Let’s see what I have going on for this week…
Wednesday – 14 August
Find Me Falling – I think it’s been awhile since I’ve watched Harry Connick Jr in an acting role. He’s always a musician first in my mind. This Netflix movie was good! I was a little surprised but in a very good way. The movie reminds me of the romance novels I like to read, except the main characters in this one are older. While we were watching, I thought to myself, “Hmm, I wrote a story sort of like this.” Anyhoo, I really enjoyed the movie and I would definitely recommend it. And I don’t say that just because I’ve been a Harry fan since the early 90s. 😉
- Wordle – I play the Wordle everyday, using the same starter word because why not? (I know the reasons why not but I prefer using my starter word.) When I get stuck, I do a couple of things to “help” me along– I use the dictionary (when I get one or two letters in the green at the first part of the word) and I read clues. Yes, I read clues! Is it cheating? Well, I think only if I actually read what the freakin’ word is, eh? Now, some places for Wordle clues are more detailed that others.
Thursday – 15 August
We’re closer to the weekend. We have a concert tomorrow at the Concord Pavillon. Finally, a show close to home! Should be fun.
Friday – 16 August
Here we are at Friday! Tonight we’re seeing Stone Temple Pilots and Live. I’m trying to remember when my last non-country music concert was. I think it was Jane Monheit? And I don’t think I’ve ever seen any 90s eras bands live so this could be a first. I love that the show is close to home. We get to go home afterwards! Ahhh, the little things. Should be fun.
Isn’t it funny when you and your co-worker dress in the same colors without knowing? It happened yesterday with me and Keylai’! So of course, we had to take a picture. Twinsies!
Sunday – 18 August
The Jubilee Tour – Stone Temple Pilots & Live with Our Lady Peace – Toyota Pavilion at Concord
Friday night we headed to Concord for the opening show of the Jubilee Tour. It was a warm August evening that thankfully cooled down as the sun set. We had box seats, which was a delightful experience. We could order our drinks (and food but we didn’t get food) from our seats and have them brought to us. The only reason to get up was for the calls of nature. Ha!
The show was great! (Here’s an article with the rundown on the show and set list.)
Our Lady Peace – I’ve heard of the band but none of the songs sounded particularly familiar to me. They had a good set though, setting the mood for the night. Yes to 90s rock!
Live – I liked Live in their early days. When I was in a rock music phase, they would always grace my CD burns. I knew a lot of the songs they performed and I thought they sounded good. I enjoyed their set but I wasn’t as engaged in the beginning for some reason (maybe because of the two drinks I had?). You know, you work all week and expect to wind down but you go to a rock concert instead and it fools with your internal routine. Yeah, I’ll go with that.
I like that they still sounded as good as their records. Ed Kowalczyk hasn’t lost much vocally and I heard little difference from the songs from thirty years ago. 😉
Stone Temple Pilots – Of course I remember STP from back in the day but DAMN, what a set! They performed the whole Purple album which was a delightful treat! (The tour is celebrating the two headliners’ 1994 albums, so it was only right that STP perform the whole album.) I was actually surprised by how many songs I remembered during their performance. They well and truly ROCKED. The energy was loud and constant and soul seeping. The lead singer, Jeff Gutt, is a freakin’ powerhouse. He CAN SING. And the band was damn flawless! I cannot stop thinking about how I much I loved their set. SO GOOD.
Verdict – If they are coming your way, GO TO THE SHOW. It was great and I’m sure it can only get better since this one was the opener of the tour. Our fellow concert-goers were respectful and pretty mellow considering it was a rockin’ rock concert. Maybe the fact that the majority of us were already adults when STP and Live first hit the music scene was the reason we were just happy to enjoy an evening out.
I’ve got to say that the Concord Pavilion is still a fantastic venue for shows. Not only is it close to home but it’s in good condition considering its age and easy to navigate. Parking was plentiful (especially when you’re early), walking the venue was easy, and the bathrooms were clean and never too crowded because there were a fair number of stalls. Of course, food and drinks were expensive but hey, it was a night out and why not splurge a little?
- The weather has cooled down a touch. It’s actually not too stifling in the early evenings now. We’ve been staying under the triple digits these days and the sun is coming up later and setting just a touch sooner. We’re getting close to sweater weather! I’m really looking forward to it.
- This weekend is the last Bay Bridge Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. It’s sad and I know I’m supposed to be feeling nostalgic but I cannot quite overcome the anger of the A’s leaving Oakland. Baseball used to be this pure joy for me, even as I understood the business of it, and now the business of it has jaded me and I am angry. I hate it but I think this is evidence of my love for the team. I still love the A’s but I can’t shake this feeling of loss and betrayal. I know I’m being dramatic but so it is. I always thought of them as a constant and now they’re leaving. I know it’s not the fault of the actual team but if the owner doesn’t even have the decency to honor the history of the A’s, then how can I still feel the same for them? Don’t think I’ve taken Oakland itself off the hook in the blame game. They could have done more even as the A’s owner could have done the same. They’re both to blame and it’s rather wretched. But hey, that’s the business of baseball, I suppose. I just don’t like it one bit.
Here’s to a good week to all! 🙂