Bob and Willie

The Marcus Amphitheater before the show (Taken from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

For my dad's Father's Day and Birthday present, I got us tickets to Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson at Summerfest in Milwaukee. What made the concert even cooler was my dad and I saw Bob Dylan ten years ago almost to the date for my 21st birthday. Let me just say, that this concert was even better than ten years ago. Bob still has a good voice, despite what others had told me. I heard his voice was shot, but that wasn't the case this past Wednesday. As for Willie, I really didn't know what to expect. I admit that I am more of a Bob fan than a Willie fan. The concert was absolutely amazing from start to finish. I think it has to be one of the best concerts I've ever been to. How could it not be with two of the biggest musical legends of all time performing?

Willie performed first. I was really shocked that he started promptly at 7:30. He played non-stop for the next hour. His voice still sounds the same and he has an incredible amount for energy for someone in their mid seventies. He played all of his hits: "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys, "Georgia on my Mind," "On the Road Again," "Whiskey River" and "The City of New Orleans." It was classic Willie wearing a bandanna, braid, black t-shirt, and jeans. He is an amazing performer. The musicians he had backing him were awesome, too. I was really impressed with how laid-back and himself Willie was. He really looked like he was having a good time.

Bob took to the stage with a dramatic entrance: a black stage and an announcer announcing him and all of his reinventions from over the years. He also had a black backdrop the projected black and white images throughout the show. This is not the Bob Dylan I remember from ten years ago. Ten years ago, it was very simplistic: Bob, his guitar, harmonica, and a stool. This time Bob really kicked it up a notch, it was two hours of rock and roll Bob. He only played the guitar for two songs (and it was an electric guitar) and the majority of the time he played the keyboard (yes, keyboard. I didn't know he even played the keyboard). Of course, he also played the harmonica. He had two guitar players , a bass player, and a drummer backing him. He did a good mix of his old songs with his new. Highlights included: " Like a Rolling Stone, "It Ain't Me Babe,"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," Desolation Row," "Stuck in Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again," "Hwy. 61 Revisited," and the very last song of the encore was my absolute favorite Bob Dylan song: "ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER!" I just about crapped in my pants. It was the best version I have ever heard, too. Despite the rock and roll sound, it was still classic Bob Dylan. He wore a black suit with a black shirt and grey piping down the side of the pants, and a black cowboy hat; he had limited interactions with the audience.

I felt super young at this concert. I would say the average age of the concert goers was 55, but there was also a lot of twenty to thirty somethings and families with young kids. It is great how Bob and Willie really transcend generations and appeal to people from six to seventy.

My dad really had a great time. He actually enjoyed Willie more than Bob. My dad is sort of a Bob Dylan purist and likes it better when it's just Bob, his guitar, his harmonica, and a stool. Although, he did enjoy the Everly Brothers style of 50's rock.

All in all, an AMAZING show. If you ever have the opportunity to see either one of these legends, you should go. They will not disappoint.

I feel fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see one my favorite musicians of all time, Bob Dylan twice. I have so much more respect for Willie Nelson after seeing him. He is an amazing musician and person. And Bob, is always Bob. Both of these musicians have been able to stay true to themselves and not sell out. They are huge Icons in the music industry. It takes a lot to impress me ( I am a bit of a music snob), and Bob and Willie left me in awe. They are truly national treasures.

Week in Review

Last Sunday I spent Father's Day with my relatives on my Aunt and Uncle's boat. Despite the overcast day, we had a good time on Lake Michigan. I haven't been able to do this in years. It's always been a tradition for my family to spend Father's Day on the boat. I had a really good time and for the first time in my life I actually enjoyed the boat ride. Normally, half of the boat ride is spent trying to fight nausea. Not anymore. I think at the age of thirty, I've finally kicked motion sickness! As a child I'd have to take Dramamine before going on the boat. On several occasions it was so bad, I had to lay down on the floor of the boat. I don't miss those days.

Later in the week, I braved the DMV. I needed to get Illinois license plates because my Minnesota ones expire at the end of the month. I put this off for quite a while because I'd heard horror stories about the Chicago DMV: Long lines, mean employees, and lots of frustration. I felt none of this. Yeah, there was a short line, but moved very quickly. The DMV employees were well organized and move people to the correct line quickly. I was in and out in 25 minutes. A record for any DMV I've ever been in. I was shocked! And very impressed. I had myself braced for three hours of waiting and DMV rage. Not the case.

All in all, a pretty good week.

Thirty is Here

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My countdown to thirty has finally ended! Woo-hoo. I survived my twenties. Barely. Bring on my thirties. I don't feel any older or wiser. I always thought it was funny when I was little and an adult would always ask me on my birthday if I felt any older. Um... no. I would always spend a couple hours wondering what it felt like to feel older, though.

Yesterday Christine and I went on a quest to locate a McDonald's that had a Ronald Mc Donald statue. She decided it would be fun for me to kick Ronald in the crotch. Something everyone needs to do before they turn thirty. We failed. Miserably. Apparently, Mc Donald's took Ronald out of the stores. That just seems wrong. There has to be an old school Mc Donald's somewhere in Minneapolis.

I am off to enjoy my birthday and the beautiful weather. And possibly a nap this afternoon, so I am well-rested for bowling tonight. Ahhh... I must be getting old if I need a nap.

Happy Belated Birthday, America!

Last night in honor of our nation's birthday, my neighborhood was out of control with amateur pyrotechnic displays. I seriously thought I was living in a war zone. They went on until three in the morning. Isn't that a little excessive? And sort of lame. I could see until midnight, but that's the cutoff. I am not against people having fun, but I draw the line at moronic fun. These fireworks were not part of the pack that Target sells, these were full-on, last time I checked, illegal fireworks. Needless to say, I did not get a good night sleep. I went to bed at midnight and I got up again at one because there was no way I was going to fall asleep. I ended up watching television until 2 and went back to bed. Ugh. I'm sort of tired and cranky today.

Minneapolis and St. Paul both put on really good fireworks displays. Our tax dollars probably fund them. Why wouldn't you just go watch those instead of putting on home displays that might risk injury or a setting your house on fire? I just don't get it. I guess I can see sparklers, but not professional pyrotechnics.

Happy Easter from Scary Cat

Nothing says Easter like a little kitten with a disturbing look on her face. It makes me chuckle. If I was a little kid, this image would terrify me. It is better suited for Halloween than Easter. What was the marketing gurus at Starbursts thinking? Hmmm.... cute little ducks and bunnies are too much of an Easter cliche! We want a kitten with a psycho look on her face. What's wrong with fluffy? Did she eat too much tuna or did her owners abandon her? My guess is she has an angry look on her face because someone didn't finish their jellybeans. This Easter make sure scary cat doesn't get you; eat all your jellybeans. Happy Easter!

My Trick to Surviving the Holidays

For the first time in five years, I feel like I'll make it through the holiday retail season without arriving at the grandparents ready for the holidays to be over with and ready to go retail on the next person who asks me for a gift receipt. My secret? I have a lot of vacation time that I need to use up before the end of the year. Hooray! That will be my savior.

I can already feel the Holiday spirit being sucked out of me by ungrateful people. It's taken all my strength to be nice to customers and to hold back my sassiness. I just hate how commerical the Holidays are and how people get bent out of shape over trivial things like not having a sweater for grandma in her size or a gift box that doesn't fit the socks for sister. As a nation, we've lost sight of what is important. One of my first retail seasons, I recall this middle aged woman yelling at me because she could only get instore credit for grandma's gift. Poor, poor grandma had taken the time to get nice socks, underwear and a pair of jeans for her grandson. The middle -aged woman didn't see this. She just saw how out of touch grandma was because she didn't know that they didn't shop at JCP. WOW. How ungrateful can you be? I envisioned a nice, sweet little old lady going to JCP to buy her grandson something he could use. She put lots of thought into this gift. Plus, there are kids out there that need these basic items. I unleashed my attitude on the middle-aged woman and told her that all I could do was give her instore credit and maybe she needs to tell grandma that they don't like JCP. I also challenged the woman that there has to be something in the store that she would like/use. She left in huff and went to find my manager.

I just don't get it. I hate how greedy people are. That is why I am glad I have vacation to use. It will save my sanity. And it gives me six days of working on my screenplay. I am hoping to have a super, super rough draft of "the Fashion Void 2.0." Did I mention I can do some reading for fun? That's on the agenda as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I am getting ready to leave for my grandparents for the next couple of days. Not only do I have two days off in a row, I get to see my rellies and stuff myself full of good food. Life is good.

Thanksgiving

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I am so excited for Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. Mainly because it's one of the least commercial of all holidays. Oh, and the food. It's the one day of the year where I can eat my weight in cranberries, mashed potatoes, dressing, and turkey. This year I am excited that I have Weds. off and I don't work until 5 on Friday. My Dad thinks this means that I can partake in the Black Friday shopping craziness. I am hoping to avoid that. The only exception might be an amazing deal at JCP. That is my only exception. It would seriously have to be Fire Sale prices, though.

Dia de los Muertos

Tonight I went to the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, for the non Spanish speakers) show at Altered Esthetics. It was wonderful. And totally just what I needed. I've had a long week and I didn't get to do anything for Halloween, which bummed me out because I love Halloween. This, though was a much better way to celebrate. I've loved Dia de los Muertos since I was 12 and I learned about it in Spanish class. As I've mentioned before, what I like about this holiday is that you celebrate someone's life and not their death. In Mexico, people build an alter on their loved ones' graves and bring ofrendas (offerings) of their favorite foods and posessions. They put marigolds on their graves, as well. Vendors sell sugar skulls and dancing skeletons. It is such a beautiful way to remember your loved ones. This just makes sense. I don't think our loved ones would want us to be suffering because they are gone. Since my mom's death, Dia de los Muertos, has taken on more personal meaning for me. I look forward to it each year and usually use it as a day for quiet reflection of memories of my mom. So, tonight, it just really seemed appropriate for me to go to an opening of a Dia de los Muertos show since the anniversary of my mom's death was this past week. I haven't had much time for any sort of reflection, which was slowly eating away at me.

The artwork was great, a wide variety of interpretations of Dia de los Muertos. For me, the most powerful was the alter that someone had built for a loved one. It was just very touching. I felt like I knew this woman. Lots of bright colored paintings of skulls and flowers. The photography of Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations were cool, too. There was also pan de los muertos (bread of the dead), which is bread that is shaped into a skull. I haven't had it in years. Probably since high school Spanish. It is such a good mix of sweet and plain (I'm not describing it very well). The gallery was decorated with marigolds and tissue paper flowers that added to the affect. There was also a candle light procession around the block. This is was such a good time for my quiet reflection.

Even though, I've worked through my mom's death, I still need to have my yearly closure of reflecting back on what a great person she was. It is just something I need to do every year. This show gave me the chance to do this and to see that I am not alone in celebrating a loved one's life.

The show is extremely well done and worth taking a look at. It runs through November 29th. I highly recommend it.

Happy Belated Birthday America!

I don't think anything is more American than the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile. This is the original wiener mobile that I saw at the Henry Ford in Detroit. The kid crawling over the railing is a nice, classy touch, too. What's a trip to a museum without an out of control child?

I hope everyone had a relaxing 4th of July. I went to my Aunt and Uncle's for a classic 4th of July BBQ-- hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and beer. Yum! Nothing tastes better than a hot dog on a grill.