Show Month

Two down...at least one more to go.

Maybe you have one too--a checklist of things you want to do in life. Some of mine are trivial, others garden-variety, all ultimately personal. This week I've made a strikingly rapid assault on this checklist, having seen two bands I love, and one coming this weekend.

It began Tuesday with The Police...





Great show!! One that you just enjoy and soak in the pleasure of seeing this tumultous trio play the songs from childhood, remembering how I never thought I would have the chance because these guys have a history of not getting along and on-stage fights. They played every song I wanted to hear, except for Synchronicity II, but I'm not complaining. Andy Summers looks every bit of 65, but can still play. Made me think how fun it might be to be the old guy in a band with young, highly-talented players and eventually make it big. A guy can dream, right? A surprising thing was the average age of the crowd. Prior to the show, I speculated average age being thirty, but I would say most were 40 or older. Lots of grey hair there. All in all, great show. My first visit to the new Sprint Center here in KC, which I watched being built from the ground up from my nearby apartment.

And then Wednesday night, Wilco....




This is the second time I've seen them. This time was better than the last show. This one was an outdoor show in Lawrence, KS--a great college, somewhat bohemian, town. They played several songs from Being There--the CD that introduced me to them--which made me very happy. Last time at the Uptown, they essentially played the new songs from Sky Blue Sky and selections from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Ghost is Born. My personal favorites were "Say You Miss Me," "Misunderstood"--which is much better and easier to appreciate live, "Handshake Drugs," and they played "California Stars" from the Mermaid Avenue album with Billy Bragg--one of the great leisure songs. And, its lyrics are written by Woody Guthrie. The whole album was an interesting project, profiled in a documentary that you should rent.

Next....Radiohead...the topper!...