concerts

Concerts at-a-glance..
• Semisonic
• The Sleater-Kinney un-concert
• Kristin Hersh
• WMAD Jingle Ball
• Guster
• Sleater Kinney
• Sleater Kinney, again!
• Guster
• Neko Case & her Boyfriends

So, sometime in August or September, i noticed (on pollstar) that they were coming to the Barrymore, a really really awesome venue. i told jasmine knowing that she was absolutely in love with the band. i also told her that if she was able to go, i'd go with her.

along with me and jasmine came meg and phoebe. we got there about 20 minutes before the doors opened, meaning we stood outside in the nice, crisp-cold wisconsin october weather. then, once they let us in, 'twas another hour til the show actually started. which i wasn't pleased with because i was parked at a two-hour meter. (luckily i added more coins right before we went in, and the opening act was over when it was time to fill it up again.)

so the opening act, The Getaway People, were okay. i'm ambivalent towards them. i'm not sure what jasmine thought, but i believe that phoebe and meg weren't pleased.

then semisonic came on. just before they actually started, jasmine says "i wanna go up there.." so we did. meg and phoebe stayed back at the seats. jasmine and i were standing in the aisle in maybe the third row, when this annoying security person comes up and starts shouting (as the band's starting- "f.n.t") "ya gotta be in front of the first row, or in a seat. push forward." it became quite clear after two minutes that he wasn't gonna give up, so we snagged 2 seats in the second row, where we could stand and still be closer than we were before.

the show was really good, the songs that i remember hearing (in no particular order) from great divide "f.n.t," "if i run," down in flames" (an incredible awesome version, if i may say so,) and "in another life." (i have to admit, i was hoping for "brand new baby," and/or "falling.") and from feeling strangely fine "closing time" (of course,) "singing in my sleep" (second or third song,) "made to last," "secret smile," "d.n.d," "completely pleased," "this will be my year," and "california." they also played two songs that i wasn't familiar with.

being called "fucking cheese heads," and then when asked if we minded, got a resounding "no!" . . .
being called something along the lines of "norweigan-german cheese people". . .
making the "grown ups in the choir" (balcony) sing louder than the floor-level in "delicious" - - "whoo-oo, whoo-oo, yea-yea-yea-yea-yeeeaa-yeah". . .
and before playing "completely pleased," learning that if dan was president, he would "probably make the same mistake as our current president" with a "fleshy intern" (and after telling us this, grabbing his crotch for emphasis). . .
as i said earlier, a great performance of "down in flames" . . .
and being informed that we were very hard to please, "but when a guy's playing the drums and keyboard at the same time, you should cheer" (dan, paraphrased.)

after the concert, it was determined that i had a good time, meg and phoebe didn't really, and well, let's just say that jasmine had a great time. heh heh... she's decided that dan's "very cute... in a nerdy way" and was most bothered when she learned (from me) that he's married, with a kid.

So, my buddy Karen ever-so kindly asks the thursday before halloween "Sara, what's the name of that band you like?" Now, to me, this seems an incredibly amusing question, and as I'm about to tell her so, she continues: "the one who you've been trying to go see? [s-k had a show in Chicago; my parents wouldn't let me drive, and they wouldn't take me].. sleater something?"

"Sleater-kinney?" I ask.

"Yeah. I was reading the Isthmus, and they had some free show last monday."

this is the point where i start to go ballistic. Or rather, start to doubt her. I become convinced that she didn't read it correctly, and that it's an upcoming show. I make her call her sister & read it over the phone to me. later that night i get on the comp and search the various sleater-kinney sites til I find one that has a review of the concert. it was here. it was free. and, from the review, it was good.

so I've vowed to read the Isthmus every week, even though i haven't picked one up recently. sigh.

ah, so this was a last minute decision..on thursday, i was talking with Jasmine and, after casually mentioning it, she voiced an interest. Meg and Karen (Karen..miss classical music lovin' Karen) decided to come along. So..we went. It featured Owsley, Stroke 9, Save Ferris and Marcy Playground.

i rather like Owsley, and i loved their set. however, it was much too short - only about 20-odd minutes. Stroke 9 was next and was obviously a crowd favorite, but.. ehh, not for me. during their set, i decided that i am not one for slam-dancing or moshing. nuhuh, not for me. (i cringed everytime someone went down..i think i'm too old. hee.)

save ferris was nice 'n loud, and i was now standing behind the first row of seats: still rather close to the stage, but behind a nice barrier. (: Meg and Karen - KAREN of all people! - were right up front. i'm still...there's something wrong with that. heh.

but, ah, the highlight was Marcy Playground. the setlist blurs together and i'm not familiar with the new record so.. yah. but the quote of the night was from lead MP John, when he claimed to truly love my fair city, because "where else can you get a big wig - a big 'fro wig, - a cheesehead, a skull tattoo and your dick pierced, all in one store?" hm. i don't know.

but sleater kinney... ahhh... i was not all blistered and exhausted like in chicago.. and oh, it was divine. ohhh... yeah. too good for words. near perfection. i want them to come back again. sniff. i miss my sleater kinney!