i want you... to want me...

so our preacher (lawdog), decided to invite me to go see cheap trick in concert last thursday night down in thousand oaks. it was a pretty sweet concert considering i'm not really into seeing classic rock musicians perform live well past their prime. either way, it was a cool show that afforded some good memories. seeing the infamous five-necked guitar was pretty cool, (by the way cheap trick is know for singing 'i want you to want me', the theme from 'that 70's show', and the guitarist having all kinds of crazy, multi-necked checkered guitars) and i got to see some of my other favorite concert going types, but most importantly, i had my first run in with a hollywood celeb since i've moved here. by the way, when you become a resident of socal, you can officially call famous people celebs like you are a part of that scene. anyways, i'm at the concert and the lead singer keeps staring at me. i'm thinking it's because i'm probably the only person in the crowd he can see that's under 30 years old. after a while it starts to get a little weird, then it hits me. actually she hits me. i had been standing next to jeri ryan (the hot chick from star trek) the whole time. she bumped into me and apologized, i made some random comment trying to act like i wasn't pretty stoked i just bumped into my first celeb, much less a very attractive one. so there it goes, i talked to my first hollywood star less than a month into living near los angeles. the thing i have to pat myself on the back for is not asking for an autograph or for her to take a picture with me. call it a soapbox, but there's something kinda goofy about asking people for their autograph outside of an event specifically designed for that purpose. if she had been at a publicity event i probably wouldn't have to think twice. but she's just a fan in the crowd at this point, and i don't want to be that guy that ruins the show for her by making her sign something and miss out on what she paid to see. props to me i guess. let the movement begin, no more autograph demands from celebs. we'll leave them alone and maybe they'll act more like normal humans. now that i've got geri's phone number and address maybe we can make a pact. that was a lame joke. no matter. i met her, i remember, and i don't need any physical evidence to remind myself of this. (although i will probably actually watch star trek now and then start to wonder what could have been if only she had been looking for the 24 year old youth ministry type to hang out with).

on to other notable things about the concert. first, the opening band. opening bands have a tough job. everybody there came to see cheap trick, and these never-was-beens have to try and pump out the crowd that could care less who they are. that being said, these guys were terrible. i can't even begin to describe, but i might as well try. The worst offense was that they killed my number 2 favorite song of all time, ‘ring of fire’. How do you kill a classic song? Ask these guys, they did it splendidly. the bass player looked like he could have been in a punk band about 15 years ago, but didn't learn to play until he was 35. the lead singer was a pretty hefty white guy that wore one of those cowboy hats that are supposed to look really beat up, and he had a lisp that couldn't be missed. there's nothing like having a lead singer singing, 'thith ith the greateth day that you and i have ever theen' to let you know your band is going nowhere. the drummer looked like ted nugent went shopping at a rockabilly store, and the lead guitarist had me in stitches the whole time. i think he was one of the guys' dad. he had a great grey mullet and handlebar mustache, a shiny, oversized cape-type-thing, jeans that were way too short and boots that were too big. it was awesome. his duck walk looked like a seizure, but the best moment came when he started playing guitar while on his knees, and he couldn't get up without taking a hand off of the guitar in the middle of his solo to regain his balance. if you're band hasn't made it my the time you are 30 it's time to recognize that you were meant to be a woodshop teacher, or whatever this guy did for a living.

the most offensive foul of the night goes to the fans though. you are at the cheap trick concert, we can assume you like the band, YOU DO NOT NEED TO WEAR THE SHIRT OF THE BAND YOU ARE SEEING IN CONCERT.

i will give props to the fans who flew out from japan to see cheap trick. that's crazy. more power to you. and def more power to the lady that was at the actual budokan concert (where 'i want you to want me' was recorded in 1979). they can wear whatever they want. sidenote props go to the band for hanging out with them before the show and giving them recognition before their encore.

as far as personal stuff goes... the truck is dying, it's just going to be a matter of time before i'm gonna have to buy a new vehicle. my apt still needs furniture, but it already feels like home. i actually have office supplies now which means i'm legit. i met some people my age last night that are not only attractive, but fun to be around. then i checked my messages to find that topgun girl had called and was very stoked that i remembered her birthday last week. oh yeah, and i just picked up the new social distortion album today and it's got exactly the kind of guitar riffs that make my day.

before i go, i do want to make public something i realized thursday night at the concert. i was standing next to a woman who is eye candy for many guys, has been in many men's magazines, and in real life you realize how much of that is smoke and mirrors. granted, jeri ryan is gorgeous, but i would go as far as to say that i can think of a half dozen girls from college, and plenty from socal that are easily more attractive than she is. kind of weird how someone gets elevated to a certain level of beauty just because she's famous. i like to call it the christina ricci factor. anyways, much love to the girls out there that are jealous of hollywood celebs. you deserve more love, and rest easy knowing it's all camera tricks. well, with the possible exception of jessica alba....

one love, one heart.