Gathering moss.

WDET played a chunk o’ Rolling Stones today. I didn’t catch the news peg, but I suppose it was this: the Stones are coming to the D this summer. Lord, another Stones tour. Sometimes I feel like the old sheep in “Charlotte’s Web,” contemplating spring with yet another lamb wobbling along behind. Stones tours are like spring lambs, only not as tasty. Or as cute, for that matter.

I saw the Stones in 1975, at the Akron Rubber Bowl. I guess it was the “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll” tour, because Jagger sang “Fingerprint File.” I had to go to the first aid tent to get a drink of water, because the water pressure in the stadium was so low the drinking fountains weren’t working. I don’t recall what the ticket cost, but I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. Spend a fortune, sit among tens of thousands in profound discomfort, pee in a non-flushing toilet, beg for water from medics — it’s only rock ‘n’ roll. And I don’t like that, not anymore.

But I did like the selections on the radio today, including “Not Fade Away.” All my life I’ve been waiting to live in a city with a decent adult-alternative radio station. It makes up for not having the strength for stadium rock shows anymore.

That wasn’t the highlight of the day. Going for a bike ride was, although I may have overreached — I’ve been hacking for the last hour and it appears I’ll spend yet another night banished from my marital bed. Whenever I’m gone this long I wonder if I’ll ever be invited back, or if I’ll want to return. Sleeping alone is both lonely and wonderful — the way you can lie diagonally across the mattress and hog all the pillows, mmm that’s livin’. It’s like parking across two spaces at the mall, only you don’t get keyed in retaliation.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor slept apart, you know. Of course, he was a Nazi fruitcake, and she was, well, what she was. Can’t blame either of ’em.

No bloggage today, but what about that “American Idol,” eh? I’ve been waiting so long for Carrie to put a foot wrong I thought it would never happen, but she absolutely fell apart on her second song tonight, whereas Bo! Who knew he had an inner O’Jay? Still, I think it’s Anthony’s turn to take a hike. Mr Bland-o. He should sing a song in Russian. I’m sure they’d buy his record over there.

Posted at 10:58 pm in Uncategorized |
 

9 responses to “Gathering moss.”

  1. brian stouder said on May 11, 2005 at 12:51 am

    never have watched ‘Idol’ – but I was absolutely devoted to The Amzing Race – and it ended correctly this evening, so I’m happy.

    As for music – I got another (and increasingly frequent!) reminder that I’m getting old, when a fellow just this side of 20 heard me refer to Pearl Jam and he piped up with the question whether I was listening to a ‘classic rock’ station!!!

    When I paint a room (to refer to the last NN blog entry) I put Ten (of course!), Versus, No Code, and Lost Dogs (two discs) into the cd player, and hit “shuffle play”.

    Time passes and the work gets done

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  2. Richard N. / Toronto said on May 11, 2005 at 11:51 am

    You have to admire the Stones’ press-agentry. They’re no bigger than a lot of other acts, but those acts don’t get their concert dates discussed in the news pages, a favour both papers I get paid them (even the staid old Globe & Mail Nancy likes :-).

    On Sunday I heard “She’s a Rainbow” on a classic rock station, and it reminded me of my long-ago (and not altogether happy) youth; that song stood for my then girlfriend (who was, even by the standards fo the time, colourful). Because I heard a snatch of it that weekend, I’ve also had “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows” running through my mind.

    And I wondered: if I hadn’t grown up in the Stones’ efflorescence would I like them?

    Cheers, Richard in Toronto

    who’s also ‘way too tired for stadium shows –

    they’re on too late!

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  3. ashley said on May 11, 2005 at 1:30 pm

    Nance, you’ve digressed to American Idol? No wonder we’re going to hell in a bucket.

    I’m too old for stadium concerts, even though I’d love to see both Green Day and Audioslave (who just played a free show in Havana!) while I’m in Prague.

    You gotta love the stones, if for no other reasons than 1) Keith should have been dead 20 times by now and 2) they’re still touring. I still think Charlie Watts is about the coolest guy since either Paul Drake or Race Bannon.

    Speaking of obscure brain-worm songs, one that’s been drilling a hole in my skull lately is “Jane’s Getting Serious” by Jon Astley, from his wonderfully titled album “Everyone loves the pilot (except the crew)”. Not in the iTunes music store, but I have it on vinyl…in a box…in storage.

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  4. Nance said on May 11, 2005 at 2:27 pm

    What can I say? “American Idol” is paradox — bad singing of bad songs that makes, usually, for good entertainment. And not all the songs are bad. Last night’s theme was Nashville/Philadelphia, and we got to see country-gal Carrie do her usual country wowza rave-up with the Nashville half, then fall to pieces trying to sell “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” which shouldn’t have been so hard.

    She should have come out in a tux, her hair in a bun, and sang “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Sandra Bernhard used to kill with that one.

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  5. Dorothy said on May 11, 2005 at 5:28 pm

    Race Bannon?! From Johnny Quest?! Man I thought he was so HOT! I mean, as far as cartoon characters go…

    That name is a blast from the past (if I am remembering correctly).

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  6. ashley said on May 11, 2005 at 6:23 pm

    …and Race had that cool diagonally-buttoned red shirt.

    However, rumors persist that he and Dr. Quest were gay. I’m not buying it…not that there’s anything wrong with that…

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  7. harry near indy said on May 12, 2005 at 5:32 am

    ah, the stones.

    the band for the baby boomers.

    when the boomers were young, their parents hated the stones.

    now that the boomers are getting older, their children hate the stones.

    the stadium shows may not match the music on record, but they are interesting spectacles.

    i also saw the stones during their ’75 tour at assembly hall at indiana university in bloomington, ind. they also did fingerprint file. damn good version that night, too.

    “it’s all secrecy, and no privacy.”

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  8. brian stouder said on May 12, 2005 at 5:58 pm

    I caught Pearl Jam live at Elliot Music Hall at Purdue University in West Lafayette about ten years ago(!!); they could fill a stadium but preferred (at least in those days) a ‘more intimate’ venue.

    The place was packed, the atmosphere was electric, and the show was astoundingly good!

    The kicker is – I got to go for free! A guy at work won the tix off of Rock 104, and it was a Thursday night, which he didn’t feel like dealing with. wouldn’t have sold those tix for $100 apiece – enjoyed the show immensely, and made came to work bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day (although I did go to bed early that Friday evening!)

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  9. basset said on May 13, 2005 at 1:00 am

    I was at the same show as harry near indy… spent the day detasseling in Greene County and took my sunburn up to Assembly Hall for a big night. Tickets were $8.50, and I may still have mine around here somewhere.

    one of those rock & roll moments… they played off a stage shaped like a giant pointed flower. the larger shows on the tour started with the flower unfolding, but here they started with the petals out, the house dark, and a single spot that hit Keith in perfect sync with the first chord of “Honky Tonk Women.”

    none cooler, I gotta tell ya.

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