Grey Street

Tuesday, August 23 will here by be declared as the day I was saved from punk pop for teenagers.  AKA the day I sucked it up and purchased kind of pricy tickets to enjoy 9 solid hours of Dave Matthews Band live.   Hurricane Irene felt differently about that, but before I caught the last bus home to leave the storm to take the city, I fit in an OAR set as well as 3 DMB Songs (Don't Drink the Water, Stay or Leave and Grey Street) and realized I'd been listening to CRAP for 3 years.  Where had jam bands and non-eye liner wearing bands been on my iPod (other than the Silversun Pickups, because I already knew their rock awesomeness).  Where had the subdued relatively dressed, content with life, fun loving adults been at my concerts?  I had found the place.

The rescheduled dates were the ONLY weekend I could go in September, AND the new island they were playing on was 10 minutes from my house.  They were set up for greatness.  So on Friday, I came home, ate, and headed out to the bus to head to Randalls Island.  Got there in time to find a great spot, enjoy the brisk 60 degree weather, and enjoyed some Dave Matthews.  There were two songs that pushed me over the edge for buying these tickets: Crash and American Baby.  On Friday, I was happily surprised 3 songs in by CRASH!  Then got Gray Street, Every Day and Tripping Billies (there was dancing during this one, that's for sure).  Full Set List.

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I missed Saturday due to previous plans (Northwestern at Army)!  As a Purple Wildcat from Kansas State, it was REALLY weird going to a game and and lots of purple people tail gating that have no idea what the Walbash is.  And they have a Willie the Wildcat too.  However, I'm 100% confident our Buff Willy with the big head is MUCH better.  Other than the fact that he breaks one key mascot rule: You should be covered at all points of your body at all times.

While I did miss killer set list night (IE Two Step, Stay or Leave, So Much to Say, Stay) I did get to enjoy some Yeuingling and a KSU Shut Out when I got home from the game at the local shady bar.

SUNDAY involved the start to a really bad Chiefs game, but as soon as halftime ended, I headed back to Randall's.  It was REALLY funny, because you could tell everyone going at that time had 1:00 NFL games doing to the gear they were wearing.  I covered up the Chiefs shirt with a Kansas State hoodie.  It made me feel better about the situation.  But, like magical clock work, I walked in and got Dave's acoustic set.  Then Trombone Shortie - who is AWESOME (again, where has real music been the past few years?!).  And, as you see to the left it was BEAUTIFUL.  I got to enjoy Josh Ritter as well.  So then, like any normal 27 year old, I had an ice cream cone for dinner and randomly found one of my old co-workers and we enjoyed a third night of Dave.  I didn't know many of the songs, but he REDEEMED all worries I had about skipping night 2 when he played American Baby.   The Encore was also fantastic.  Setlist. 

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Concert-aholics Disclamer: Hi - my name is ksuJennyP and I'm about 15 years late to the DMB Party.  But I've arrived.  And now I have a new goal in life (I have many - no fear, I make some that I can actually achieve) , and that's convince my sister and brother in law to go to Denver or Seattle with me and see Dave perform Two Step at Red Rocks or the Gorge.  

Because how do you not DIG this song live?!

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I knew last Thursday morning, when I had to get up early to go to work early, and I accidentally caught the 8:15 early train, my vacation to see my college roommate was going to be awesome.  I also realized that this was the first time we'd get to spend more than 2 consecutive days together with no wedding involved since we live together in the Fall of 2004 (Holy Snap, that's a long time).

Highlights of the vacation in somewhat order:

- LM's grown-up house and being greeted by her bubbly two year old giggling, and football being on the television (who warmed up to me within minutes without even tempting her with food - LM says it's rare!)

- Crafting and sports.  It's so awesome I'm writing it again, because there was that much of it.  Crafting and sports.  US Open, at least 5 complete college football games and the KC Chiefs.

- Crafting and Alias.  After the Chiefs decided to roll over and die, we switched our crafting focus to include Season 2 and Season 5 of Alias.

- The Rocky Mountains.  One would have thought I saw them when I went to KSU/Colorado game in 2005.  No, it was foggy.  They start in Montana.  We took a boat ride to the Gate of the Mountains.

-We stopped to get a beverage and she walked straight to the Belgian Raspberry Beer w/o saying anything.  AKA my beverage of choice.  Super win.  Then, I was really ecstatic for 3 seconds, b/c I also thought we we could get Rainer beer - aka Charlie's beer of choice -- b/c we were close to Washington State.  That didn't last long as the sales rep said no but went on for 5 minutes sharing the specials.  LM had the berry beer and I was standing infront a six pack with Killer Whales art work.  We managed to survive his specials spiel. 

- Getting to entertain her 2 year old.  It. was. so much. fun.  And her dogs!  I love dogs!

-Nightly Blizzard runs (it's a lie.  They don't have everything in New York.)


-My first full trip with Delta Silver Medallion Status.  I'm quite the travel freak, and FINALLY achieved this status, which I'd been trying to for a while.  Perks: getting on the plane before everyone else does, being able to get the seats at the front, getting upgraded to First Class (My 6AM flight out of Great Falls....WIN!)


-The Missouri River.  And all of it's Great Falls Dams.  There are quite a few.  And the roller coaster car ride to Dam #2 via the pot holey road.  We took one dip a little fast and her husband in the back seat went airborne.

-Seeing LM's cake magic in person.

And then I remember how blessed I am that I ended up on Boyd 2 in the Fall of 2003, b/c even though our partners in crime (JCF and SEW) weren't there, we've got something really special in our friendship that I'm thankful for everyday.  Even though we're spread across 3 time zones and 4 states.

And how many people can craft and watch football for 3 days straight?!  Serious question.