Navarre, FL

Road trip to Carla & Tammy's for Spring Break with the whole family from 13 - 19 April 2014.  Included trips to Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA, a fishing trip with Captain Mike on Pensacola Bay, FL, and a day at the Air Force Armament Museum in Elgin, FL and plenty of pool time and good company at Carla & Tammy's in Navarre, FL

L, Me, B & A @ Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA

B's first fish - Pensacola Bay, FL

L's first fish - Pensacola Bay, FL

Blue Angel practice while we fish in Pensacola Bay, FL

A, B, Tammy, L, Carla & Captain Mike @ Navarre, FL

A & L @ Elgin Air Force Armament, FL

Los Straitjackets & Aqualads @ Free Range Brewing

What a great night!

I knew nothing about Los Straitjackets except that they played surf music.  I had never been to Free Range Brewing, even though I've driven past it a million times, let alone seen a show there.  But I talked Mike into checking in out, and we were glad we did.

Aqualads kicked off the night at 9pm.  It's been 17 years since I saw them open for Reverend Horton Heat at the Visulite (the first time we lived in Charlotte).  I remember liking them then, and tonight was no different.  They put their spin on the surf-rock sound and were a good warm up for Los Straitjackets.

Free Range Brewing use a back room for the bands, with a 6 inch raised stage.  Nice and intimate - which worked out well with the crowd size.  The dressing room is a curtained off area next to the floor, which Los Straitjackets came bursting out of.  They greeted and high-fived the crowd before getting on stage and demanding applause.  Which the crowd were happy to oblige.  I don't know if it was the sharp black suits, the uniform guitars or the Mexican wrestling masks, but the band were a step above from the very first note.  Really simple choreography during Casbah early in the set, broken Spanish audience interaction and a sense of fun the band were having infected the crowd.  Each song saw everyone inch closer to the stage to feed off the energy and fun that the band were having.  The end of each song saw the band bow and congratulate each other and command applause, and when an audience member shouted a request (I think the song was called "Champagne"), the band were more than happy to oblige.  Space Mosquito and the Game of Thrones theme were 2 other highlights. When Los Straitjackets finally left the stage, after an hour and a half, Mike and I decided we hadn't had that much fun at a show in years.

But it wasn't over.  A 2 song encore of The Batman Theme and Tequila sent everyone into a frenzy.  An awesome way to finish a great show.  Can't wait til Los Straitjackets come back again.

Los Straitjackets

The Crap Facts:
This is my 448th concert.
Free Range Brewing is my 123rd venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 78th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 88th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 251st concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Aqualads concert.
Los Straitjackets are the 516th band I've seen.

Elizabeth 8k Road Race

So the theory was to use this race to get me back into shape again.  That did not quite go as planned.  While I trained a few times, it was not nearly as much as when I ran this race 3 years ago.  Actually it was not as much as needed to cover 8 kilometers.

As usual, I took off too quickly and by mile 1 I had to slow down to walk.  I then spent the next 4 miles running on the flat and downhill and walking up the hills.  I ran without using a tracker I didn't know what sort of pace I was running (wish I had now) but at the 4 mile mark I looked my phone to see that I was on pace to get under an hour, which was my target from the limited training I did.  This was enough to power me through the last hour and finish in 55:34.

In hindsight I was disappointed that I didn't train more, but am happy with the time.  My lack of training really showed in the week following where my back caused me so much grief.  Next time I'll be better prepared.

Placed 601 out of 713 (compared to 418 out of 804 in 2016) and 30th of 32 in my age division (45-49).  

I'll try again next year?????

John Mellencamp @ Ovens Auditorium

I think this was A & I's first night out alone since before Christmas.  And what a good one it turned out to be.

The night started with an early dinner at Aix-en-Provence.  We'd eaten there once before and it was as great as I remembered.  You can't eat there and not get the mussels.

We walked into Ovens while a short film about Mellencamp was being played.  This did a great job of hyping up the crowd for what was to come.  After about 15 minutes, Mellencamp and his band arrived to thunderous applause.

The show was an up and down night to start.  Some songs you knew, Minutes to Memories & Small Town, and you were out of your seat and ready to dance.  But they were interspersed with unfamiliar or slower songs that let you sit down.  After a version of Robert Johnsons' Stones In My Passway, Mellencamp told a story and broke into We Are The People, and crowd was on its feet for the rest of the night.  I was having some trouble recognizing the opening of some songs, but once you got it, you knew every word to the song.  Lonely Ol' Night & Check It Out were great, but Jack & Diane gave me me a spine tingling moment.  Rain On The Scarecrow & Paper In Fire were played consecutively and were incredible - the audience reacting accordingly.  A got to here her favorite Authority Song before Pink Houses finished the set (technically).  Instead of leaving and coming back for an encore, Mellencamp introduced his band, told a great story about his long time guitarist, Mike Wanchic, before raising the roof with Cherry Bomb.  It was hard to hear him with the singing from the crowd.  Humbly he reprised Louis Armstrong's Long Gone, acapella, and left the stage.

You'd never believe Mellencamp was 67 years old and been doing this for over 40 years.  He has energy to burn and a voice that hasn't faded over time.  This was our second concert of his - the first when he put Bob Dylan to shame in Vegas in 2010.  Hard to believe that his show could be better - but it certainly was.  I'd go again any time.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 447th concert.
This is my 3rd concert at the Ovens Auditorium.

This is my 77th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 87th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 250th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd John Mellencamp concert.

Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets & Charlotte Symphony Orchestra @ Ovens Auditorium

One of the joys of parenthood is seeing what your kids get into.  Of the boys,both started reading Harry Potter, but B has taken his interest into an obsession which rivals their love of all sports.  So when Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets was to play with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, it seemed logical to get tickets for the family for Christmas.

We originally planned to go on Friday night, and had tickets for it, but an 8pm start would've seen the boys not last the night.  Luckily we sold them to neighbors and ended up with better tickets on the Saturday.  

Barry Potter

B had to be dressed as Harry Potter, and while only a few kids were dressed up, there were plenty of adults wearing scarves or shirts to show their allegiance to houses.  L was too cool to do such fun stuff.  The matinee show was announced after the Friday show sold out, so I'm not sure if people knew about it, but Ovens wasn't 2/3 full.

We have a deal with the boys that they must read the book before they get to watch the movie.  We are currently reading the Prisoner of Azkaban and have already seen  Chamber of Secrets.  The full orchestra sat under the screen and played the John Williams score.  It was definitely a fun concept, but so many times I was so taken by the movie I completely forgot about the live music right in front of me.

I have enjoyed the movies so far.  (Have yet to read the books myself.)  But the joy the boys got out of it was purely magic.  Will keep an eye out for future movies with live orchestras. 

Charlotte Hornets v Portland Trailblazers @ Spectrum Center

So a good friend of A's gave us tickets for the game.  As a writer for the Oregonian, he was in town to cover the Trailblazers and a chance for he and A to catch up.  We sat in the 2nd level behind one of the baskets - a much better spot than last years' 76ers nosebleed seats.

Hornets got off to a poor start and by the end of the first quarter it felt like the game was over.  Charlotte bought it's infamous non-atmosphere (our host said it is the funeral home of basketball stadiums in the country).  I sometimes wonder if the Hornets would do better with a decent crowd behind them.  infected by the crowd, L and I went in search of food, and wasted a whole quarter getting it.  But by the time we got back, the Hornets were back in the game.  3rd quarter ebbed and flowed, but the Hornets were never able to get their noses in front.  Eventually the Trailblazers ran out 10 point winners, although with some better shooting the Hornets could've made a better game of it.

Our personal commentators (B&L) seemed to have a good time, but I feel they are still at the age where the concept of going to a game, whatever the sport, is more exciting than the game itself.  I'm sure they'll grow into it more.

Portland Trailblazers 118 (R. Hood 27, J.Nurkic 26, D. Lillard 23) beat Charlotte Hornets 108 (J. Lamb 23, F. Kaminsky 18, K. Walker 18)

Crowd: 18,355

Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers & Dex Romweber Duo @ Neighborhood Theater

Hey, it's not the Blues Explosion.....but it's still Jon Spencer, so I have to check out his new band.  And with Dex Romweber to open..well there was never a doubt.  While I'm sad about the relatively small crowd, I'm happy to see the show on the small stage at the Neighborhood Theater.  And my neighbor Eric came along to his first gig at this venue.

Romweber has a new drummer, an older, more even tempo than when I saw him open for the Sonics.  While this bought the energy level down, the duo still rocked some great blues.  Whether it's Romweber attacking his guitar, or belting out a song in a voice so deep it seems like it couldn't possibly come out of the man on stage, this was another great set - and a perfect match for Jon Spencer.

Spencer's new band sees a keyboardist, drummer and trash-can percussionist join the upbeat Spencer in an intensity to rival the Blues Explosion.  While I knew none of the songs, the energy alone was enough to ensure a good night for all.  Spencer has lost none of his swagger and still loves to perform.  This was amplified being in a small venue with a good sized crowd - everyone to see what Spencer was up to now.  

The Crap Facts:

This is my 446th concert.
This is my 5th concert at the Neighborhood Theater.

This is my 76th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 86th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 249th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Dex Romweber Duo concert.
Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers are the 515th band I've seen.

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.