all of my tears

Age and work have really cut into my concert schedule. Remember when we used to go to @ least a show a week? metro -err, cabaret Metro - was the center of the universe? Remember getting there hours before the show so we could be front and center, and going to take a piss be dammned?

Well, was @ the Metro for the first time since....... well, since game 2 of the 2003 NL playoffs (I remember because - and i've writen this before - but that nite I was triple decked in the black and silver and walked straight through the crowd of the great unwashed outside of Wrigley. I do so love to appear from time to time in crowds of that sort to feel the power of myself. And to attract lots and lots of attention.). Have I seen a show since 2003 @ the Metro? I can't remember (it was that hippy group that has like 20 members in the group- i'm in the video for tat one song they recoreded that nite).

2003. Jeeze. Err, make that Sheesh, so I'm not so irreligious.

But last nites show was a return to those days, I feel. Dragon and I saw Spiritualised, and guess what?

Great show.

Great show as it was -DO NOT confuse it Spiritualised 1996 or 1997. It wasn't Shockingly Stand Still Because We're Right At The Front Of The Stage And I'm Freaking Out , or the Can I Please Drop To My Knees In Prayer Because This Fucking Show In An Ex Church in Michigan Is Freaking My System Down- but it was a great rock show. It was better than Pitchfork - something about inside a small club w/ a thousand crowd rather than 17,000 people in an outdoor fest - and I will testify that it was brilliant.

And I didn't expect it. It's been awhile since I really rocked out to Spiritualised on a daily basis- yes, I did see them over the summer and continually played - when it was in bloom - that live Glastonbury "Take Yr Time" - possibly my favourite version of possibly my favourite song of theirs - but their mailine time in my life has basicsally passed. Still lov'em, but their centrality is not central. However, they but on such trancendent shows, that when I can , i will always see them.

That Double door show a decade ago - wow. Such a impact. It wasn't music to danse to - Vamdom (this is a man who lives in Cali and is no longer frenz w/ Vito - i used to think he looked like a vampire when he had shoulder lenght hair. Not to be confused also w/ the Vampire, so named because of Halloweens passed.) pointed that out because in those days we were streaked wet w/ salty sweat and freezing in our tropically drenched t shirts because we jumped and danced and turned and flipping the hair and dansed and dansed and dansed - but this 1996 show, at the Double Door - wasn't that sort of show.

But the thing was, it was so good, we wee boys didn't actually have to dance our way through the rock show to totally get some sorta kick ass experience - we just stood there and let it....wash all over us. We were in a moment, no movement seemed necessary, and it was wonderous. That Church show a little later duplicated the feeling. Those two shows showed me that although dansing is a key to some shows - it certainly wasn't for all.

And guess what - last nites show, I dansed to half the fucking songs. Spiritualised - a DANSE BAND? Certianly not - except for last nite. "Walking w/ Jesus" , another song, "Good Dope/Good Fun" (Yes, The Voice Screamed out after that song "THAT WAS FUN!!" , since I knew "CUT YR HAIR HIPPIES" mite be misunderstood by the band), and the song that ended the set "...The Other Side" - was the best.

Oh - there was time to stare and enjoy - they certainly did play "Shine a Light" as they always have. Wasn't a perfect show, however. There were some standing/staring/wondering "when will this song end?" songs, of course. Spiritualised specializes in long and LOUD feedback jams. Some left me waiting for the end, but others.....well, more or less took me to the other side. And some of the other songs that have made me stand/stare in the past decade - "All of my Tears" or "Take your time" come to mind - were NOT PLAYED. But that's ok - hate to see the Beatles play again and only play the covers they did @ the Cavern Club.

Ans Jason? Didn't tell him a gallohello - I forgot, and he probably wouldn't have wanted me yelling out "Gallo says hello !!". But Happy was the Dude - really - he very obviously was having a great time and when they came back for an encore - more obviously happy body language.

I just had a good time. There was maybe plans to hit the Sox game that nite - only 13 home left and it was 1/2 price nite - but decided the Thursday nite game (yes, J and B'r's, mite mean I'ma missing that nite - and maybe more)and maybe Friday were betetr bets. Especially since the rain had turned out Comiskey's lights. There were plans to go totally lazy and stay @ home (and if our russian friend was in commision, I'da probably just stayed @ home - 2d day as I write, y'all). But Gf said I should go to the show, Dragon was going, and I was very happy. And funny. An ingrediant gone, and I go from standing and staring to dansing the whole show (well, 1/3 of the show). I should learn. And I should go to more concerts and Sox games. I really should.