep within my soul. We trust each other implicitly. We have built a bond which enables us to be our true selves, warts and all, without fear of rejection. Destined to be friends forEVAH no matter the physical distance between us.

Others in this marvelous Whitman Sampler fall into more of a group designation. Kindred spirits in a specific interest, be it music, athletic activity (which is code for drinking wine in yoga pants*), or a common hobby/passion. And some I refer to as my imaginary friends**. These are the people I've befriended via social media whom I've never met, but who make me laugh, cry and think every day.

Like I said, I'm blessed.

I try to be the best friend I can to each of my peeps, and let them know how much joy they bring to my pitiful existence. I know I'm far from perfect, but I try really hard not to be an asshole.

And yet, there are several people I have been very close with who have suddenly pushed me to arm's length. Okay, not so suddenly. The signs have been there, building for a year, but I have been in foolish denial mode BECAUSE I LIKE THEM, DAMMIT!! We were really tight, or so I thought. Where once phone conversations and texts were prevalent, now my messages are generally ignored and calls put off. I mean, I can see being shunned if I had breached a trust or some other such heinous action, but to my knowledge I have done nothing to poison the well. It's the not knowing why that I abhor.

It stings.

And hurts.

A lot.

So many amazing people in my life, and I focus my sights on the ones who are done with me, like a dog in a room full of animal lovers who insists on winning over the one dissenter.

In one case, this presumed former friend is like a cat, and we all know how cats are… cold, aloof, operating on their own agenda. But we were close, you know? She was my confidant, my pragmatic sounding board. We got along well. I don't understand her 180.

In another, the contact was much more frequent. Major bonding over lots of long phone calls, happy hours and visits. Our kinship was strong. We share so much common ground, which is probably why this particular fade plagues me the most. I'm not stupid. I recognize some friendships have a shorter shelf life, but I invested a lot of time and effort into these relationships. I believe I have earned an explanation as to why I suddenly lost my usefulness. I've reached out innumerable times, only to have my hand left bobbing in the icy wind. 

I miss them, and others, however, it is clear I have become an option, not a priority. Even though my heart refuses to let go, in my head, I know it's time to cut the chord and let that balloon float away...



*totally stolen from the interwebs
**totally stolen from my buddy, Steph