The Ponies (Saturday, 11 August.3)

Wanted to see the Ponies, and a free show @ a street fest on Damen and Chicago seemed ideal. Dragons old gang territory. Have never seen them, or have any of their music, but like a lot of stuff that’s come to me, the Ponies came to me via That crowd. @ a cook out, Johnny Gunners and Kats old crib near the park, just sitting on the porch cookouting, and they Ponies were music+d up on the box. I remember asking Dragon “Listening to this shit? It‘s good.”. It was nice finally to see them in concert, and they were very good. It’s funny, but I have heard them only a few times on the cd, but some of their songs on that first LP were easily recognized---- and gotten into again. Really good. Scruffy band, like an early 90’s looking deal, and music to match- I’m trying to not use grunge-- but with, guess what, a nice beat. I’ve read they have had some changes etc, but I liked what I heard.
We also walked around the fair a bit. The suggested donation to get in was $5- a suggested donation. In the past, I haave never paid a suggested donation, but not brazenly. I’d find some unguarded spot, a low fence, a gangway not properly closed off. But w/ Gf………….…she paid. Didn’t stop me from checking out good weak points in the defenses. There was the possibility the next day that we’d go back to eat @ a good booth they had there, and it was agreed that we’d walk up a long untended alley for free entrance.
I always love a free entrance. We used to sneak into movies @ a certain movie theatre longtemps ago by using the fire exits. Did it a lot.

Sometimes more work is needed-and bravado. I used to be a serious high school basketball junkie. I’d end up going to 60-70 games a year for 4-5 years in the mid 90’s, follow all the stories, the news, saw all the keys teams and made sure I was @ special tournaments and match-ups.
For some games, I’d just flash my I.D., to get in, and the guards @ the door would think I had official business. @ other schools, I had to flash the I.D. while I had my camera in my hand-- I was playing the newspaper photographer. All to skip the $4-5 @ the door. Then again, I did go to 60-70 games a year.
And sometimes just luck was needed. Once there was a huge matchup in the SouthSubarbs, and I’d gotten use to going to a certin schools games. Well, this nite it was sold out, and I found my frustrated self stuck on the outside of the gym with 20 disappointed kids- until a sympathetic adult let us sneak in. I also played the adult - we had to move quickly and quietly so a security guard would not stop us, and the kids naturally accepted my “Lets go. And keep it quiet guys!” . All twenty did.
A final example was one of opportunity: a tournament @ a university, Dragon and I getting ready to pay our $10, when there- a rapidly closing door. A quick not-obvious-am-I-? reaction won the door open for us.

Ole!!