As a whole, the band KISS have very few albums, or even songs, that a fan can share with a non-fan and say proudly, ‘This is KISS at their best, delivering the goods on vinyl, no gimmicks needed.’ For a brief time, a very long time ago, KISS was more than a hype machine, they were more than just merchandise; they were a kick ass rock and roll band.

How long ago, exactly? 1976. In the late fall of 1975 thru the winter of 1976, KISS ALIVE! put KISS on the map as a live band, spawning the top-ten hit  ‘Rock And Roll All Nite.’ After years of struggle and hardship, the four members [Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] were now expected to follow up that success with a studio record, to prove to their record label that this was no gimmick.

The band went outside their comfort zone, called on Alice Cooper’s producer Bob Ezrin and, on the Ides of March, 1976, “Destroyer” was released to a hungry KISS Army.

Then things exploded.

You have to understand, this record moved KISS from ‘rock stars’ to part of the national consciousness. Those four faces became as recognizable as the Coke logo. The album only had nine songs on it, but several of those are still part of KISS’ live set. ‘Masterpiece’ is a bit much when describing a rock album, but ‘Destroyer has long been hailed by many critics and fans as ‘the best KISS album in their catalog, and 36+ years later, most of it stands up well.

So, why try to ‘fix’ something that ain’t broke?

Tuesday [7.31] the band released “Destroyer [Resurrected]’, a remixed version of the 1976 classic. My first thought when seeing the title was ‘I didn’t know it had died!’ But, being curious, I downloaded this iTunes exclusive this week to see how it was different from the version I have lived with and listened to constantly since I was a toddler.

The album begins with an audio scene: someone listening to a news report on the radio about a Michigan youth killed in a head on collision the previous night. Then we flashback to that fan, as he gets in his car and makes his way to ‘the midnight show’ while listening to ‘Rock And Roll All Nite’ from KISS ALIVE. Why am I mentioning this? Because the first noticeable difference on this remixed album came forty seconds in, when I heard the car door slam shut. It had much more bass than I remembered and it made me go ‘Whoa! Okay…let’s see what else has been changed.’

Ah, how soon my hopes were dashed.

On the opening song, ‘Detroit Rock City’, Ezrin and company do indeed have a lot more bass in the mix and it almost sounds like Peter Criss’ snare drum has a damper on it. It’s more dense, almost like a floor tom. But then, Ezrin messed up the best musical moment on record in KISSTORY. At the 3:55 mark of the song begins the ‘dual guitar solo’ that truly is KISS’ best sounding sonic moment…and Ezrin and company inserted a background vocal track over part of the solo. The same thing happened to this section of ‘Detroit Rock City’ when it was included on the 1978 Greatest Hits package ‘KISS Double Platinum’ but on this 2012 remix, the vocal is louder and even more annoying.

I was crestfallen. No matter what improvements have been made sonically, that one decision basically ruined it for me.

So, what improvements were made? Well, the drums are definitely turned up louder in the mix than they were in 1976. In fact, Peter’s rolling intro to ‘King of the Night Time World’ was so far out front, I heard notes/beats I had never heard before [the first two notes he plays on snare were completely hidden in the original mix]. Overall the album is a bit ‘dirtier’ and has lost some of the gloss that made it seem so jarringly different from its predecessors upon its release. I know why they did that, but I have heard the gloss for most of my life. I miss the gloss.

One of the other classic songs from Destroyer is Gene’s show stopper, ‘God of Thunder.’ I’ve never really cared for the studio version, though Ezrin did go out of his way to create a very scary audio landscape, even using audio of his two kids screaming into a microphone, drenched in reverb, to make it seem like they were being terrorized by The Demon. It still packs a punch years later, but the only notable difference with the new remixed version is that the kids’ screaming and yelling has been moved up in the mix, so they are even more annoying than they were on the first version.

‘Shout It Out Loud’ didn’t sound all that different. This song became the Ezrin calling card for decades, so most of the gloss was left in tact. Maybe the background vocals are a bit more prominent.

‘Beth’ was the song that brought KISS an entirely new audience when it went from a B-side throwaway to multi-platinum hit, and the changes to this song are subtle, but they are perfect. The acoustic guitar is brought out front, truly competing with the strings for attention.

‘Sweet Pain’ is the only song that sounds radically different, with a completely different guitar solo. I don’t know if this was recorded in 1976 or 2012 (no liner notes until the CD and LP versions are released later this year) but I can guarantee you that, whenever it was done, it was not recorded by Ace Frehley. Dick Wagner played the solo on the original LP and I don’t know if the remixed version simply includes an alternate take from that session, or if someone [named Tommy Thayer!] recorded a new solo. I doubt the truth, whatever it is, will ever be known.

So, bottom line: I’m not sure the reason this was released, apart from the obvious Gene $immon$ motivation. Some long time fans will like the new sound. It won’t win any new fans, and if a new fan finds this version of Destroyer first, then I remind you KISS Army that it is your duty to make sure that new fan hears the original 1976 version.

If this leads to a remixed/re-imagined re-release of ‘Music From The Elder’, which was also a Bob Ezrin project, then we’re all done for.

Thanks for reading

Barry
08.03.12

Tuesday night (7.24), THE TOUR featuring KISS and Motley Crüe made a stop in Atlanta, and I will write about the show in a bit, but first, some background information about why I made the trip to begin with.

Way back in August 1994, when America Online (AOL) more or less was the Internet, I found a message board mere minutes after becoming an AOL member. The message board was for KISS fans and it was called the KISS Army OnLine (KAOL). I was very ill in a hospital bed, and AOL became my lifeline (at like, $4.00 an hour, if you can believe that!). I quickly had a new group of friends who instantly understood my fandom. In this community, there were two people I chatted with every day without fail for months: Steve and Mimi. In fact, for a time, Mimi and I would talk on the phone for hours at a time.

In July 1995, KISS announced their KISS KONVENTION tour, that was more or less an all day meet and greet where the band signed autographs, did an acoustic show and took requests. When it was announced, it was determined the best location for Steve (who lived in Florida), Mimi (who was in Tennessee) and me to meet was Atlanta. Mimi bought the tickets and an epic road trip was planned where Mimi would pick me up in Richmond and then the two of us would go to Atlanta and meet Steve. I was finally healthy, and very stoked to finally be able to meet these two in person.

But then, real life got in the way.

Less than a week before the trip, Mimi had a relative fall ill, so she had to back out of the trip. Luckily, my dad agreed to drive to Atlanta (he saw a Braves game the night of the KISSKON), and I met Steve. We had a great time, and I even visited Steve the next year to see my first show of the KISS Reunion Tour…but Mimi and I never managed to meet in person.

Mimi disappeared from AOL and we lost touch around 1999. When I joined Facebook in 2008, Steve and I had the same question: Where’s Mimi? In 2011, Steve found Mimi on Facebook and we were back in touch again for the first time in over a decade.

When I saw KISS for two shows in 2010, I truly believed those were my last KISShows, and when plans for THE TOUR with Motley Crüe were announced in March, I wasn’t hyped or even really planning on attending a show. But then a conversation started with Mimi and she said, “Pick any show in the southeast and we’ll do it!” I immediately figured that by the time THE TOUR cranked up in July, I would be a resident of Atlanta. In fact, a week before KISS tickets went on sale, I was in Atlanta seeing Bruce Springsteen. So, even though the first two shows were in Virginia, Mimi and I chose Atlanta. We tried to get Steve to join in on the fun, but he had already made a commitment to see a show in Florida. While I’m not yet a resident of Atlanta, this trip back, this show and, most importantly meeting Mimi in person could not have arrived at a better, more necessary time.

Okay, that concludes the history lesson.

Tuesday afternoon, just after 1:00, Mimi knocked on my hotel room door, and after the hellos and hugs, it was instantly like we were simply resuming a conversation we started years ago. Some friends who knew I was meeting Mimi for the first time on this trip wondered aloud, “What if you two don’t get along? Won’t hat be awkward?” Truthfully that possibility never entered my mind. I knew we were gonna have a blast.

And I was right!

After a long lunch of catching up and consuming mammoth hamburgers at The Vortex Bar & Grill, we chatted more at the hotel. As the clock moved past 6, Mimi said, “We should venture out…”

Oh yeah, there’s that show we wanted to see tonite!

Mapquest directions in hand, we headed toward the outdoor amphitheater, Aaron’s at Lakewood.

A more apt description would’ve been Aaron’s in the Middle of Nowhere Georgia!

Jesus, the drive in, via the Mapquest directions took us into what you might call “the bad part of town”, so bad in fact I thought we had the address wrong. No way there could be a concert venue…here?! We parked on sand and had to ask a parking attendant “Which way to the venue?” he pointed and said “Keep walkin’ down that road”.

So we walked. And walked. As we walked, the 2012 edition of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” unfolded before my eyes. Some guy had a mic and an amp in the bed of his pickup and shouted gems such as “Who here is gonna get DRUUUUUUUUNK?” I laughed and knew that was as close as we were gonna get to the stage rap intro for “Cold Gin”; and Mimi and I kept walking.

Tickets said a 7pm start, but on the first three shows of THE TOUR, Motley Crüe didn’t go on until the sun went down. That’s why it surprised us to hear the “no name uncredited opening band” wrapping up their set about 6:50. Could it be that the Crüe would go on earlier then 8?

Everyone still meandering in from the parking lot was in for a shock when “The Crüe Clock” appeared on a large screen at the back of the stage. It counted down from “7:30” to “7:57”, and the Crüe walked from the back of the covered seat section to the stage, escorted by a bevy of girls (who may very well have been actual escorts). Then the clock slowly “struck” 8:00…but in reality it was 7:42!

Okay, fair warning…if you want no show spoilers before you see THE TOUR in your city, stop reading now.

I won’t say much about Motley. They sounded good, but the sound mix was very muddy. I was going to blame the outdoor venue but the mix for KISS, while not great, was considerably improved. Vince was huffing and breathing heavy by song three, but he kept trying (something he did not do when I last saw them in 2006). The Crüe were a cohesive unit, and musically, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars were spot on. As always, the vocals continue to be the glaring weakest link in the band. But, Vince Neil’s performance was an omen of what was to come.

One observation I noted: You know it is a completely different time and generation when the kids down front of the stage are too busy snapping pictures and video with their cell phones to bother raising their fists during “Shout at the Devil”!

A strange aspect of the “dual headliners” setup is that Motley Crüe performed almost their entire set while the sun was still up. One would think this would’ve caused Mick Mars to burst into flames but it did not.

A half hour after The Crüe finished, the droning bass note emitted from the hundreds of speakers, and that now almost laughable intro that’s been shouted since 1975 was heard: “You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world…KISS!”

Um, okay. Show me what you’ve got!

The band opened with my very favorite KISSong, “Detroit Rock City” and they literally descended from the rafters high above the stage, just like the band did in 2000 on their (wait for it!) Farewell Tour. It’s still a great entrance and a great way to begin a larger than life show.

But…something was off.

It’s well known that original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone, and their personas are carried on by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively. I’m okay with that. I don’t necessarily like it, but that won’t keep me from seeing a show. KISS now have a much bigger problem than a “Fake Ace” or “Fake Catman.”

They have a lead vocalist who can’t sing anymore.

For me, there is no better frontman in rock than Paul Stanley. At his best, he combined the outlandishness of Bowie, the mystique of Robert Plant and the swagger of Mick Jagger. Most importantly, on most nights, he could sing the songs reasonably close to how they sounded on vinyl. Tuesday night, on every song where Paul handled the lead vocal duties, the band tuned down the songs, playing them in a much lower key. This was such a drastic change, it caused the solo in “Detroit Rock City” to become an unrecognizable mess. One of my favorite moments on record was now reduced to this.

Thankfully (and I never thought I would say this), the set featured many songs sung by Gene and I didn’t notice any drastic down-tuning, so those songs were on par.

KISS’ set was similar to what they’ve brought on the road with them the last few tours, with a huge High-Definition screen to show the closeups. The screen also served as the KISS logo at times. Neat effect, but I missed seeing the actual lighted logo on stage instead of a video image of one. For a time on tours in 1998 and in the 2000s, the band had TWO logos onstage and now they were down to zero, save for a video image. It just didn’t seem right.

They did bring back a version of the drum riser art as seen on the KISS ALIVE II gatefold, only this time it was on a tapestry that hung from the top of the drum riser rather than part of the riser itself. It was a small, seemingly inconsequential thing, but it was very cool and well done.

Gene, Tommy and Eric carried the night while Paul struggled. I applaud them all for trying, but when your frontman has an off night, people notice. Maybe not everyone, but some do.

Had Mimi not been there, it would have been a very different mood, almost sad. Instead, it was more “Okay…that’s the best you’ve got in 2012? Noted and thank you.” I know I have said it before, but I truly believe THE TOUR will be THE (LAST) TOUR for Paul Stanley and therefore, KISS. Portions of the show (Lick It Up, Love Gun) were truly painful to listen to. Paul knows this, but he’s soldiering on, because that’s what the job calls for. I don’t think he’ll be back on the road once they release their new album “MONSTER” in October.

This was the first KISShow where I knew the band bit off more than they could chew. I wasn’t disappointed because this trip, this show was all about meeting Mimi; I did that, so anything else is a bonus. The show was still fun, but there was an air of desperation around it, because whether it was Vince Neil’s winded vocals or Paul Stanley’s painful wail, both were too obvious to cover up and hide. Confetti cannons and greasepaint couldn’t hide the flaws.

If you’re seeing THE TOUR this summer, I hope you see it on a night following a day off. I saw them after they had Monday off and this probably meant Vince’s voice held out longer than it would had they played the previous night. If you are seeing them on a third consecutive night, you may wish the singers were lip-syncing.

I’m 99.9% sure I’ve seen my last KISShow. I’m okay with that. I’ve seen (I think) sixteen shows since 1988 and the band, in all of its incarnations, has toured far longer than anyone thought it would.

Most importantly, this week I visited the city I will soon call home, and I finally met someone I’d been waiting to see for 17 years. No matter how lackluster the show was, this was one of the best KISS-themed experiences ever; proof that KISS is far more than just the band or the current tour.

But then, if you’re a KISS fan, you know this.

Set lists (from setlist.fm):

Motley Crüe

Saints of Los Angeles

Wild Side

Shout at the Devil

Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)

Sex (New song)

Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

Home Sweet Home

Drum Solo

Live Wire

Primal Scream

Dr. Feelgood

Girls, Girls, Girls

Kickstart My Heart

KISS

Detroit Rock City

Shout It Out Loud

I Love It Loud

Firehouse (Gene spits fire)

Love Gun (Paul flies)

War Machine

Hell or Hallelujah (New single from MONSTER)

Bass Solo (Gene spits blood and flies)

God of Thunder

Lick It Up

Black Diamond (with short Paul guitar solo)

Rock and Roll All Nite
 
 
 
Thanks for reading,
Barry
07.27.12

I’m writing this from my hotel room (which is about the size of a closet with a bathroom attached) in Atlanta. I’m waiting for my phone to charge before heading out for a late dinner. While I’m waiting, I’m listening to the game on the iPad (no “real” TV channels in the room) and drying out my t-shirt (yes, a 15 minute hike from the train to the hotel probably cost me two pounds in total weight). More importantly, I “get it”, and the last two weeks finally make sense.

I can honestly say that I haven’t needed a change of scenery more urgently than I needed one this week. Stepping on the train to the hotel inside the Atlanta airport, I did something I hadn’t done in almost three weeks.

I smiled.

It was a nice, necessary reminder of why I made the decision I made back in June. One of the hardest things for me since I left work on July Sixth was to “begin to move on” and remember why I left dear friends and a very well paying job. Whatever reason I arrived at over the last two weeks seemed to no longer warrant such a cataclysmic change. But then I went back to Atlanta.

Maybe Thursday morning, when I’m back in Richmond and I instinctively wake up for a moment right when my alarm used to sound, I’ll feel the pang that I should be getting up and getting ready for work, but the brief time spent here in this nondescript hotel room has shown me that those pangs will subside once I have an Atlanta zip code.

I can’t tell how relieved I am to realize that.

Thanks for reading. Now I’m off to the Landmark Diner for pancakes! (Wednesday I’ll write another blog about why I’m in Atlanta this week (when the Braves are in Miami). It’s a trip that’s been 17 years in the making!)

Barry
07.23.12

First, let me say that the last three weeks of my life have completely changed everything, and turned my daily life upside down. In mid-June, I was a “approved” to move into an Atlanta apartment. Getting that news via email on June 18 made me giddy with excitement. I kept it a secret until I saw mom after work and then, the next morning, I told my boss I would be moving to Atlanta and I was officially giving my three week notice, which made today (July 6) my last day at Anthem.

Job wise, I am more than ready to move away from Anthem. The team I was part of has been under the gun for months and it’s plain to anyone who bothers to read the writing on the wall that in about six to eight months from now, things will be very different.

Frank Creasy is, hands down, the best, most honorable person I have ever worked for. He had “very mixed feelings” about my exit, but above all he was happy for me,  and it’s obvious to both of us that though the work relationship was ending, the friendship would endure. Once I made the commitment to plan my exit, I was excited, anxious and just ready to get on with it. I could wrap my head around leaving the job, that was easy. I could even fathom not seeing Frank every day; I mean, on some days when we were both n the office, Frank would be in meetings most of the day, so apart from a brief conversation and commiserating about inane processes, we wouldn’t interact that much on some days.

So, I could imagine not seeing Frank every day. It wouldn’t be easy, but I could do it.

No matter how excited I am for the future and moving to Atlanta, I have known for 17 days that one facet of this life-altering decision was going to be impossible. It was going to hurt and, to be blunt, it was going to suck. Hard.

Even though it happened about seven hours ago, I still can’t get my brain around the fact that I won’t see Beth deTreville every day. She was the one who kept me sane when it got crazy, made me laugh when I needed it, and most importantly, I knew that if she was there, then no matter what “surprises” awaited us, we were going to be okay, and we were going to get through it in tact.

Honestly, tonight I feel like I’ve lost my right arm and I now have to figure out how to cope.

Rationally, I know I will see Beth at least one more time, maybe more, before I move to Atlanta in August, and this feeling of profound loss will dissipate as I begin to fully focus on the move.  Emotionally, I know saying ‘Goodbye’ to Beth again in August won’t necessarily be easier, but it won’t hurt and shock my system as much as today. This afternoon the immediate reality hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.

I already know my summer will have a very happy ending, with me finally living where I’ve wanted to for a long time. Tonight though, I just really miss my friend.
Barry
07.06.12

Elvis and friends were scheduled to play Richmond, VA this summer. Originally scheduled for July 20, that show was postponed. The venue was Innsbrook, which is an outdoor festival type setting, next to an office park. The rescheduled date of August 1 was canceled and no makeup date was planned. While I was initially bummed about the cancelation, I immediately set forth a plan to see this tour in Washington, DC. 

This tour is called The Revolver Tour, because onstage is a huge wheel with songs from every period of Elvis’ 34+ year catalog. Periodically throughout the show, audience members are invited onstage to give the wheel a spin. Whatever song comes up, unless it is a repeat of one that has already been played, is then included in the set; sometimes immediately, sometimes the song is held until later, but every song that comes up on the wheel is heard that nite. 

I was supposed see the Richmond show with my friend Dana. When I told her about the show in DC, she was game and willing to drive, so she finally got to see her first Elvis Costello show. We walked into the orchestra seating of the Warner Theatre (which is about one-third the size of the Richmond Mosque/Landmark Theatre) and saw the wheel. Our seats were stage right about twelve rows back. Dana started reading song titles on the wheel:

“‘Bedlam’, Pump It Up’…’You Little Fool.'”

“‘You Little Fool’? Really?” I said as I sat up in my seat. “Oh man, if he plays “You Little Fool” I’ll just…wow that would be awesome!”

I said this knowing that there was a one in about one-hundred and fifty chance of the wheel landing on the sliver that had that song title listed, so, as excited as I was at the prospect, I wasn’t holding my breath. Plus i knew that no matter what songs were played, it would be a one-of-a-kind show and setlist. Here is said setlist, from the site setlist.fm:

Lipstick Vogue 
Watching the Detectives 
So Like Candy (SPIN 1)
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstand 
Other End Of The Telescope (SPIN 2)
My All Time Doll 
Strict Time 
Man Out Of Time 
Next Time ‘Round 
Out of Time (The Rolling Stones cover)
Cry, Cry, Cry 
(Johnny Cash cover) (“Cash” – SPIN 5)
I Still Miss Someone 
Town Cryer (SPIN 6)
You Little Fool (SPIN 7)
Pump It Up (The Hammer Of Songs – Songs Of Sneer)
Heart of the City (Nick Lowe cover)
(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea 
I Want You (SPIN 3 held earlier)
All These Strangers 
(EC solo next 3 songs)
A Slow Drag With Josephine 
Bullets For The New-Born King 
Sleep of the Just 
Welcome to the Working Week 
No Action 
Uncomplicated 
Beyond Belief (SPIN 8)
New Lace Sleeves (SPIN 9)
National Ransom 
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding 

Along with The Wheel, the stage also included the Hammer of Songs, which led to the fan’s choice. She wanted to hear “Pump It Up”, so a song I thought for certain would be an encore was now in the middle of the set. Fans who appeared onstage had the option of sitting in the Society Lounge while their song was played, or if they were more adventurous, they could dance in the Go Go Cage (Yeah, that’s exactly what you think it is). 

Some personal highlights:

Elvis opened with “Lipstick Vogue” instead of my all-time favorite Elvis song, “I Hope You’re Happy Now” and, as much as it would have ruled to hear that, I was transfixed watching drummer Pete Thomas play the intro to “Lipstick Vogue”. He’s now completely grey on top, but he’s still got killer chops and didn’t miss a beat all nite. 

“So Like Candy” – A favorite of mime that I didn’t expect to hear live, and because it was spun on the wheel, it appeared very early in the set. 

“Man Out Of Time” – One spin brought up the word “Time” so the next few songs included the word “Time” in the title. After asking for suggestions, most of the crowd, this blog writer included, screamed out “Man Out Of Time”. Some of the best lyrics in the entire Costello catalog are in that song, so it was great to hear that live. 

“Welcome To The Working Week” and “No Action” – These songs back to back had the crowd on their feet for the rest of the show. I didn’t think it was possible to play “Working Week” faster than the album version, which is only two minutes long, but Elvis and his band tore through this song so fast that it left me exhausted. “No Action” refueled my adrenaline because, well, really anything from THIS YEAR’S MODEL is a winner. 

“You Little Fool” -See above. Hearing this made my nite. 

Had they played the Innsbrook show, it would have just been a setlist with no wheel or audience participation. While I am sure I would have had a blast, Thursday’s show was unforgettable for many reasons. I was so lucky to get the chance to see it, and to see it with fellow Elvis fan Dana was a great added bonus. I already know there won’t ever be another show quite like that one, which is a rare thing to savor. 

–Barry
10.01.11 

The last time I flew somewhere, it was to Atlanta in July. The week I was there, my mom got fired from her job of eighteen years and my brother got engaged.

Today, I was in the air en route to Cincinnati for a work conference when “The Earthquake” hit. It was when I landed that a fellow passenger relayed the news to her flying companions. And here is an eerie side note from my personal experience.

I arrived at the airport with an hour to spare before my flight. For some reason, this was not a good day to go thru the TSA Security Checkpoint. I got the full “take off your braces, give me your shoe, we have to re-test the canes” treatment. It took about 30 minutes. Once that was over, I had about 25 minutes to get to my gate. As I arrived, after buying a soda and a candy bar, the gate attendant said over the mic that the “pilots would like to leave early so I didn’t even sit down at the gate, I walked straight to the attendant and boarded.

My flight was scheduled to leave at 1:47. We were off the ground and in tne air by 1:40. According to NBC News the quake hit at 1;52. I find it a bit eerie that, had DELTA been running on time or late (and let’s face it, DELTA usually runs late), I probably would have been inside a very small plane (12 rows of seats…and guess who was in row 12?) on the Tarmac when the quake hit.

While part of me is a bit bummed I missed the first “Big Quake” to hit VA in 114 years, I’m relieved I was in the air, oblivious to everything when it happened.

I hope everyone is okay and no one was hurt or had major damage. Bonus: Richmond’s “The Diamond” baseball stadium was shown on Cincinnati’s local NBC affiliate. Bet that’s a first!

I hope the aftershocks are few and barely noticeable. I’m in my hotel room, happy I managed to get out of town before all of the flights got pushed back.

My next trip out of Richmond is to Atlanta in October. I wonder what’s gonna happen then?

Thanks for reading,
Barry

As a rule, most of us don’t recall the dreams we have when we wake up to start our day. Oh, you may recall a brief snippet as you stir and reach for the alarm, but by the time you see your face in the bathroom mirror, almost all is forgotten, and you go about your routine.

This is something different.

Between 2:00 and 4:00am on Friday, I had a dream that was so vivid and lifelike that I remembered all of it in minute detail. I felt like I had lived the experience, so much so that when I awoke from it, I felt a stark sense of loss.

The images and dialogue were swimming around in my head to the point of distraction all day Friday. I knew I was going to write something about it, but I wasn’t exactly sure what form it was going to take. I don’t write fiction very well. It always comes off sounding a bit forced. So, what I’ve decided to post here is the dream as I recall it. I probably will revisit this and flesh it out a bit, creating a back story of sorts, but I thought I would share what has rolled around in my head for the last 36 hours.

____________________________

“Remember Angie Dutton”

The weather is late Fall/early Winter. The reason I know this is because I can see my breath as I walk. It’s still daylight but getting dark quickly.

I enter a huge farmhouse. It is drafty and cold. I’m supposed to be here but I don’t know why. The farm house is divided into many rather large rooms, and I make my way inside and sit down in the first room. It has two small couches and three tall wooden chairs. I sit on one of the couches and close my eyes.

Not sure how much time has passed, I’m awakened by the noise of kids laughing and running into the room. Two kids, maybe ages 6 and 8, are scooped up by a woman now sitting across from me, on the other couch. She kisses each of them on the cheek and they go to what appears to be a front desk.

Where am I? Is this a hotel of some sort? Am I simply waiting fir someone to arrive?

I only hear snippets of the conversation at the front desk, but I do manage to discern the phrase “…glad the visit went well!” From that, I gather I’m at a doctor’s office, but I still don’t know why.

I leave the front entrance room that had the couches, and, after walking a bit, find a kitchen. I pour a cup of coffee into a mug waiting on the counter. I make a point of drinking deeply from the mug and clasping both hands around it for warmth. I let the heat envelope my face and I close my eyes for a moment.

I open them and see…her. I don’t know who ‘she’ is yet, but, instinctively, I am drawn to her. Is ‘she’ the reason I’m here, the one I’m waiting for?

First impressions: she’s a thin, tall brunette with streaks of red in her hair that only appear when the blinking fluorescent lights of the farmhouse hit it a certain way. She’s obviously been running errands for a while because, even though night has descended, she has a pair of big-framed sunglasses resting on the top of her head. Wearing dark blue jeans, a black leather jacket unzipped to reveal a black tank top.

And then there were the tattoos.

As she entered the farmhouse, I could see from my vantage point in the kitchen that she had several tattoos. She had three green snakes, one starting on her left shoulder that ran to  just below her left clavicle, then another snake tattoo began there where the first ended, this one going from her left clavicle to her center, just below her neck. The third snake began at this point and ran over to her right clavicle, ending on the back of her right shoulder, mirroring the left so that when you saw her from the front, it appeared as if she were wearing a necklace around her neck.

In the center of her chest, below the snake tattoo, right on her sternum, she had the tattoo of the bloom of a dark red rose, its stem showed two thorns before it disappeared into her cleavage.

As she entered, she was talking loudly, seemingly to herself,  in fragments.

“I would never! No…I would NOT!”

This goes on as she walks directly to the kitchen. The counter is L-shaped, the long side of the L has the sink, coffee pot and microwave. That’s where I’m standing as she walks past and turns to lean on the short side of the counter (which is empty and clear of any appliances of any sort) to face me.

“I would never let my kid do that!” she says to me, indignantly. I don’t even know what “that” is, but I answer her.

“Wait, do you even have a kid?”

She laughs and uses her hands to lift herself onto the counter. “No, but still, I wouldn’t let my kid do that.”

Now we are face to face with very little room between us. I am locked on her deep fiery brown eyes as I answer her again.

“And, your many tattoos show that you always did what your parents wanted and ALWAYS respected authority?”

She doesn’t voice an answer. Instead she wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me in even closer. It’s at this moment that I notice she’s not wearing any makeup, yet she’s still gorgeous. She kisses me on my neck, and in a suddenly quiet voice she almost whispers, “Remember me.”  It wasn’t a question, asking “Hey, do you remember me?” This was a plea.

She lifts her head off my shoulder and we face one another again. “What’s your name?” I whisper.

“I’m Angie.” She kisses me on the left cheek. “Angie Dutton.” She kisses me on my right cheek. “Remember me,” she says, almost near tears. We share a deep long kiss. I wrap my arms around her in a hug. I then spin her around slowly, all the while transfixed on her eyes, so that our views are reversed. I’m standing with my back to the counter And she’s where I was a moment ago.

“Remember me”, she says one last time before she unwraps herself from me. She looks at me for a moment longer, then turns to go.

“WAIT! Don’t go!” Stammering, I try to make my point, all the while watching her back as she is leaving. “I’ll remember you, I swear. But I want to know more. You’re the reason I’m here….wherever ‘here’ is! STOP!”

She stops walking toward the door.

“Just turn around. Let me see your face one more time,” I ask, my voice almost breaking.

She turns around and looks at me without saying a word. She flashes me a smile then takes the sunglasses from atop her head. She puts them on and blows me a dramatic kiss before stepping out into the pitch black night.

I stand there, stunned for a moment. Then I run for the door. I make my way outside and the cold knocks me back. I can’t see anything. She’s gone. There’s no car, no sound of her boots on the frozen ground. She’s disappeared.

Was she an apparition? Was she a twisted tattooed angel? I’ll probably never know.

But I’ll always remember Angie Dutton.

___________________________

[Story is almost completely from a dream I had early on Friday 05.13.11. Text was transcribed early in the morning on 05.14.11. This post was written using iPad, with final edits done using my PC before posting.]

Thanks for reading,
–Barry

The first thing I noticed about Mister Heisler, or as I always knew him, Kurt’s dad, was his booming voice. When he laughed, he truly filled the room. He had a strong presence and reminded me of Bill Kurtis, who was a host of many TV programs on A&E.

Kurt was one of Mister Heisler’s sons. More importantly, Kurt became one of my very closest friends during my senior year in high school (1992). The two of us were part of a group that we dubbed The Hearts Club, which also included high school pals Tony and Patrick. Sometimes Jenne, Becca and Kim would join in the fun, but more often than not, it was simply the four of us.

One night in the summer of 1993, The Hearts Club gathered for a very special evening, even if none of us knew it at the time. Whereas most nights when we arrived at the Heisler house, we would exchange hellos and small talk with Kurt’s parents, on this night, The Hearts Club would have a new honorary member.

I’m not sure who had the idea of asking Kurt’s dad William to sit in on our card game. It may have been his wife, Dotty, it may have even been Kurt. I do remember that it didn’t take much convincing for us to deal in a fifth player. Before the game however, we were treated to a host of card tricks and sleight of hand, with Mr. Heisler holding court, having fun showing tricks to Kurt’s friends, even though I guessed that Kurt had seen these over and over again for years.

Most memorably though, Mr. Heisler laughed loudly and heartily.

The game was fun and I remember all of us having a good time. I don’t recall who actually won at hearts that nite, only that it wasn’t me (I hardly ever won). That’s unimportant though. As we left Kurt’s house that night, everyone said “we must do this again sometime”.

But we never did.

I only knew William Heisler in the snippets of daily life that Kurt would share when we hung out all the time, and from that one might around a card table. Not surprisingly though, he made a lasting impression on me that I never forgot.

So long Mr.Heisler. You will be missed and remembered by many.

If you wish, make a donation to the American Cancer Society in memory of William Heisler.

Thanks for reading,
Barry

Now playing at Richmond’s Firehouse Theatre is Bruce Graham’s ‘Something Intangible’ the somewhat fictionalized telling of the Disney brother’s life story. Instead of Mickey Mouse, there’s Petey Pup. Instead of ‘Fantasia’, here we have ‘Grandioso’, and instead of Walt and Roy Disney, we have Tony and Dale Winston. Tony is almost maniacal in his wish to just ‘get it right’, no matter if it means going thousands of dollars over budget and weeks past a deadline. Dale, the older brother and the ‘dime a dozen account’, wants to help his brother achieve his artistic dreams, he just wishes it could be done on budget.

The brother’s differences are clearly defined. Tony [Adrian Rieder] is almost like a pinball onstage, bouncing around his small office, climbing tables and chairs, doing whatever it takes to express the vision that he sees in his head, struggling to prove to his cautious brother that he has an idea for a full length film that will give him the respect he so craves and needs.

Billy Christopher Maupin, as Dale, gives one of the most subtle, understated and wondrous performances I have seen in quite a while. He says more with an aching look or a heavy sigh than some actors say with a two page monologue.

If an achingly subtle performance isn’t enough to pique your interest in this production, fear not. There are plenty of laughs. Frank Creasy appears in a dual role, one being the studio exec who must approve the financing for Tony’s crazy film that has classical music and almost no dialogue, Creasy’s other role as the gregarious Austrian conductor Meyerhoff is the real crowd pleaser though. Meyerhoff dominates the second act and provides much needed comic relief before things get overwrought or too dark.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Lauren Leinhaas-Cook as Sonia, Dale’s analyst, a movie lover who dares Dale to admit how he really feels about his brother. Jay Welch plays Leo, an up and coming animator on Tony’s staff. Tony berates Leo at almost every turn, painting the genius in a none too flattering light.

My one quibble with this play is with the script. It’s obvious that this is about Disney, but, where is the line drawn between fact and fiction? I wish the story delved a bit deeper and dealt with some of the darker tendencies that drove Disney. That would have been a very intriguing path to send these characters down, but the script only hints at those topics slightly, and then it quickly moves on to the next laugh.

The script leaves a bit to be desired, but the cast are the reason to see this production during this final weekend. Maupin proves that less can be oh so much more, and Creasy’s Meyerhoff proves that more can be just right.

_______________

Something Intangible, directed by Bill Patton. At The Firehouse Theatre Thursday April 14 thru Saturday April 16. Ticket info here.

–Barry
04.11.11

This will not be your average review, but then Lady GaGa is not your average artist, so I think that’s fitting. What follows is a bit of background on how exactly I became a GaGa fan, and then the complete story of how I went from having a normal week to, just 48 hours later, being part of a sold out crowd at one of the most unique shows I will ever see. So, here’s that story, in four parts.

Part I: Prologue. Spin that record baby…

In 2007, I became a member of The Police online fan club in order to get tickets to their reunion tour. Once that tour wrapped up in August 2008, the fan club sent out DVDs that were ‘fan club exclusives’, with behind the scenes footage, some live snippets and such, of The Police Reunion Tour. It was a very good DVD. At the end of that documentary, the DVD included music videos by four bands. I don’t recall who the other three artists were, but one of those four videos [it may have even been the last of the four] was Lady GaGa’s ‘Just Dance’. As I watched, I wasn’t sure what to make of it, or her. Is she a singer? Is she simply a dancer for the video? Who is this? Damn that song is catchy! All of those thoughts ran thru my head as I watched the video, then watched it again…and again.

In February 2009, I was out with my friends Jenne, Jesi, and Matt. While Jenne and Jesi were off looking for something, Matt and I struck up a conversation about Lady GaGa, who had just announced a show in Richmond. I said I really liked ‘Just Dance’ but I didn’t have her CD yet. Matt said ‘The rest of the album is really really good. You should get it.’ By the next day, I downloaded her debut ‘The Fame’ and, by the end of that week, I bought a ticket to her Richmond show. So, in no small way, I have Matt Koval to thank for making me a fan of GaGa. Thanks Matt. Once again, you were right on the mark, and way ahead of the curve.

Fast forward two years. A few days ago, [February 15] Jesi found herself in Richmond unexpectedly so we met for dinner after I got off work. I had not seen her in months, so it was great to reconnect with her and catch up. One of the first things she said as I sat down was, ‘Okay, if GaGa plays within 100 miles of where I live, you have to go with me, deal?’ ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘I had tried to see her September 2010 show in Charlottesville but couldn’t get a ride, so I’ll see GaGa with you, absolutely.’

Completely by chance on Monday night this week, I went on Pollstar.com to check tour dates for a few artists. I checked upcoming dates for Lady GaGa, not expecting her to be on tour. [I thought the Monster Ball Tour ended in late 2010]. Not only was she on tour, she was playing DC on Thursday! That’s Thursday this week! I thought about it for a minute. It’s gonna be sold out, so that means second market tickets [Stub Hub, Craigslist etc.]. Jesi probably won’t be able to afford it. Hell, can I afford it? Ah well, I’ll ask her but I doubt seriously we’ll be able to make this happen.

I sent Jesi a message via Facebook, fully expecting a reply of ‘That would be cool, but too short notice, I have to work, I’m out of town, it’s too expensive…’ and that would be the end of it. Instead I got a reply of ‘Cool LET’S GO, and I CAN AFFORD IT!!’ So, the search began in earnest on Tuesday morning for GaGa tickets.

Jesi found some cheaper than I was able to. They were well above face value, but they didn’t break the bank either. So, we had our tickets. I looked into how I was gonna find a way up to DC. That’s when I found out all I could about MegaBus.

Part II: Journey to DC. Don’t be scared, I’ve done this before…

I found out MegaBus goes to DC from Richmond seven times a day. I bought a ticket leaving at 1:50 Thursday afternoon, arriving in DC at four, and a return ticket to Richmond leaving very early Friday morning. Total price round trip was $12.50. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was willing to sacrifice some comfort for a trip by myself to DC, especially to see Jesi and GaGa.

Jesi suggested she meet me and we just hang out in the city rather than going back to her house in Arlington before the show. So, I wasn’t going to be at a house until after the Lady GaGa show, which meant I was going to pack the lightest I ever have for an overnite trip: Toothbrush, wallet, phone, bus ticket and concert ticket. I didn’t even bring my iPod because I didn’t want to have to worry about storing my noise canceling headphones while at the show. Didn’t take a book for the same reason. It was a true first for me, and I found not having baggage of any kind sort of liberating.

The bus actually arrived in DC a little early. It was a great trip in a very clean bus with excellent staff. I cannot recommend them enough for an inexpensive east coast trip. The bus stop was in the heart of DC’s Chinatown, so I crossed the street and waited for Jesi at Starbucks. Within twenty minutes, Jesi arrived, and the fun was about to begin.

We went to the Spy Museum since we had some time to kill before the doors opened at The Verizon Center, but the admission price was twenty bucks, plus, I didn’t want to have to rush through the museum if we were pressed for time, so we decided against it.

So, we decided to move to Plan B: Drinks!

We walked to Gordon Biersch, a very upscale appearing restaurant. Feeling a bit under dressed in jeans, [me, not Jesi. She looked great in a purple crushed velvet dress] we stayed because they had begun their happy hour. Jesi got an appletini, I got a whiskey sour since the waiter couldn’t guarantee they had Grey Goose vodka available [I didn’t want to chance it] and we talked over drinks. I was also hoping to catch up with two other dear friends I knew would be at the GaGa show, Kurt and Sarah. I’ve known Kurt since high school and I’ve always had a lot in common with Sarah, especially when it comes to music. The fact that Kurt, who only listened to 60s era music, folk and singer songwriter genre things when we were in high school was now a huge fan of Lady GaGa and attending his second show with Sarah…that kind of blew my mind, but then, I don’t think the me from 1992 would expect to see me at a show like this either. People change. I knew Kurt and Sarah were gonna be at this show because Sarah won tickets from a radio station in Baltimore. Only thing was, her tickets were at Will Call so, she wouldn’t know where she was sitting until around 6 that evening and, with the floor area being General Admission, I knew that if her seats were on the floor, we wouldn’t see her as she would spend the time before the doors to the venue opened waiting in line with the other ‘monsters’, prepping for a mad rush to the floor area and staking out a spot.

Around six, Jesi and I decided to order dinner, and soon after, I got a text from Sarah, ‘We’re here [at the venue]. GA!’ I knew that meant her seats were on the floor, so we wouldn’t meet up before the show. Maybe after.

Just after seven, Jesi and I paid the check and made our way to Verizon Center. If I didn’t know where to go, it would have been easy to find my way: Simply follow the ones in wigs, leather and heels.

Part III: The Monster Ball. That girl is a monster…

I must mention a word or two about the opener, Scissor Sisters. I didn’t even know they were on the bill until Sarah told me on Wednesday so, it was a nice bonus. I had heard of them when they co-wrote some songs with Elton John for a program on the IFC channel, but I wasn’t very familiar with their catalog. After a few songs, Jesi and I were saying they reminded us of Human League, Thompson Twins…very 80s euro-pop sounding stuff. Then on song four, Jesi leaned in and said ‘ERASURE!!’ ‘That’s it!‘ I said back. They are the 21st Century version of Erasure. I mean that as a compliment. They were fun, high energy and a great warm up for the madness about to descend.

After about a forty minute set from Scissor Sisters, they left the stage. In a peculiar move, the house lights never came up past a dim glow, so it was still very dark in the arena as the crews prepared GaGa’s set behind curtains. Jesi and I were in section 416 on the upper level, stage right. It ended up being a great view. You could see the full stage and also had a great view of the screens so you could see the closeups. The pre-show music that played before Lady GaGa took the stage was all Michael Jackson, which was a nice flashback. Hearing the bass line from ‘Billie Jean’ pulsating through an arena made me smile.

Then…the Monster Ball began.

After an intro featuring on screen black and white images, GaGa sang ‘Dance in the Dark’ completely in silhouette. It was a striking effect and had the legions of fans screaming, even though no one had actually ‘seen’ GaGa yet.

Before we go any further, here is the set list:

1.Intro

2.Dance in the Dark
3.Glitter and Grease
4.Just Dance
5.Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
6.The Fame
7.LoveGame
8.Happy Birthday
9.Boys Boys Boys
10.Money Honey
11.Telephone
12.You and I
13.So Happy I Could Die
14.Monster
15.Teeth
16.Alejandro
17.Poker Face
18.Paparazzi
Encore:
19.Bad Romance
20.Born This Way

Lady GaGa is an artist truly made for the ‘big’ stage. She has the presence to hold an audience’s attention, no matter if they are in the front row, or up in the nosebleeds. When she is onstage, all eyes are on her…and she knows it! She made a point of saying she doesn’t lip sync, and would never lip sync. That’s true when it comes to her lead vocals, but her background vocals are sampled from the albums. which I really have no issue with. She has a great, commanding voice. The use of sampled background vocals simply helps flesh out the song.

This show is for grown ups. I say that not from a prudish point of view, just as a statement. I saw many young pre-teen girls in attendance with parents and, while on the one hand, Lady GaGa can be, and is, a very positive voice of Independence and acceptance for young women to look up to, I am not sure if I would want a twelve year old watching some of the more than suggestive choreography, or hearing some of the banter concerning sex. Yes, Madonna did similar things years ago, but Lady GaGa takes it to another level. I don’t mean that as a negative thing at all, I think it’s great that she is so direct and up front about a usually taboo subject. I just think that this is a show for grown ups.

She’s known primarily as a dance/techno artist and, those songs were present in abundance, but I really think Lady GaGa is at her best when she is at her piano belting out a ballad, whether it’s ‘Brown Eyes’ from her debut CD, ‘The Fame’, ‘Speechless’ from 2009’s ‘The Fame Monster or the new song she played Thursday night, ‘You and I’. I am usually not a fan of an artist playing something that the crowd doesn’t know yet in concert. I want to hear songs I know, not the new stuff you’re working on that’s not out yet. However, I was impressed by this new song and her passionate performance. And, just in case you think the word ‘ballad’ equals ‘boring’, the song ended with her piano turned into a fire pit!

The costume changes were numerous. Some were done right onstage, some were done offstage while a movie played, or her band played an extended solo. I give her credit for keeping the audience interested while she wasn’t onstage. I must add that her backing band is basically a heavy metal outfit. They were very impressive and gave some of the dance numbers a heavy metal flavor.

Case in point: The song ‘Teeth’ from ‘The Fame Monster’ album. never really resonated with me on record. It wasn’t bad, but it was not a song that I revisited often on the iPod. In concert however, ‘Teeth’ was a center piece for GaGa and her guitarist. to perform a Robert Plant/Jimmy Page type call and response. It was unexpected, and it was absolutely riveting. GaGa writhing around the stage in a black bikini screaming ‘Show me your teeth!!’ and her guitarist answering with a screaming riff.

Then came the highlight of the night for me: Alejandro.

When it comes to GaGa, in my book, I think her best work, the piece of music that people will be playing fifty years from now and dissecting, is ‘Bad Romance.’ It’s a pop music masterpiece. ‘Alejandro’ was the followup single to ‘Bad Romance’ and, when I bought The Fame Monster, I liked ‘Alejandro, but it was no ‘Bad Romance’ in my book. Seeing it live in concert has changed my opinion of that song considerably.

The imagery used onstage for ‘Alejandro’ was a huge Christ statue. Okay, yeah, Madonna did this on the ‘Like A Prayer’ video. Seen it. No big deal. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the statue started bleeding. I’m not talking about a slight drip of blood, it started gushing blood! GaGa’s neck, chest and midriff were suddenly covered in fake red blood…and I stood there [I stood for the entire show] awestruck. ‘This is almost like a fucking KISShow!’ I said out loud though I knew no one heard me. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. Jesi, being very catholic, I wasn’t sure if she was uncomfortable for clearly enjoying this moment that must have seemed almost sacrilege, or if she felt guilty for liking it, but I was floored.

‘That was pretty incredible!’ I said to Jesi after the song ended. I think Jesi’s response was ‘Wow!’

I’m not sure where the picture below was taken, but it was one I found on the Internet that came closest to the image I saw. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I could simply put this picture up as my only comment about the show and be done with it.

If you’re a fan of spectacle, as I am, if you are a fan of GWAR, Alice Cooper or KISS, as I am, then you simply have to admire that image, and realize that the degrees of separation between KISS and GaGa are not very far at all. That was the overwhelming feeling I came away with at show’s end. Though the music is very different from most everything else I listen to, the reason I like GaGa so much is because she knows what she wants, she knows her fans, and she doesn’t care who she offends in the process, as long as her fans like it. That’s a page right out of the Gene Simmons Book of Rock, and I can’t help but love her for that.

After ‘Paparazzi’ ended, and the encores awaited, I wondered what the order of the encores would be. I knew we would hear ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Born This Way’ I just didn’t know what would come first. The fact that she closed the evening’s performance with ‘Born This Way’ didn’t surprise me, but it’s the only part of the evening I would’ve changed. It’s really hard to follow ‘Bad Romance’ with anything. ‘Born This Way’ isn’t a bad song, I just think it pales in direct comparison with her masterpiece ‘Bad Romance.’ She sang ‘Born This Way’ acapella for a verse and chorus. It was something she did when she ended her Richmond show with ‘Poker Face’ acapella before the dance beat returned and they played the version on the record. With ‘Born This Way’, I think the singers need to find their footing on the acapella portion, the harmonies were a bit unsure and I was really hoping the night wouldn’t end with this version of the song. I was not only happy when the dance intro to ‘Born This Way’ blared from the speakers, I was relieved.

The night ended with the reaffirming lyric of acceptance that is ‘Born This Way’, and then all of the little monsters made their way out into the night.

Jesi and I learned something upon our exit: The Verizon Center does not have a cab stand, so it’s basically up to you to flag one down. As we made our way outside, it was raining [leaving Richmond wearing my heavy coat was a good choice]. We attempted to grab a cab for about ten minutes before making our way to the Monaco Hotel, partly because Jesi’s aunt is a Vice President for the hotel chain, but primarily because it had an overhang that would get us out of the rain.

Jesi called Red Top Cab and, twenty minutes later, we were en route to her abode in Arlington. We had a drink of carbonated fruit juice, talked for a bit and finally, around one o’clock in the morning, we called it a night. She showed me to my room, I popped a Benadryl [she has two cats, and I am allergic] and I slept for a bit.

See, because I am slightly crazy, or maybe just way too dedicated to my job, I was catching a 6:30am bus back to Richmond that morning.

Part IV: Journey Home. I’m kinda busy…

At 5:00am, I heard Jesi’s alarm sound from across the hall, and I was up. We both looked and felt like, well, like we had gotten about three hours sleep. We left her house at 5:30, stopped off at 7-11 so I could buy breakfast [a Pepsi and a honeybun] and made it to the bus stop by 6:00. Since Starbucks was not even open yet, Jesi had to double park so we said our goodbyes in the rain at the bus stop. Thanks again Jesi for rising so early to make sure I got home okay. After Jesi and her car, whom she refers to as Rupert, parted, I waited in the rain for the bus to arrive.

My bus arrived around 6:20. I boarded, quickly ate my honeybun, had a few gulps of the Pepsi, and then promptly closed my eyes, intent on sleeping for the ride home. I remember the bus leaving the DC bus station, and I remember peaking out to see the sunrise sometime after seven, but I didn’t really wake up until I looked up to see Richmond’s minor league ballpark, The Diamond. And it was only 8:13! My ticket said that the bus would be arriving around 8:50, so I knew my mom, who was meeting me to drive me right to work, would not have left the house yet. I texted her, ‘Passing the Diamond!’ Then I called her to make sure she knew I would be at the outdoor stop across from Main Street Station way ahead of schedule.

My bus arrived around 8:20, and shortly after 8:30, mom arrived. On the ride to work, I changed clothes. That was a first. My work bag was in the backseat from Thursday afternoon and, I had the forethought to put deodorant and a brush in the bag that morning so I would have it on Friday. As I exited the car, I did a check in the mirror to make sure I looked somewhat presentable and not like I had been on a bus since before sunrise.

By 9:15 I was at my desk and working, wired and getting stuff accomplished. I had a very productive day, especially considering it started in a different city and I was running solely on adrenaline and caffeine.

Admittedly, I did find my way to bed before 10:00 Friday night, and caught up on sleep. All the while, the images from the previous twenty four hours danced around my head.

To Jesi, thank you so much for being part of this wonderful adventure. Thanks for hosting me and making sure I got to my bus home on time. I hope we do something like this again soon!

To you dear reader, thank you for reading this true tale. If you take nothing else away from this story, know that when GaGa is in your town, you don’t want to miss her! It’s a truly unique and unforgettable experience; one that left me ‘Speechless.’

–Barry
02.26.11