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theJEDMAN NATION-A New Wave Manifesto

Documenting the JED Experience

Monday, June 02, 2008

You might want to read this one again, because I have done some editing.
Those are my feet.

I'm not working right now so I have some time to blog. I know my fans want more blog material, but I'm a little lazy and don't write as much as I could. I think this makes the material a lot better if I don't write as much. The people that read this will anticipate more and then when they read this garbage, they will think it is better than it is.

I went to the Big Rush Concert. I didn't have anything to do, so I went. This was my 3rd Rush concert, but the first in over 20 years. The show was at Starlight. I had not been there in over 20 years. I think the last time I was there was for the Kinks show in 1985. They really made that place nice since the last time. They have a nice big stage with this huge towers. There is a covered concourse that goes all the way around the seating area. There are plenty of places to get drinks and it was super easy to go to the bathroom. It was very nice. They are starting to have more shows there. There were about 5,000 people in the 7,500 seat amphitheater. I think that is pretty good for the rockers in their late 50s. No other power trio can do that. When was the last time you saw Triumph play to more than 50 people in Bismark or Emerson Boozer, Lake and Jim Palmer fill a high school gym. The concert arena or amphitheater scene is full of bands from the 70s and the 80s. If you were decent then you can still get about 5,000 to 10,000 at a show in any big city. I don't think hip hop ever became or will become a big concert draw. Plus, many people that grew up going to concerts are in their 40s and 50s now and have money to go to shows at $50 a pop. Once all of these bands get too old, I'm just wondering if their will be arena rock anymore. I'm guessing there will only be small shows in the future with 1,000 people being a good draw.
Back to Rush, The band looked pretty fit. Alex and Neal are losing some hair. That is a plus for me. Neal had some hat on thinking he is the Edge. The fans all about 40 to 60 were computer geeks in high school that listened to Rush and the world's greatest drummer Neal Peart. Now, those geeks control the world and have babes that they didn't have in high school. There were some younger people there, but I didn't get why.
Rush was petty good live band. They play well together. They played some hits. They played the Red Barchetta. That is probably my favorite song. Plus, the obligatory Tom Sawyer, Spirit of the Radio, Subdivisions and 2112. I didn't realize this but they've been putting out albums all along. They've had like 8 albums since I bought one 20 years ago. So, there were a lot of songs I didn't know. Geddy was pretty good about telling the crowd when the old stuff or the new stuff was coming up. People tended to race to the bathroom during the new stuff. They played for about three hours in total. There was a 20 minute break in the middle. Plus, toward the end there was the epic drum solo by the world's greatest drummer. Neal has a lot of stuff to bang on. The crowd was really into the drum solo. I'm just glad it didn't last any longer than the 10 minutes it did. When it was over, Neal was tired and Alex gave the acoustic performance. It was ok. I'd much rather they just played songs. It was worth the $49 I paid to get in and I'm definitely not ruling the world as you would have seen me babeless at the show.

I went to the Police concert at the big Sprint Center last may. It was pretty good. Sting looked fit. Stu and Andy looked good also. Stu still has hair. I hate guys with hair. When I was a teenager and skinny, I kind of looked like Stu, but not anymore. They played all the hits. They rocked out a little. They jammed a little. I'm not much into jams, but these jams were not excessive although they could have cut a couple of them short. At one point the stage lights turned all red. The people in the arena knew that they were going to play Roxanne. It is good to tip off the crowed when you play your biggest hit. I sure they would forget it otherwise. Sting was good. He played the rock songs from the past. He could have jazzed up everything, but he gave the fans what they wanted. Elvis Costello opened up the show. He was good. I'm not a huge fan. I only know a few songs. I think I'm better looking than Elvis Costello, but he's way cooler than I. The arena is so big, it is not that intimate to get up close, but arena rock rules!
Afterward, I walked across the street to the power and light complex. It is basically a big plaza with restaurants and bars all around. It is a little contrived and some of the places are kind of dumb. There are chain restaurants and not too many local places got picked to be there. However, it is cool to hang outside with a lot of people walking around. People like to hang where a lot of people are. Kansas City has missed the boat on this for years.
I had the idea for this over 10 years ago after my tour of Spain. A lot of places in the metro could have built places like this, especially Overland Park. They should have built places with a plaza open area with shops and restaurants all around. I'm sorry Mr. Nichols The Plaza is not a plaza. If strips malls were built in rectangles, the restaurants could be open to the inside so that in nice weather people could sit outside. The parking could be around the perimeter. Everywhere there are restaurants in free standing buildings that have patios and outside seating, but you are sitting next to a parking lot. It would be way cooler to have a big walking area where people could hang out and loiter. The idea that loitering is bad needs to be expelled from the minds of all Midwesterners. Now, with gas so high, having to drive everywhere is tough even from one end of the strip mall to the other. It would be cooler if you could go somewhere where a lot of people are and just hang. That is what is making the Power and Light District successful. Kansas City is kind of a misguided place that will hurt as long as fuel goes up and up. It is too bad. Foot traffic is good. Loitering brings business.
When I did leave the Power and Light District to go home, I drove right out to parking garage and was home in like 20 minutes. I didn't spend 30 minutes in my car waiting in line. I did my part to save on energy even though I drove myself downtown to the show.

The Marriott Hotel at 435 and Metcalf has a big plastic baggy covering the whole building. It is like a full building plastic protection device. I don't know what they are doing, but it gives the guests added protection from the elements even though they are inside. I got a lot of jokes for this one but I don't know which one to use.

The Quick called me on Sunday to go to the Royals game. I was at the gym, but I dropped everything to hang with the Quick. The Quick is awesome. You drop everything to hang with the Quick. The Royals finally won I game that I attended. The score runs and got hits. I'm used to them scoring none or one with 3 weak singles. The Quick brought his daughter. She is about three. She is pretty good. The Quick looks like a good daddy. I just remember 10 and 11 years ago the Quick would call me up on a Saturday night and say, "Wake up. Get over here.". I'd go over and watch him play video games for a couple of hours. Then, he would take a shower about 11pm and then we would go out. I guess responsibility ends those days forever.

My friend Danny called me up out of the blue last week. He was in town from Antarctica. Yeah, he went to Antarctica to be a janitor for a few months. A janitor, not a custodian was he. He invited me to go to Roller Derby to see the Woman's Professional Flat Track Roller Derby League. It was at Hale Arena down by Kemper and it was quite the scene man. It was white trash heaven. They had PBR on tap. The track was in the middle of a concrete slab. I guess they don't use the banked track because the concrete is easier to install because it is already there. They just have to put down some red duct tape in an oval. There were four teams that alternated playing each other. The girls just skated around the oval and one fast girl tried to skate around and through the other girls while they tried to kill each other. They all had names like hurt devil, mini mean and oucho marx. There were a lot of people there. I was surprised. No too many people of color. You could stand next to the track and watch the girls smash each other. I think that was the main draw to see the girls collide and run over each other. That is what the people cheered for. I liked the athleticism of the fast girl who could skate through the others without wiping out. It was fun, but I think I'm a one timer.

.: posted by Jed 1:05 PM