Last night I went to a concert, that’s not unusual. What is unusual is who I saw and where I saw it. It was Elvis Costello at the Pier 17 Rooftop. Me seeing a dinosaur of Rock and Roll not named Richard Thompson? Yes, as much folk as I listen to, I’m still a rocker. I’d usually be stopped by the expense, but a friend couldn’t use her ticket and gave it to me.
This was done on short notice, and I had a lot going on, I got a job, I wrote about that here, so I didn’t check the details. The ticket said 7PM so that’s when I planned on getting there. I consciously didn’t do my usual anal thing of getting there at least an hour early to get good seats as I had things to do. Most importantly I was calling friends to tell them my good news and talking to them. I was on the phone when I should have left and that made me 10 minutes late. Again, no big deal, I knew Elvis wouldn’t go on at 7:00. What I didn’t know was that doors were at 6 PM and the opener was Nick Lowe backed by Los Straightjackets. That I would have liked to have seen. I missed more than 10 minutes as there was a huge line to get in. It took a significant amount of time to just walk to the end of the line, though it moved quickly. The General Admission crowd was standing. I start of course in the back but was able to percolate my way up to the third row. I have my rules for percolating. I was never squeeze between people. I only go where there’s a natural space open. I don’t even push between people to get there. I look for an opening and at most say, “excuse me” have the person move a few inches and then go right back where they were. I have not only perfected my method but also my morality. I know I don’t deserve a better spot than people who got there earlier. But if those people value their space more than their closeness to the stage, I can take the unutilized resource.
I enjoyed what I heard of Nick, and Los Straightjackets I enjoyed. I was moving with the music. I didn’t even know it was Nick, I recognized Los Straightjackets immediately as they wear Mexican Wrestler masks. I didn’t make my way to the front until they were finished. When Elvis started, I thought I was in for a long evening. The sound was muddy and the mix poor. I couldn’t make out the words without a struggle. The sound guy fixed it for the second song and thereafter it was great, well worth the heat, the crowd, and even the COVID-19 risk. I wore a mask of course, except for short breaks when the heat got to me.
This was my second time seeing Elvis and the first in a full concert setting. He’s one of those musicians that I know I enjoy but was never a devoted fan. I might be able to name ten songs of his, I’d recognize more. That doesn’t mean I don’t love him; it means I never devoted the time needed to become my usual superfan. Richard Thompson was that way for me and now he’s top of the heap.
Elvis had guests, Nicole Atkinson and of course Nick Lowe. I bet you know one of the songs he did with Nick. The important thing is that Elvis is a dinosaur of rock but not a fossil. He was not the old guy living on his former glory. He did not phone this in. He was vibrant and creative and exciting. Yeah, there were times during the ballads where it ragged a bit but for the most part he rocked in every sense of the word. I prefer seeing musicians in more intimate settings but there’s something to be said for being part of an animated crowd.
There was one jerk smoking not too far away. The mask helps quite a bit with that. I can’t believe the people around him let him get away with it. We need to make it the social norm to ask people to not smoke. It shouldn’t require working up the nerve. I know that’s the problem for many people. It would be great if there were a phone app at events that you could use to report smokers at events. The Mets could easily do that on the MLB APP. You put in your seat number and security comes over and smells the smoker. They could text to make sure they got the one you complained about. That way nobody knows you are the one that did the reporting.
I got myself a present for getting a job. I’m going to continue with FUBO past my free week so I can watch the Mets on SNY the rest of the season. Speaking of which I’m going to the game tonight. Elvis Costello, Friends, The Mets Winning, and a teaching job. Life is good at the moment. The best it’s been for me in ages.
Wise Madness 