Rod Stewart & Cheap Trick @ PNC Pavilion

Tonight we took advantage of $30 lawn tickets to head up to PNC and see Rod Stewart & Cheap Trick.  I even got A to come to a concert.

I've seen Cheap Trick a twice before, so I definitely wanted to be there early and catch them.  After getting stuck in a little traffic coming in, we got to the stairway up to the lawn as they were coming on stage.  The Dream Police early on got people up and moving/reminiscing.  But the band didn't seem as mobile as in the past.  And some of the sound was not mixing well.  The bass player's vocals were really loud.  It was really great to hear If You Want My Love - as I'd not seen them do that live before.  The hour long set finished with The Flame, I Want You To Want Me and Surrender.  Some of the higher notes don't hit as high as they used to, and beside the saxophone shaped guitar, Rick Nielson didn't have the variety you know and love for this set.  During goodbye I wandered off to look at the merch.  Not a lot on offer, and no records that I was hoping for.

Cheap Trick Setlist

How the hell is Rod Stewart 80?  The guy doesn't stop for 2 hours, while I struggle to get off the grass to stand up and dance.  I had a Greatest Hits album of Rod Stewart when I was in 3rd grade (1981? - yikes) and I'm hoping he plays older stuff, as I'm not really into the newer soul/classic cover albums he's been releasing.  Stewart is a legend, and someone I definitely wanted to see live, even though it's not what I usually listen to, he has so many songs you knew tonight would be good.

From the start I was blown away.  I had not remembered that Infatuation was one of his songs.  And this was the beginning of that feeling for the night.  Either not realizing he did these songs, that they were covers or where the songs fit in his timeline.  It's a Heartache is an example.  I'm sure I've heard the Bonnie Tyler Original, but I only associate that song with Stewart.  And same for Cat Steven's First Cut Is The Deepest as well.  A mid-set Forever Young saw a respectful but creepy tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.  An AI slide played in the background showed Ozzy with a number of celebrities that have passed (Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, etc) obviously supposedly in heaven, but what looked like the beach in the Bahamas.  The sentiment was beautiful, the outcome a little weird.  Ooh La La by The Faces was awesome.  I didn't know that was the name of the song, but it is a screamer.  Maggie May easily got the best response from the crowd for the night.  Such a good storied song.  I didn't know Downtown Train was Tom Waits - but another song I hadn't thought of for years.  You're In My Heart is his tribute to his beloved Celtic and I'm wondering if all those people down the front knew to wear Celtic shirts, or were they moved down the front because of their Celtic shirts.  We'll never know.  Do You Think I'm Sexy and Hot Legs were a perfect way to finish a fun set.  Like old people we raced off to the car to get out of the lot before everyone else (in hindsight a great decision) and had to listen to Some Guys Have All The Luck (the song A really wanted) as the encore as we walked out to the car.

A & I had a blast, and I'm really glad we made the effort on a school night to see this show (and the rain held off for us).  Another legend ticked off the list of concerts I've seen.

Rod Stewart Setlist

The Crap Facts

This is my 527th concert.
This is my 5th concert at PNC Pavilion .
This is my 124th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 148th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 327th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Cheap Trick concert.
Rod Stewart is the 618th band I've seen.

Weird Al Yankovic & Puddles Pity Party @ Skyla CU Amphitheater

This was unexpected.  I got called into work in the afternoon, which is great, because this was the show I wanted to be at.

I was stationed at the top of the stairs, to greet everyone, and people were in early.  The lawn was nearly full only 45 minutes after the gates opened.  With all these people streaming in I couldn't watch Puddles as much as I wanted, but did catch some of his songs.  None were better than the Gilligan's Island Theme, sung to Stairway to Heaven.

Al started his set inside the Fillmore, video playing on the screen as he sung Tacky.  A pie in the face for Puddles outside the VIP entrance before he hit the stage to thunderous applause.  I thought his Polkamania medley was great.  Singing Al lyrics to the likes of Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, etc as the real videos played in the background.  An extended video from the Weird Al Movie (doing Another One Rides The Bus) lead into a fully changed Al doing Smells Like Nirvana (what I really wanted to see).  Of course a guest crisis happens during this song (broken chair) and I miss most of it.  I get a 15 minute break and miss the big medley, including Party In The CIA, I Love Rocky Road, Eat It and Like A Surgeon, though I could hear it all inside.  I walked out to catch the end of Canadian Idiot.  Fat saw the big suit come out, and then he played a few cartoon songs, which lost the audience for a minute, but White & Nerdy and Amish Paradise was a huge finisher.  For the encore we got a woven in The Saga Begins & Yoda.  By the time he finished, after 2 hours, the crowd were on their feet again.  A great night had by all.

Two stand out things.  It's hotter tonight than last night.  But this is a sit down crowd, so it didn't feel as bad as what last night was.  And 2 - Fun Band = Fun Crowd.  Beside the dressed up Amish, the Hawaiian shirts were in full force, silly socks (even from staff), and the young kids with their parents having a blast.

I hadn't bought tickets and the show sold out, so I rarely say this, but I'm glad I got to work tonight.  Will get the boys going to the show the next time Weird Al comes through town.

Weird Al Yankovic Setlist

The Crap Facts
This is my 526th concert.
This is my 19th concert at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater.
This is my 123rd concert in Charlotte.
This is my 147th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 326th concert in the USA.
Puddles Pity Party are the 616th band I've seen.
Weird Al Yankovic are the 617th band I've seen.

Goo Goo Dolls & Dashboard Confessional @ Skyla CU Amphitheater

Holy Hell, it's hot!  Again.

A brief report of this concert.  Dashboard Confessional were a backing track to me trying to get people to their seats.  Unfortunately at 7.30, with the sun still blazing, people who might be in their seats, were headed for drinks or whatever shade they could find.  None of their songs were familiar to me, but it seemed like what response they got was good.

The Goo Goo Dolls hit the stage after the sunset and started to a packed house.  This is a band who were in a prime when I was listening to everything, but they never held my attention for more than a song or 2.  Slide was the 2nd song, and a banger to get the crowd really into it.  That one I knew.  

As a regular concert goer there a couple of things I don't understand from a crowd perspective.  One is people leaving during the band to get a drink and or, in the US, food.  No!  Do that shit between bands, or early on.  Not while the main reason you forked over money is on stage.  2nd, is people talking throughout a set (hence I see a lot of shows on my own).  Shut Up or fuck off!  No one paid money to hear you crap on over the music.  While I saw this tonight, I had a lot of people tell me they had to get out of their seats and go to the lawn or plaza because it was too hot for them.  Packed in the crowd close to the stage was too much for a lot of people tonight (it was well over 90 degrees all night).  I'm glad they were self aware enough to get out while they could.  Anyway the band played a lot of stuff I don't know and while I was keeping my eye on the job, you can't help but see how much this crowd was enjoying this show.  All night long.  Despite the uncomfortable heat.  A 3 song encore was finished with the much anticipated Iris, which I also know, and had the crowd buzzing on the way out.  So much so, that they must not have wanted it to end, as even after 45 minute cleanup it still took over an hour to get out of the parking lot.

Goo Goo Dolls Setlist

The Crap Facts

This is my 525th concert.
This is my 18th concert at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater.
This is my 122nd concert in Charlotte.
This is my 146th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 325th concert in the USA.
Dashboard Confessional are the 614th band I've seen.
Goo Goo Dolls are the 615th band I've seen.

San Francisco, CA

Our last day on our West Coast trip started at the nearby Boudin Bakery, where a pastry breakfast got us underway for the day.

At the hotel we did the weirdest thing we had tried in a long time and ordered a Waymo to take us to the Ferry Terminal.  While a long time transportation option in San Francisco, these last few days have been the first time we've seen driverless cars ever.  To get in one was really wierd.  It's merely 2 miles, but while I was in the passenger seat and everyone else was in the back, it just felt awkward.  Having sad that, the ride was smooth and there were no problems.  I know there will come a day when this technology advances further still and no one will be driving.  Eventually that might be a good thing.

We boarded a ferry for Richmond, as we are off to have a barbeque at Shacks place in El Cerrito.  A smooth 35 minute ride across the Bay, sitting outside, taking in all the sites.  Shack met us at the terminal and drove us the 10 minutes back to his and Kat's, his lovely bride we were meeting for the first times, house.  Kat's mom lives with them too, so lunch was a mix of barbeque and Phillipino food.  Shack & Kat were married during Covid, so we attended the wedding virtually, but it's been 5 years till we had the opportunity to me her properly.  The afternoon was spent with a bunch of their friends in the sun in the backyard enjoying the food and the company.  It's always good value hanging with Shack, so you know his wife is going to be a blast as well.

B&L, San Francisco Ferry Terminal, CA

Shack dropped us off at the train station and we caught a train back in to Embarcadero, to do something different.  Not as good us the ferry as we rode under the bay, with nothing to see.  From here we zig zagged back through the city back to the hotel.  

Our last meal for the trip was to be take out from Cilantro SF Tacqueria.  The amount of people fighting for a table, and then the rest of us crammed in to pick up food, told us all we needed to know about this place.  And we weren't disappointed.  Back in the hotel the tacos and burritos went down a treat.

After dinner we walked over to the Aquatic Cove to finally take in the Golden Gate Bridge.  It had been too foggy since we'd been here to get a good view of it.  And to get it with the setting sun was amazing.  While it was below 50 degrees (never happening in summer at home) we hung out and waited for the 4th July fireworks, with what seemed like half of San Francisco.  What a display!  A great half hour of sky high entertainment.  It's been years since I've sone something like this on a holiday.  And this was great - we've got to do this more often.

So it was fireworks that ended our 8 days in Northern California.  Appropriate I would say, after 8 great days it was essential we went out with a bang.

Golden Gate Bridge, CA

DML&B, Aquatic Cove, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Board & Drink is around the corner from the hotel, and where we started the day today with  breakfast.  Again we filled up for a days discovering.

The Powell Hyde Cable Car runs from the water's edge, and this was our San Francisco thing to do today.  While we had to wait a while to get on, it was nice to be seated as we rode up the hill towards the Grace Cathedral.  I had been here years ago, and wanted to show the boys the Florence Duomo replica door on the church.  It is a magical sight.  However I don't remember it being $15 to go in and look around.  Or $60 for all of us.  Money we opted to spend elsewhere.  Actually, after wandering around, a good amount was spent at Bob's Donuts.  After a large breakfast, we didn't need sustanence as much as we needed sugar.

We walked over to Van Ness & California and caught the Cable Car all the way down to the Embarcadero.  We then wandered back through the edge of Chinatown and to Union Square.  Here we caught the other Cable Car all the way back to the hotel.

BL&M, Cable Car, San Francisco, CA

LDM&B, Cable Car, San Francisco, CA

We did what every tourist must do in San Francisco and fouhgt the hordes of people at Fishermna's Wharf, as well as saw the seals.  While there were not many, they were pretty vocal, and a massive seal bullied all the others to get the best spots.

BD&L, Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco, CA

Dinner tonight was at Piccolo Forno. Half a mile from the hotel, recomended by staff, and an Italian restaruant in North Beach.  What's not to like?  WE were early but still had to wait a bit for a seat.  But we got to sit outside (something we rarely do at home during the summer) and enjoy a fantastic meal.  There were a lot of recommended restaurants nearby, and all were really busy, but I really like the one we chose.

Near by a gelato store quenched desert desires and in the nearby Washington Square we had a great view of the setting sun behing the beautiful the St Peter and St Paul Church in Waskington Square.  After that, it was just back tot he hotel.  Rest was required after yet another fantastic day around San Francisco.

St. Peter & Paul Church, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

A big day started just up the road at Buena Vista Cafe, where we had breakfast with Shack, a college friend of A's who we havenb't seen in at least 15 years.  This famous restaurant is home to America's first Irish Coffee back in 1932.  Of course A & Shack indulged.  A hearty breakfast for a big day ahead.

After breakfast Shack drove us to a couple of spots in San Francisco.  We stopped at the Fort Point National Historic Site, under the foggy Golden Gate Bridge, and he took us through the Presidio neighborhood, where he used to live, and eventually dropped us off at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.  Was great to catch up with Shack, and we'll see him again on Friday when we head out to his place.

Shack,ML&B, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

At the de Young we toured the Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm exhibit.  This was great.  Paul took many photos during his days as a Beatle, and there were as many photos of fans going crazy as there were of members of the band and friends just hanging out in the US.  Black & white pictures in the wintery north of the country to bright and vibrant color pictures as they moved the tour into Florida.

Paul McCartney Exhibit, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA

We were cut short for time at the museum, so didn't get to see any of the other exhibits.  We caught an Uber back to the hotel to pick up some warmer clothes (thankfully).  Lunch was at the In n' Out right by the hotel - after the longest wait ever in a fast food restaurant - not through inefficiency, but sheer volume.  

A half mile later we were at Pier 33, ready to head out for an afternoon on Alcatraz.  This is my 3rd trip here, and the first time in 20 years.  WHile ther was a familiarity with the place, there was a lot of new stuff to see, and share with the boys seeing the place for the first time.  The tour starts in the shower room, before getting into the main accommodations of the place.  I know it hasn't been used as a prison in over 60 years, but this place is bleak.  I can't imagine how bad it was as a prison in the 50s and 60s.  And cold - sheesh!  That wind howls through there.  The wind noise and temperature would have been a nightmare stuck in a prison cell.  The audio tour takes your through the different levels of incarceration in the building and what the inmates did for dining and entertainment.  And the story of an unsuccessful uprising.  The tour is narrated by one time inmates and guards.  On the way out I bought a book, Alcatraz From Inside by one of the narrators, former prisoner Jim Quillen.  We went out to the Industries Building, on the north western side of the island.  I had not been here on previous trips, but now it was filled with an exhibit from when Native Americans reclaimed the island in 1969 and occupied it for 19 months.  A really interesting, politically charged protest saw Native Americans raise awareness to the plight of their people and the issue of stolen land, especially sacred sights.  The final part of the island has a small exhibit talking about incarcerations in today's world.  Plenty of statistics shared did not paint a promising picture for America, who seem to have high numbers and percentages of people in jails or prisons throughout the country.

Alcatraz, San Francisco, CA

L. Alcatraz, San Francisco, CA

DBM&L, Alcatraz, San Francisco, CA

We were on the island for close to 4 hours, and on the ferry back, the crowd was gifted with the sighting of a whale in the bay, much to the delight of everyone.  Once off the boat, we walked some to the Embarcadero, before heading to China Live for dinner.  This was a place recommended by the hotel, and one we'd seen yesterday while walking around.  This is a great restaurant concept.  A vast dining room intertwined with a gift store.  Different open kitchen cooking areas and a robot delivering food to tables and to go orders to the front to the restaurant.  Visually it was almost over stimulating.  But nothing in comparison to the food.  It was amazing.  We ordered smaller dishes to try different things, and we just couldn't stop.  We definitely needed the mile walk back to the hotel afterwards, just to digest the best meal I've had in ages.

DBL&M, China Live, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Carmel Bakery is at the back of the hotel, so it is here where we load up on to-go pastries on our way out of Monterey.  This is been a new city for all of us, and it was a great one to discover all together.  But on with the adventure....

The drive into San Francisco is a pretty easy one.  Not a lot of traffic mid morning.  We drove straight to the Kimpton Fisherman's Wharf and were able to check in straight away.  While the family unloaded in the room, I drove the car back to the airport.  There's no need for us to have it anymore.  And to pay for parking anywhere in the city is exorbitant.  

I caught the train back into the Embarcadero and met up with everyone else.  A quick lunch in the ferry terminal and we were off wandering the city.  Up past the Transamerica Pyramid, we walked up to the gates in Chinatown.  I had never been in this section of San Francisco before, and we wandered the shops and stores.  We then walked over to Lombard Street to see the world's curviest street, and a great view of Coit Tower.

BL&M, Chinatown, San Francisco, CA

Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA

BL&M, Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA

By the time we eventually got back to the hotel, it was time to get out to dinner.  We picked Cioppoinos for the convenience of being across the street at Fisherman''s Wharf.  A good meal, but could've been a better atmosphere.  The front of the restaurant was full, but no one was seated near the back, where there is an excellent view of the bay.