Lead singer: Bono?



Yesterday morning at 6 AM, Sting hiked Camelback Mountain. That's what he told me. I kinda wish I had gone hiking yesterday.

The Police concert was stinkin' fantastic. It was so cathartic to hear one of the greatest bands of all time playing songs, all of which I knew, live and really loud. Really loud, live, amazing music sometimes just makes everything right in the world. Last night scored itself a position in the upper echelon of my Best Concert Experiences Ever. Woot.

{Amy June will appreciate this, I think.} I was fascinated all night with the average thirty-something, baseball-cap-wearing, pot-bellied, married, lyrics-knowing, out-with-the-guys dude in front of us who lit up a joint in the first couple of songs. His buddy--another settled-down, job-having, not-carefree-anymore sort of fellow himself--looked at him with raised eyebrows and a smirk and a you're-smoking-pot? kind of expression. The first guy seemed a little sheepish. Me? I was fascinated. I mean, where did this guy get his goods? It clearly wasn't something he did all the time. What would his wife think? Am I being naive here? Does everyone just smoke pot at concerts, even when they're married and thirty-ish? All in all, the people-watching was quite good. The crowd was all ages, but heavily weighted in the 35-40 range. The tickets were so dang expensive that a lot of younger, maybe cooler fans were eliminated from the people-watching pool.

I thought the stamina of all the bandmembers was impressive. Sting and Stewart Copeland are 55 and 54, respectively, and are both extremely fit. Andy Summers is an old guy at 64. He had a signature move that involved kicking his left leg out sideways really high. He did that a lot. It made me smile.

Gooooooooooooood show.


***************



Happy birthday to my favorite Aaron in the whole gigantic universe. (As if any other Aaron could even compete. Neville? Eckhart? Uh-uh.) He turned six today and was ecstatic about an "amotic" airplane he got as a present. That's a made up word that really means remote control. We had a good day, but for one minor fitful episode about a swimsuit I wanted him to wear that he thought was too big. That resolved itself when I agreed to let him use his own money to buy another swimsuit, if it was that important to him. It was, and we were close to Wal-Mart, so I was THAT MUCH of a nice mom today that I stepped foot in Wal-Mart to let my 6-year-old son spend his own money on a new swimsuit. He found a nice blue camouflage number that he loves so much, he insisted on wearing it to Red Lobster, the birthday dinner destination of his choice. I didn't make him pick up the tab for dinner.

Six suits Aaron quite well. He's already talking about things that happened, "back when I was 5."

Comments

Christie K said…
What is the reference to Bono in your title?
abby said…
You should have told the pot smoker, "Don't stand, don't stand, don't stand so close to me..."

Aaron is so cool. What 6-year-old would choose Red Lobster out of any restaurant and even eat some sketchy mussels his uncle cooked up? Not many, I tell you.
Anonymous said…
Yes, indeed. That was quite an experience for Aaron to help Jamie harvest the mussels, then eat one back at the house. Happy Birthday, Aaron!!!
Angela said…
Happy Birthday, Aaron. And thanks for the Birthday call during the concert. I've still got the voicemail saved!
Anonymous said…
Happy Birthday Aaron! I didn't know you were such a fashion forward guy!
Emily said…
Christie--it's kind of a joke meant for Pepper.

Abby--loved your comment.

Mom--He's got quite the sense of adventure.

Ange--Could you hear it clearly?

Sarah--He definitely has strong preferences about clothes. He was excited to get a lot of new shirts for his birthday. Elliot would be annoyed.
Anonymous said…
Em, I'm just so happy for a new post! I've missed you. I love the way you write about your life--tender, funny, real (LOVE that,) and kinda spicy--all on the same blog. Brilliant.
Becky said…
Em, the concert was AWESOME. Nobody there could have been happier or having more fun than us, joint or no joint! Sting is the ultimate rock star/singer.

And Happiest of Birthdays to Aaron! I see he takes after his dad in restaurant choices. Did he say, "Dad, can I get the lobster??"
pepper said…
You're so funny, Em. Bono is NOT the lead singer for Police. He is the drummer for Def Leppard, Duh!
Emily said…
I could tell you stories about the drummer of Def Leppard. I learned them from watching Behind the Music, so they must be true.

Emily, thank you thank you! I marvel at your writing, so right back at you, girl.
AmyJune said…
I would have loved to people watch with you. And I am wondering the same thing as you are. Who's your dealer when you are a 30 something man with a real job? Maybe the neighbor kid gives it to him in exchange for him buying him beer or something.
Neil and Diana said…
I am really glad that you got to see the Police live. I want to go to In-N-Out and I wish you were here. OKB. PS What does woot mean.
Anonymous said…
It really rocked. One of my favorite concerts. They experimented with the structure and tempo and feel of a lot of the songs, but I'm happy for that kind of an experience at a concert. They looked like they were having fun, and I certainly was. Emily is a hot concert date. Makes me crazy about her to be swaying in the sea of music and enthusiasm.

Aaron's cool too.
Eliza said…
Right after I read this post, "King of Pain" came up on my party shuffle. Coincidence? I think not.

I love concerts. Love them. I've rarely been to a concert that didn't make me love the band 100x more. Even with the occasional weirdo pot smokers. The Police sounds so fun!
Angela said…
It was relatively clear, but fuzzy enough that I had to ask Steve what song it was. Also, I'm waiting for you to answer Becky's question!
Emily said…
No lobster for Aaron, although I hear the supply of lobster is great, and the price is down. Maybe we should all go out and order the lobster. (PS -- Steve thinks that he gets a bad rap for being the kid who spent the most of your mom and dad's money growing up. . . .)
Angela said…
I don't know that I would say he spent the most money growing up. He just wasn't afraid to order the most expensive thing on the menu...and I was.
Angela said…
p.s. I'm in for lobster-fest!

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