Well, that’s it. Another school year in the books. Today was the the last day of school for the girls. Sarah finished her first year of High School and Tracy finished what may be her last year of teaching 6th grade. They are a little excited…
The kid has had a banner freshman year. She made a lot of new friends, secured 1st chair violin in her school orchestra, and got straight A’s in the first semester for the first time in her life. She also learned how to play the ukulele, got into the Bay Youth Concert Orchestra for next year, and grew what seems like 2 feet.
Tracy got a new job teaching 8th grade english and civics at her school. She taught 7th grade english a while ago, and just finished a run at teaching 6th grade social studies. She’s looking forward to the change.
So it’s time for summer! Starting off with tomorrow. We are leaving to go up north to our family cottage on the Jersey Shore for a few days. The main reason we are going is to go see U2 in Philly on Sunday. We are big fans and have seen them a bunch of times – the last time at Madison Square Garden a couple of years ago. I counted it up the other day and this will be my 10th U2 show. The first being on my birthday in 1985. They are so amazing in concert and we go see them every chance we get. At least once during each tour. This tour is a little special, though. It’s the 30th anniversary of the Joshua Tree album, so they are playing the whole album in order – along with other songs before and after. This is the first time they have done something like this and the shows so far on the tour have looked amazing. So we got tickets to the Philly show and will also spend time at the beach playing on the boardwalk. Not a bad way to start the summer!
Speaking of great shows, there have been so many over the years. There was the time when I was in college and I went to see some band at a theme park and opening for them was INXS. They hadn’t blown up yet, but I knew who they were from their hit song Don’t Change and the album the local record store guy talked me into buying – which I listened to a million times. It was raining that day and we were all young and crazy and wet out in the crowd. The thing that sticks with me after all these years was the unforgettable scene of a young Michael Hutchence singing Don’t Change in the rain at the end of the show and singing the lines:
I’m standing here on the ground
The sky above won’t fall down
While reaching out over the crowd into the rain and letting his hand fall as the rain fell. It was so perfect. Here’s a video of around the same time.
There was The Cure and their 2 1/2 hour show in Williamsburg, or U2 just outside NYC a month after 9/11, or the B-52’s at the Boathouse, or seeing the Counting Crows at a local bar around 6 months before they hit it big. I’ll never forget how they were playing sets and when a skinny Adam Duritz jumped off the stage during one of the breaks, and walked right past our table to go to the bar for a beer. This was before he dated Jennifer Aniston, of course.
Then there was the time my wife and I were out in LA and we got tickets to see the Go-Go’s at the Greek Theater around the year 2000. They love their entertainment in LA, so the theming was on for this one. Girls taking tickets at the door wrapped in towels with bubbles everywhere – just like the Go-Go’s first album cover.
It was such a great show and experience. All the glitter of LA seemed to be out and when the band got to This Town – it became surreal. This isn’t the same show, but 10 years or so later, but you get the idea.
Like I said, there have been so many great shows and moments. Darius Rucker singing Purple Rain, the time Suzanne Vega asked for requests to be sent on twitter during an intermission and responded back to me about my request and then played what I asked, In Liverpool, as her first song back. Elvis Costello singing Veronica. The Weird one in his fat suit singing I’m Fat. Watching Morrissey and all his greatness numerous times take us on his grim tour. Up close with Marc Cohn while he played us his piano or Tracy Chapman on her guitar. And last fall driving up to Philly to see Adele…
So, another epic show is coming up this weekend to add to the long list. Like I said, it will be a great way to start the summer…
