Los Angeles. Sept 2010

Los Angeles.  Sept 2010

My trips there always seem too brief.  Once again my friend’s home was open to me. We had two nights of shows and fun and having our diet Cokes never run dry.  We met an online friend for lunch and had a lovely afternoon.  I wandered the shops in San Pedro in my never-ending search for dark coffee to bring home as my souvenir.

Scarlet Grey at St Rocke

The Grove-Anaheim SKA night

 

This time I got to see a bit of Hollywood, where the kid was living.    VERY interesting exhibition of street fighting with Dog Brothers Gathering Of The Pack 2010.   Watching your child in a school play does NOT prepare for watching him fight with knives and sticks.   When it was his turn, I was so focused on getting some photos of him that I didn’t have time to worry.  Afterwards, we went to have lunch and a few beers at a local pub.  Met one man I had been watching fight.  He was very good.  Like the kid, a computer geek!  I think the best part was seeing these guys in their street clothes:  Skinny, blobby, dorky, nerdy with glasses.  Just the types that others want to pick on.  Knowing that they could/would hold their own in a fight made me smile. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTKqYkvmdkU

Then a bit of driving around.   Interesting houses.  Interesting people living inside them.   Yup.   Drive bys are fun.   ;-)  Maybe next time I’ll stop and take some pix. 

The kid is back in town now, and with no shows planned in L.A. in the near future I don’t know when I’ll return.   But I can dream….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN3GbF9Bx6E

AFI Charlotte Filmore in Charlotte , NC 3 / 13

5 out of 5
AFI Charlotte
Filmore
in Charlotte, NC 3 / 13
Posted 3/19/10 by lorra  for LiveNation

                                             From the back rail by sound guys. Phone pix.

My good buds were going. “Sure”, I said. “I’ll go too!” So I booked a hotel and I bought a show ticket, and hopped a plane.

As we drove to the Filmore we saw many peeps attending festivities and wearing GREEN. “Where are the people in BLACK”, I lamented. Finally we turned a corner and there they were: the DF and diehard fans waiting. Old friends and new met up. As the sky darkened and rains poured, we huddled under shared umbrellas. The drain overflowed with muddy water sucking at our feet. There were no port-a-potties for relief. Then the doors opened…

Good spots for viewing on the upper rail if you wish to avoid the Pit. Drinks on either side. Bartenders really nice. Restroom easy to get to. Best of all, the acoustics VERY GOOD.

As always we endure the opening bands. Scarlet Gray was good though. Then the reason we are there. AFI takes the stage. Davey forgoing his full gold suit for black jeans and his Zu shirt again. Jade and Hunter as energetic as fleas on a summer dog but much more bewitching. Adam stepping forward for On the Arrow is always lovely.

The voice: Better than ever, maturing gracefully. The music: Great mix of new and old and one very old. The show: Way too short. I could listen to them all night and sing along to every song.

If you’ve never been, it’s like a religious experience. For me, it was the 7th time this tour. Amen.