The Wizard Of Oz @ Ovens Auditorium

So in complete contrast to Charlie Brown last weekend, The Wizard of Oz was fantastic.  Yet only played to a half full Oven's - where are you Charlotte?

The cast was fantastic and the show did a great service to the movie.  I didn't know if the boys would follow, but apparently they had seen the movie at school before, so they were on the edge of their seats.    While special effects were at a minimum, nothing looked cheap or half-arsed.  The cast seemed to be enjoying themselves, even to a empty-ish theater.  The live dog was a definite crowd pleaser, and he seemed quite at ease under the bright lights.

At intermission, the boys freely talked about what they liked and asked questions, so much more than the standard "Good." response you get from them when you normally ask them a question.

Too often these days a standing ovation is given to a cast just for completing the show.  I don't like that it cheapens it for those that do deserve it.  Like tonight.  A great family show, very well done.

The boys seem to enjoy shows the more we go to, but when I ask if they'd ever like to try and sing / dance / act on stage the answer is a convincing "No!".  Not sure what will be next in the live theatre realm, as we have no tickets to anything upcoming.

I'm glad the boys don't have school tomorrow as 10 pm is a late one for them, (and us for that matter) and they were falling apart by the time we got home.

A Charlie Brown Christmas @ Ovens Auditorium

Well, we've finally hit a show that we didn't like.  But at least the boys did.

A Sunday afternoon at a packed Ovens with families in the midst of Christmas spirit saw, in my eyes, an amateur performance of the cartoon classic.  While a 3 piece band played on stage, even they became droll after the 3rd version of the Charlie Brown theme song.  At intermission A and I looked at each other, knowingly, and offered the boys an out.  We could leave now, or stay for the rest of the show.  I was sure we were out the door, but to my surprise the boys wanted to stay - so we did.  It has been a while since we've seen the cartoon, but it seems it bought back some good memories for the boys and they had a great time (I thought it may have been too young for them).

Maybe A & I will enjoy The Wizard Of Oz more on Thursday.

Celeste Barber @ McGlohon Theater

I am an old man who wastes a lot of time on Facebook.  In order to speak to my family I am not on Instagram, but I am aware of Aussie sensation Celeste Barber, but mostly because she is married to a guy a went to high school with - now known as Hot Husband.  But when an Aussie comes to perform in my adopted town, I'm up for it.  And if it's funny - all the better.

Because A booked a trip for work, I took gig mate Mike with me.  We met up at Malabar for dinner beforehand.  As always, this tapas restaurant was awesome.  Every bite was better than the last.  And not being with a vegetarian meant there was a wider choice of meals for me to have.  Hooray!

A near full McGlohon Theater was all checking Instagram while waiting for Barber to take the stage.  When Hot Husband came out to place her drink on the stool, the 80% female crowd went nuts.  And similarly when Celeste took to the stage.  From the get go you knew we were in for a fun night.  I think the novelty of an Australian was good for the Charlotte crowd, and the shock of her unfiltered love of taking the piss out of everyone, and herself, made for an awesome night.  The "routine" centered around how she got to where she was through the irony of her Instagram fame, it also touched on some funny stories about bullying, childbirth, double standards and insecurities of life.  We loved it.  From the 2nd last row, I could see the crowd physically moving in their seats from laughter.  Sadly she touched on Australia's tall poppy syndrome, but I love that she can rise above that and enjoy the success by being as Aussie as possible.

Poor Mike didn't know what he was in for.  But he had a great laugh and was more than glad he came along.  I probably did the wrong thing by not reaching out to Api before the show, but it has been nearly 30 years since we sat in Mr Hoddinot's Economics class and I didn't want to seem like the guy who was only reaching out because success and fame had found his family.  That's my regret for the night.  Maybe next time, because I'd surely see her show again.  Like Celeste says: the show was the Dolphin's Earrings.

Bateau Bay, NSW

On 13 November I flew back to Australia to attend Nanna F's funeral.  As awful reason to go home, but glad I got the chance, after missing the last 2 funerals of my grandparents.  Didn't spend a lot of times with friends, but got to be with family when it was needed.

Nanna F

L, Me, B, Nanna F & Nanny - August 2018

b 23 March 1926
Paddington, New South Wales, Australia

d 7 November 2018
Killarney Vale, New South Wales, Australia
Aged 92

Preceded in death, in 2014, by husband of 66 years, Ivan 

Survived by her children

Garry (d 2009), Suzanne, Lindsay & Margaret

her grandchildren

Joanne, Michael, Shayne, Grant, Luke, Kelly & Holly

her great-grandchildren

Erin, Brooke, Hayley, Daniel, Kody, Dylan, Ethan, Riley, Leila, Indiana, Lucy, Jayden, Barrett, Leland,  & Max

and her great-great grandchildren

Oliver, & Jonathan

A beautiful memorial was held for Nan on 16 November 2018 at Palmdale, where family and friends gathered to celebrate life Nan's life.  I made the trip home to join the celebtrations, and so glad I did.  I will never forget the childhood summers we spent with Nan & Granddad at Long Jetty.  The teenage years where she would visit me on every shift at Best & Less, and know every teenage girl's grandparents from the Bateau Bay Bowling Club.  The adult years of dinners and pokies waiting for Granddad and Col on Anzac Day.  And the joy of seeing my twin boys be with Nan and her twin Aunty Vi.  I'm so glad  we came home last summer to see you.

Central Coast Advocate Obituary - 22 November 2018

Blues Traveler & Animal Years @ The FIllmore

I was excited when I bought these tickets.  I had seen Blues Traveler in 2012, when we still lived in Vegas, when they opened for Barenaked Ladies.  It was a fantastic show from both bands.  I was hoping this would be the case tonight.

Not so much!

No mention of an opener was made anywhere so we arrived not long after doors opened and Animal Years were already on stage.  They were fine, but not what A & I are into.  Their highlight was a great cover of Dexy's Midnight Runner "Come On Eileen".

Maybe it was the long day we had, or the long, unnecessary  break between bands (you're set up - just play, I don't need to stare at an empty stage for 40 minutes), but we were almost over it by the time Blues Traveler came on.  There songs seemed a bit jam-bandy (as to compared to Vegas' short opening slot) and after a while it was a bit samey.  Having said that I am by no means a "fan", and plenty of 90's college kids were having a great night.  I only know 1 song (and not even the name of it).  But they did play the song from the end credits of Kingpin, so that was a plus.  

When Blues Traveler finished we were out of there, and in the car before the encore started.  It's been 3 months since I saw my last concert - am I ready to give it away, or did it take 2 shows for me to realise Blues Traveler is not for me.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 445th concert.
This is my 25th concert at the Fillmore.

This is my 75th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 85th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 248th concert in the USA.
Animal Years are the 514th band I've seen.
This is my 2nd Blues Traveler concert.

Aziz Ansari @ Ovens Auditorium

Master of None is one of the best shows around at the moment, so there was no question we were going to this when the show was announced.  I'd also seen a couple of his Netflix specials, which I enjoyed.

A full house at Ovens were treated to a couple of openers, but the crowd went nuts when Ansari came out to introduce the last opener.  Making his comedy debut was the now Charlotte resident - Aziz' dad  - Dr Shoukath Anzari.  His short set had the crowd in stitches as we watched Aziz in the wings having a good time.

Ansari is a story teller comedian.  Completely the opposite Steven Wright last week.  But just as funny in their own ways.  

Ansari had taken the unusual step of providing locked pouches for everyone's cell phone, not popular amongst a majority of the crowd, but welcomed by me - and wishfully used at many concerts I hope to see in the future.  But it bought a funny discussion behind the pros and cons.  The hour and a bit he was onstage was non stop laughs (but as usual I can't recall them - especially not as well as he told them).  I thought he might broach the subject of recent sexual assault allegations, but in the end he opted not to, maybe for the best.

This show seemed to come out of nowhere, but I'm glad it happened.  After 2 comedians in a week, I hope to see more comedy shows (like I always say, but never do).  Always a good night out.

Steven Wright @ McGlohon Theater

Why doesn't anybody really remember Steven Wright.  When I was telling people I was going to this I had to remind them of Mad About You, his stand up, the narrator of Reservoir Dogs, etc.  People looked at me like "Yeah I remember" but you could tell they were just being polite.  

I remember him being hilarious.  And tonight was no exception.  

While my ability to re-tell the jokes of the night is lacking, the hour of mono-tonal, nonsensical, one liners was exceptional.  So fast and frequent were they, that the only joke I really remember was "I was addicted to placebos.  I was going to give up, but I thought....what's the point?"  I did however miss half the jokes from laughing at the previous one.  Pretty much the point of seeing a stand up comedian.

To think this guys has been doing this for over 30 years, it makes you wonder how many actual jokes he has written.  I wonder how many he remembers, or how he picks what he'll use in a show.  Just brilliant.

A great night out.  I always say we should see more comedy shows.  Inevitably we might be lucky to catch a couple of shows a year.  Tonight though was a reason to seek out more shows.  My body aches from laughing.

The Lion King @ Belk Theater

It's a family affair tonight.  Even Gammy came along.  A and I had seen the Lion King at Mandalay Bay in Vegas in 2009 and loved it.  We thought it was important for the boys to see it.  We had some great seats on the main floor, but not an isle, yet L asked when would we get "those good seats" pointing to the back of the balcony.  So much to learn.

This is another great performance of this classic movie, though it wasn't until the intermission, when we were peppered with questions, that we realized the boys hadn't seen the movie yet.  After some explaining, the boys enjoyed it further.  Which is not to say they weren't already mesmerized by the characters and costumes.  The other great moment tonight was the fact that young Simba was played Charlotte native Ramon Reed.  He is a great young performer and surely spurred on by playing in front of a sold out home crowd, his character was wonderful.  Deservedly he got the biggest ovation at the end of the show.

This travelling production was just as good as I remember the Vegas version being and a must see for all families. 

PS.  We finally watched the movie the following Friday on pizza and movie night.  Boys loved that too.

Me, L, B, A & Gammy @ Lion King @ Belk Theater

Los Angeles, CA

After 6 weeks back at home, the boys and I headed back to the US and had the most disastrous of flights back. I posted on Facebook...

"I’m trying to smile but you know that feeling when one of your kids throws up on the flight from Sydney then finally falls asleep as we’re coming into land, while your other kid gets sick after we land, but we can’t get off the plane because of a medical emergency. Then you can’t find an iPad in the seat, but flight staff are kind enough to call 2 wheelchairs for the kids. Then baggage carousel stops and you don’t see your bags - but you find them eventually and you make the journey to a new terminal. And now we’re eating pancakes and there is only a 5 hour flight left."

Then after

"UPDATE: Then after sleeping until boarding L throws up again. Then the hostess asks if he’s ok and I say bit of motion sickness. Put sleeping child in his seat, only to be asked to leave the plane. 90 minutes later. Greetings from Holiday Inn LAX. See you tomorrow Charlotte. PS. L is now feeling fine and wants to swim in hotel pool......but our bags never left the plane."

We spent the whole day watching Star Wars movies in bed and eventually went to McDonalds for dinner.  This is the first and only time my kids have eaten at Maccas (that is a miracle, and great parenting on our part).  And they didn't like it.  Woo Hoo!

The following morning we got back to the airport and checked in for our flight back to Charlotte, only to find we weren't seated together.  Luckily a kind lady swapped seats with me, and the 3 of us eventually got home

Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite @ Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Well, what an amazing end to a wonderful weekend!

I started the day at Pancake on the Rocks for breakfast and the walked around to the Opera House to pick up tickets for tonight's show.  I'm still amazed I have never seen a concert in this room (there was the 1996 Crowded House fiasco on the steps), though I vaguely remember seeing the Sydney Symphony Orchestra perform on a Year 10 excursion.  But that was 30 years ago.

A arrived in Sydney just after 1pm and we spent the afternoon walking around the Rocks Market before coming back to our magnificent room (32nd floor Harbour View of the Four Seasons) to relax as she is still struggling a little with the time change.

Our plan was to walk to Otto and meet the Barnes' and Cammells' for dinner.  Unfortunately I forgot about the Botanic Gardens shutting their gates each night.  But a quick Uber rectified that problem and it wasn't long before we were sitting outside catching up for the first time in 4 - 7 years.  The fact we were sitting outside, even though under a gas heater, is a testament to the wonderful weather we're having during the Sydney "winter".  Dinner was outstanding, and the company as fun as always.  Then to top off dinner we caught a water taxi back to the Opera House - acting like that's how we get to every concert.  Many a photo was taken using this spectacular harbour as a backdrop.  I truly count my blessing for the friends and life I have.

We got into our seats and literally moments later Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite and band walked onto the stage.  I had seen them 5 years ago at The Fillmore and had a blast.  Tonight was going to top that.  While it took a few songs for Harper to acknowledge the crowd, when he did, he shared the love.  He seemed happy with the reaction, more than happy to share the adoration with his great band and be completely humbled by the room.  And let's talk about that for a minute.  The sound was shear PERFECTION.  In complete contrast to the mixing disaster that was Tumbleweed last night, I am not sure I have had better sound at a gig before.  So good were the acoustics I, and everyone else in the audience, were afraid to talk in fear of interrupting this most beautiful of sound.  

This set of songs were also amazing.  Between Harper's voice, the unreal band Musselwhite's harmonica and occasion blues-graveled voice each song was better than the last.  The Trump dedicated I Don't Believe A Word You Say received a rapturous welcome and then a fantastic follow up of I'm In I'm Out and I'm Gone were the 2 songs which really set the tone for the rest of the night.  Trust You To Dig My Grave was a great song and of course everyone was super pumped for the finale - When The Levee Breaks.

A five song encore made you wish this night would never end.  Long Legged Woman was fantastic.  A cover of the Beatles Yer Blues was a song I didn't recognize but still very bluesy.  However the show stopper was All That Matters Now.  Like the Charlotte show, Harper sang this without the aid of a microphone.  Unlike the Charlotte show where we fought to hear the song, Harper's voice carried perfectly to all corners of the room and left everyone stuck in their seats when it was done.

When I was home and looking for something to take Amy to the Opera House to see, I was blown away that Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite was an option.  The fact we could get 6 good seats together was more amazing.  But there was nothing that could prepare me for how good the performance was - I'd hate to be the next show I see at the Opera House as standards have been set super high.  I read a review a couple of days later that also summed things up well in another perspective.  People coming to see Harper play his well known Innocent Criminals songs may have been initially disappointed, but would have left with a whole new respect for this great music.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 444th concert.

Concert Hall is the 122nd venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 50th concert in Sydney.

This is my 184th concert in New South Wales.

This is my 187th concert in Australia.
This is my 2nd Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite concert.

Tumbleweed, Pink Fits, Electric Guitars & Enfant Terrible @ Marrickville Bowlo

20 years since I've seen my favorite Australian band, and this my 19th time.  And they happen to tour on a rare occasion that I'm at home.  Too good!

I had come to Sydney from Mum's earlier in the day to spend some time wandering Sydney.  I'm staying at the beautiful Four Seasons, in a room overlooking the Harbour, Bridge and Opera House.  Very Spoiled!  The day took me from the Rocks, to the Opera House, up to my beloved Red Eye Records, before coming back to the hotel to rest before the night, and take in the sights.

A train out to Marrickville made to see a gig.  Home sweet home!  Met Marbs there and we went in search of dinner.  Fortunately Regs and Phil found us and we headed to The Henson for dinner.  A good Aussie pub meal  on top of the day and what was to come.  Talk about trying to persuade me to move back to Oz.

We got to the venue way to early.  I usually try and at least listen to the opening bands, but good company kept me distracted and Enfant Terrible, The Electric Guitars and The Pink Fits came and went without grabbing my attention.

For the Weed, Regs and I moved up front.  They were playing their self-titled debut from start to finish and I wanted to be right there, taken back in time to my early 20's, and see if the band still had it.  They do.  From the opening chords of Sundial, Richie had the arm-waving, hip-swaying, doubled-over, hair-flying moves I can no longer do.  The pace was a bit faster than the record, but the band was into it.  Unfortunately the sound guy wasn't!  It was so ear-piercingly loud (of course I'd forgotten earplugs) even I was uncomfortable.  After God we retreated to the back of the venue where, despite the crowd's lack of interest so far back, sound was bearable.  Acid Rain sounded great, considering I once heard the band say they'd never do that song live.  But I thing the set really kicked on after the album was finished.  The 4 song bridge from album to encore were the magnificent Daddy Long Legs, Stoned, Carousel and Shakedown. 

After hearing Silver Lizard and Hang Around we decided to leave (hey it was after 1am and we're not getting any younger).  I wish I had stayed as I could here Rainbow Waterwillow being played at a cracking pace to finish off the encore.

I can't believe that Tumbleweed can still put on as good a show as when I first saw them 25 years ago at the Zoo in Long Jetty.  I'm glad that they are still together, after a couple of hiatuses, and hope I get to see them again one day.  In the meantime I'll remember the good music and great company of the night.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 443rd concert.

Marrickville Bowlo is the 121st venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 2nd concert in Marrickville.

This is my 183rd concert in New South Wales.

This is my 186th concert in Australia.
Enfant Terrible are the 511th band I've seen.

Enfant Terrible are the 1000th time I've seen a band.
The Electric Guitars are the 512th band I've seen.
The Pink Fits is the 513th band I've seen.
This is my 19th Tumbleweed concert.

Jeff Martin @ Long Jetty Hotel

It's been 4 months shy of 20 years since I had seen a show at the Jetty (Sprung Monkey back when it was the Zoo).  The set up has changed drastically as the pub is rarely used for concerts anymore.  Gone is the larger stage and the bar running along the far wall.  Now a small stage sits in the corner of the room - perfect for The Tea Party singer's solo show.

I love The Tea Party, so to see Jeff Martin in my home pub, when I just happen to be in Australia, was an opportunity I was not going to miss, and the start of my weekend of rock.  It was a mellow night (except for a few in the crowd that needed to fuck it up for everyone).  A great mix of Tea Party songs and covers.  For me the highlight was actually his cover of U2's With or Without You, a song I'm not a fan of, but I enjoyed this version.  

Was surprised that I didn't run into anyone I knew, but after 20 years I may just not recognize people.  This weekend back in Charlotte, Liverpool is playing, and I was devastated that this was announced the day after we booked our trip back to Australia, however if the rest of the weekend goes well, I be more than happy.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 442nd concert.

This is my 22nd concert at Long Jetty Hotel.

This is my 22nd concert at Long Jetty.

This is my 182nd concert in New South Wales.

This is my 185th concert in Australia.
Jeff Martin is the 510th band I've seen.

Disney On Ice @ Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Before we came out to Australia and we were looking for things to do, K bought all of us tickets to Disney On Ice up at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.  I'm not sure why I've never been here before.  Much smaller than the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and not a bad seat in the house as seen by the fact we were in the last row and had a fantastic view.

The Boys, Nanny and us drove up separately from the K, J, LF & M and we arrived a little early.  But a beautiful winter's day let us sit in the sun while we waited.  A few years ago, a show like this would have been my worst nightmare, but I love taking the boys somewhere where I can watch them take it all in.

The show itself was great.  A bunch of Disney classics were told in a shortened skating version.  LF & M knew all the characters and stories, while the boys and I had no idea who some of these people were.  The kids loved it.  And the performers were fantastic.  The stuff they did in those costumes and on ice, defies all forms of logic.

Never have I seen so many kids in one spot, but no nervous breakdown was had.  Everyone, parents and kids alike, had a blast.  And for me the drive up the Freeway and back home via Swansea and the back way, was a great trip down memory lane.

L, Me & B @ Disney On Ice - Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow, NSW

Oxnard, CA to Bateau Bay, NSW

On 30 June we started our journey back to Australia to see family.  Flying out to Los Angeles, we drove up to spend a couple of days with AC before flying out to Sydney on 2 July.  

The fight was just me and the boys.  A would join us in the middle 2 weeks of us being there.  Boys slept well on the fight and when they woke up, they were able to watch 2 World Cup games that took us all the way to arrival in Sydney.  Unfortunately the motion of the plane didn't agree with either of them and L will pretty ill going through customs and immigration.

Ray LaMontagne & Neko Case @ CMCU Amphitheater

Definitely a tale of 2 opposites in performance tonight.  Amy was excited to see Ray La Montaigne, but I was looking forward to Neko Case opening.  I own her Blacklisted album, and while it is generally what I'd listen to all the time, Case has this voice which is hauntingly passionate.  Case and her band came out while the sun still shone and entertained those of us fortunate enough to get there early.  She looked like she was enjoying being on stage, and was humbled by the crowd's response.  Although she didn't play a song I was familiar with, her performance made me want to find more of her music, and hope one day we'll see her do a headlining show.

On the other hand I did not get that feeling from LaMontagne.  He stage presence and communication with the crowd was non-existent.  Again I didn't know any of his stuff, yet Amy waited for a few favorites which he didn't play.  Apparently his set only contained songs from the 3 albums he had released in the last 4 years.  Nothing older - that Amy wanted.  It's not often that Amy is the instigator of us going to a concert, so I wanted her to see it all and enjoy, but I can't say I wasn't relieved when she said she was happy to leave before he came back out for his encore.

LaMontagne's band and voice were on point and, as always, there was a ton of people who had a great night and really enjoyed the show.  It just wasn't for Amy and I.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 441st concert.

This is my 10th concert at CMCU Amphitheater.

This is my 74th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 84th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 247th concert in the USA.
Neko Case is the 508th band I've seen.

Neko case is the 450th time I've seen a band in the US.
Ray LaMontagne is the 509th band I've seen.

Royal Blood & Turbowolf @ The Fillmore

I knew nothing of Turbowolf before coming tonight.  Didn't even know they were on the bill.  However, they were great!  Driving rock with a punk spirit.  I'm sure they garnered a few new American fans tonight.  I know I, for one, am, and will need to search out some of their music.

I love that every time that Royal Blood comes to Charlotte, they get bigger and better.  Their first show was to a near empty Tremont, I saw them a couple of years back at a near full Amos'.   Now they are playing to a packed Fillmore.  And good for them.  Their sound is strong and cuts off their 2nd album are just as good as the first.

The crowd were into it from the first notes of How Did We Get So Dark?  Mike and I stood side stage to avoid the masses who were crammed in.  Song after song was fantastic, and that sound from just a drum and bass was incredible.  New album songs commanded back up singers while the old stuff saw just Michael and Ben blast the crowd away.  I had a preference to the older songs, being more familiar with them.  Come On Over and Little Monster in the middle of the set, and Ten Tonne Skeleton and Out Of The Black as the 2 encore songs were fantastic.  

Looking forward to seeing them again, but in what venue?  Maybe they move to the amphitheater behind the Fillmore next.  I just hope it's not too big a venue.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 440th concert.

This is my 24th concert at The Fillmore.

This is my 73rd concert in Charlotte.

This is my 83rd concert in North Carolina.

This is my 246th concert in the USA.
Turbowolf are the 507th band I've seen.
This is my 2nd Royal Blood concert.

Primus & Mastodon @ CMCU Amphitheater

Ahhh! An outdoor show.  You're welcome for the rain The Rest Of Charlotte!

Mastodon started so early (still daylight) that I completely missed All Them Witches and had to hear Divinations and Crystal Skull as I was walking into the venue.  I was pretty happy with my seat, though.  I bought them through the Primus pre-sale, so couldn't chose, but I was second row (with no-one in front of me) to the left as you look at the stage, right in front of guitarist Brent Hinds.  Hinds kept our side entertained while Troy Sanders took up his 2 position - in front of the mike or in front of Brann Dailor's drum kit - which was quite colorful, but you could only see this when bug yellow went down for the night.  I missed a light of the lighting that goes with each song, due to a giant speaker being in my line of sight.  Black Tongue was the highlight through the new-album-(Emperor of Sand) heavy setlist.  Still an hour an quarter / 17 song set is pretty good playing time for an opening band.

Had a pretty short turn around before Primus came on stage.  I was psyched to be in front of Larry LaLonde.  So many times have I been mesmerized by Les Claypool's bass, that you forget there are 2 other magic musicians in the band.  Show started great with Harold Of The Rocks and not long before we got to hear the fantastic Wynona's Big Brown Beaver.  After a half dozen songs the band left the stage and came back dressed like goblins (with druid/jawa techs) and proceeded to play their brand new album, The Desaturating Seven, from start to finish.  Some good songs, but not all of them may have been needed in this show.  After another break the band came back for 4 more songs, with the great My Name Is Mud and Jerry Was A Race Car Driver finishing the set.  Disappointingly there was no encore (Jerry seemed to finish just after 11) and the set felt incomplete.  Still glad I went, though I may leave a little more time between shows before seeing each of the bands again (though Primus keep having these great supports: Dinosaur Jr, Clutch and now Mastodon). 

The Crap Facts:
This is my 439th concert.

This is my 9th concert at CMCU Amphitheater.

This is my 72nd concert in Charlotte.

This is my 82nd concert in North Carolina.

This is my 245th concert in the USA.
This is my 6th Mastodon concert.
This is my 10th Primus concert.

Primus is the 150th time I've seen a band in North Carolina.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club & Pete International Airport @ The Underground

A small venue and a (disappointingly smallish - half full) crowd made for the perfect venue for tonight's show.  I don't know why Black Rebel Motorcycle Club aren't a bigger band - or is it Charlotte is not into rock.

I got in early to catch Pete International Airport.  Not really my thing - kind of an ambient, shoegaze rock.  It was a really short set though and it seemed like a minimal setup was needed to get BRMC on stage.

A 3 song start up from the new album "Wrong Creatures" was great, but things really got started with Beat The Devil's Tattoo.  Berlin was excellent, as was Dirty Ol' Town.  The set was laden with 9 songs from the new album which I'm unfamiliar with but still the set flowed well, and the crowd reaction was great.  When an amp blew during White Palms, I thought that might be the end of the night, but out of nowhere, much to the joy of the crowd, the sound came back on.  After that, Six Barrell Shogun and Spread Your Love (still one of my all time favorite songs) finished off the 'main set".  Technically BRMC went straight into their encore, as so much time was lost with the blown amp.  The last 3 songs could not have been better Red Eyes & Tears and Awake gave the audience a chance to recover from the previous 3, then it all exploded again with Whatever Happened To My Rock n Roll.  And despite the amp blowing again, BRMC played on and allowed the audience to finish the song for them.

2 hours has been better than normal for headliners I've seen lately.  Maybe it's a thank you for those of us who had tickets for the show earlier in the year that had to be postponed due to illness.  Maybe it was the crowd's enthusiasm.  Regardless it was another great BRMC show.  Not sure why it's been 7 years since I last saw them, but won't wait that long again.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 438th concert.

This is my 2nd concert at The Underground.

This is my 71st concert in Charlotte.

This is my 81st concert in North Carolina.

This is my 244th concert in the USA.
Pete International Airport is the 506th band I've seen.
This is my 4th Black Rebel Motorcycle Club concert.

Carolina Rebellion @ Rock City Campgrounds

3 years ago I said I wouldn't come back to this festival after how crowded it was, that I couldn't get near a stage.  However concerts have been so few and far between in the last 6 months, and it was a Xmas present, so I thought I'd see if this year was any better....and is was - by far.

Ideally, and in my youth, I'd have been at the opening of the festival checking out new bands and making the most of the day.  But now....I'm old.  And as much as I wanted to see The Bronx, they were on at 1.30pm and the next band I wanted to see (and what tipped me over the edge to want the ticket) was Billy Idol at 5.50pm.  So I didn't leave the house until 5.

I arrived early enough but was parked at the back of the Drag Strip and took me nearly half an hour to get into the venue (while listening to Dancing With Myself and Flesh For Fantasy.  I walked in and right up to about 25 yards from the stage - where is everyone?  It's Billy Idol!  Maybe everyone was recovering from the last 2 days here and would be around later.  But Billy (still playing with Steve Stevens) was awesome.  He still has a great presence and energy while performing.  Rebel Yell to finish the set had the crowd in a frenzy.  For his encore he came out for an acoustic White Wedding, before the band came back of stage to drive the song home.

I went and found a shady spot to have dinner and then thought I'd head over and see Incubus.  Was never a fan, but was really surprised how familiar a song or two was.  A mid set Nice To Know You kickstarted the crowd - and me - I remember that song.  And while I didn't know Wish You Were Here I really loved the way they incorporated Pink Floyd's song of the same name into the outro.  Overall I was impressed with the set, even though I had no expectations.

A quick move over to one of the smaller stages to see Baroness.  This was a band I literally knew nothing about.  A bit heavier than the rest of the bands I saw today and a good performance, but not necessarily my thing (at my age I'm very picky about any new music I listen too).  Having said that, a hardcore group of fans were really into this set.

 

I left a little early to get a decent spot for Queens of the Stone Age and was surprised by how easy it was to get close to the stage (20 yards or so) and not be mobbed by a ton of people.  QOTSA came out in blistering form, playing 3 songs in a row that I knew to begin with, the last of which was a rockin' No One Knows.  A solid performance that ended with the wild Song For The Dead.  A finish that just left you rocked and wanting more.  Let's hope they come back to Charlotte soon.

Maybe Muse is not for the younger kids (maybe it was too late on a school night), but again I had a relatively good spot and great sight line to see Muse.  Also ran in to some neighbors after many a text.  Matt Bellamy seemed angry tonight, not at anything in particular, but his style was aggressive, adding to the performance.  I am not someone who listens to Muse but what I like about Muse is that they are an arena band, but they have such a small amount to equipment on stage.  How do they produce that sound?  And as a 3 piece physically located close on stage, their presence fills a large area while playing.  The LED display to each song, enhanced the show.  And while I don't know many of their songs (actually only 1) the little outros they played after each song were great (Back In Black, Know Your Enemy, My Own Summer & Heartbreaker).  A 3 song encore ended with the epic Knights of Cydonia (the one I know), and a cloud of confetti the crowd of thousands left knowing they'd seen a great rock band.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 437th concert.

This is my 2nd concert at Rock City Campgrounds.

This is my 2nd concert in Concord.

This is my 80th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 243rd concert in the USA.
Billy Idol is the 503rd band I've seen.
Incubus are the 504th band I've seen.
Baroness are the 505th band I've seen.
This is my 2nd Queens of the Stone Age concert.
This is my 2nd Muse concert.

Beautiful: The Carol King Musical @ Ovens Auditorium

A's birthday present.  The gift for the whole adult family.

I went to this knowing Carole King's Tapestry, but not much else.  Boy, was I blown away!  I had no idea that that proceeding that hit album there was a whole catalog of great songs.  The fact she and her husband wrote so many hits before Tapestry, in friendly competition with friends, and fellow Dimension Records songwriters, Cynthia Weil & Barry Mann, was amazing.  This meant we spent the whole show saying "I never knew she/they wrote that!".  From Locomotion, Will You Love Me Tomorrow to (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.  And then the Weil/Mann songs as well, especially We Gotta Get Out Of This Place and You've Lost That Loving Feeling.

The show ended with King walking on stage to play her own concert due to the beginning of the public's recognition of Tapestry.  Very poignant that it ended on arguably her greatest success, so as to not take away from her brilliance in the years leading up to this.

The cast were phenomenal.  Not a note out of place and the story had a great flow.  The audience loved every second of it (especially A which is important for a birthday present).  It is nights like these that I feel blessed to be able to see such performances.

Charlotte Checkers v Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins @ Bojangles Coliseum

With A out of town I took the boys to their 2nd ice-hockey game at Bojangles.  This was game 1 of a finals series and a slightly larger than last time crowd saw a hard fought match won by the Checkers during overtime.

While I'm not a hockey fan, the Checkers certainly do a good job of making the game fun for the whole family.  The boys got their faces on the big screen again - which was their highlight, and hopefully this kicks the finals series off for a successful Checkers season.  (P.S. - It did not.)

Charlotte Checkers 3 (A. Saarela, V. Zykov, L. Wallmark) defeated Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2 (A. Pedan, D. Sprong) in overtime.

Crowd: 4,517.

Charlotte Knights vs Scranton/WIlkes-Barre RailRiders @ BB&T Ballpark

The boys first baseball game came in conjunction with an Eastover Spirit day where the school was allotted tickets to the game, so we purchased and sat with a few families from the school.  I say a few, because many people had been turned off by the storm supposedly coming to Charlotte.  Understandable.  We, however, were not going to allow bad weather get in the way of sport.

Our seats were along the 1st base line, and weren't that great, but a few foul balls came our way.  Not a lot of hits til the 3rd innings when the Railriders hit 3 runs.  A rally in the 4th wasn't enough for the Knights to come back.  By this stage the boys lost interest so we went for a wander around the ground to see what else there was.  When we got as far away from our seats as physically possible, my phone (and everyone else at the stadium) sent a loud warning for an approaching severe storm.  It was funny to see tonnes of people stop, look at their phones, make the decision to leave, then make the mad dash out of the park.  We joined that exodus.  While the rain started at the top of the 5th, and the wind picked up, the game continued as people half watched and exited the venue.  I was later to find out that 5 complete innings was enough to cause a result.  And the Knights lost as they struck out in the lightning, while we were back in the car headed for home.

I had a good day, though I might try and do it again without the kids (they like the idea of going to a game, but once they are there....) and in better seats.  But I do love that BB&T Ballpark is right in the middle of downtown Charlotte, less than 3 miles from our home.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders 4 (Torres, Higashioka, Zehner, Avieino runs) defeated Charlotte Knights 3 (Rondole, Skole, Perez runs)

Attendance: 7,751

Broken Social Scene @ Neighborhood Theatre

So I own 2 Broken Social Scene songs on iTunes.  They're great enough for me to want to check out this Canadian group.  I even got Drew to come with me as well.

It was only 3 songs in before I got to hear Cause = Time.  It was the kickstart the audience wanted as well.  The crowd's vibe was instantly upbeat, as the Neighborhood Theatre broke into a dance that would last the rest of the set.  I love going to a show knowing minimal about the band, and coming out a big fan.  Tonight was one of those nights.  They band improved the more the crowd got into it.    Texico Bitches and Major Label Debut were personal (new) favorites of the night.   I was suprised to hear Anthems of a Seventeen Year Old Girl near the end.  Wasn't sure it was a song they could pull off live.  How wrong was I?  It was a fantastic end to a great show.  Let's hope they come through Charlotte again.  I could guess at about 300 people who'd be back.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 436th concert.

This is my 4th concert at Neighborhood Theatre

This is my 70th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 79th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 242nd concert in the USA.
Broken Social Scene are the 502nd band I've seen.

Charlotte Hornets v Philadelphia 76ers @ Spectrum Center

We used Granddad's Xmas gift money to buy tickets for the boys to attend their first NBA game.  And picked the 76ers to see fellow, and brother-in-law Jason's favorite, Aussie Ben Simmons.  He had average seats, up high in the back corner.  But a clear overall view of the game so the boys could see what was going on.

The Hornets put on a strong display in the first quarter, and held a lead, but faded away after that.  By half way through the 3rd quarter it felt like the 76ers were on a training run.  Eventually going on to win easily 119-102.  Shame for the Hornets, but an Australian won, so who am I to complain.

Not a lot of atmosphere in the arena.  Attendance was allegedly 17000, but it's a 19000 seat stadium and I doubt that it was half full.  There was virtually no one on the top deck where we were.  The boys did however enjoy themselves, though I don't think they'll be in a rush to get back to an NBA game.  But we'll see.

B, Mom, L & Dad - Spectrum Center - Hornets v 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers 119 (Bellinelli 22, Simmons 20, Reddick 20) defeated Charlotte Hornets 102 (Monk 16, Kidd-Gilchrist 16, Hernangomez 15)

Crowd: 17,005

Robert Plant & His Sensational Space Shifters & Seth Lakeman at Ovens Auditorium

I know it's not Led Zeppelin.  I know he is past his prime.  But it's Robert Plant! How can you not be curious as to how this legend still carries a tune.

Opener, and eventually part-time Space Shifter, Seth Lakeman played solo to start the night.  He had the crowd captivated playing some original, some traditional music.  But we all know what everyone was there for....

I had bought pre-sale tickets and had not been given an indication as to where these tickets were.  But we were just to the right of stage in the 2nd row.  Could barely have asked for more.  The Space Shifters stuff was pretty good, but the crowd really reacted when Plant played the Zeppelin stuff.  That's The Way and the set finisher Misty Mountain Hop were fantastic.  I also fondly remember Please Read The Letter, from an album he did with Allison Krauss.  When the encore started I was transported back to my childhood.  In The Mood was on an album dad had, and a song I loved as a kid.  It was a song that I had forgotten was his, and such an honor and pleasure to hear it live.  After that song the guitarist went on a winding psychedelic opening, but suddenly put his foot on the pedal, changing the sound to the distinct to accompany the opening riff to Whole Lotta Love - and the crowd went APESHIT!  5 minutes of musical heaven.  Unfortunately Plant's voice doesn't quite get to those higher notes anymore, but as someone who was never old enough to see Led Zeppelin live, a better song to finish the set there could not have been.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 435th concert.

This is my 2nd concert at Ovens Auditorium.

This is my 69th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 78th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 241st concert in the USA.
Seth Lakeman is the 500th band I've seen.
Robert Plant & His Sensational Space Shifters are the 501st band I've seen

School Of Rock @ Ovens Auditorium

For Xmas this year I bought tickets for the family to see School of Rock.  With the success of Rudolph, I thought the boys would like to see kids perform in a musical.

The show is the musical version of the 2003 Jack Black movie of the same name.  And boy is it good!  The kids (older than the boys but not yet teens) are fantastic - and play all their instruments live.  And the story is well adapted into another Andrew Lloyd Webber smash.  Everything, from the set to the music and the actors are terrific and Ned Schneebly is played in the Jack Black spirit.

The boys enjoyed the show, especially L, who was mesmerized when the kids performed as a band.  Mom had a blast as well.  Though at just under 3 hours (including intermission) was a stretch for the guys, even though it was a matinee, B&L were spent by the end of the day.

I'm glad we did this, and hope we can take the boys to more musicals (and ultimately concerts) in the near future.  School of Rock is a great family musical I'd recommend to anyone who has kids that are showing any form of interest in music. 

Henry Rollins @ McGlohon Theater

You'd think after 8 spoken word shows, that'd be enough from Henry Rollins. But considering the guy has only once ever told the same story twice, and that he has lead an interesting, well traveled life, why not go once more.  And disappoint he did not!  When I've seen his shows in Australia, they tend to lean towards travelling and his fanbase and association with Australia.  When I've seem him in the US, Rollins talks are a little more political.  So to get back to travel was an awesome thing.  Rollins has been everywhere - and always finds the interesting.  But for all the places he'd been - which were fascinating - my favorite were the last few of him and Ian McKay skating, and his Black Flag audition.  Took Mike along, as A was out of town.  This was his first Henry show and he can't wait to get back again.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 434th concert.

This is my 2nd concert at McGlohon Theater.

This is my 68th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 77th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 240th concert in the USA.
This is my 9th Henry Rollins concert.

Davidson v St. Louis @ John Belk Arena

Davidson Wildcats 54 (P. Aldridge 21, K. Grady 14, W. McGarrity 9), defeated  St. Louis 51 (D. Roby 11, J. Johnson 9, H. French 8)

Crowd: 3,140