Anyway, this past weekend went like this: on Friday, take the train after work to Asbury Park to see Maybe Pete and Jason (as in "and the Scorchers") Ringenberg at the Saint. On Saturday morning, get a ride back home and then immediately head out to the Super Mega Show (one of my favorite-named autograph shows) in Fairfield, NJ, to give people who were once celebrities money that I probably need more than they do (well, some of them). After that, it was back on the train to Asbury Park to see the mighty Hudson Falcons at the Stone Pony. And after a ride home from that, it was a few hours of sleep before heading out to the All-Star Fan Fest at the Javits Center. Finally, there was America's Polka King Jimmy Sturr at Liberty State Park.
And now I'm in Staten Island, waking up at 5:30 in the morning to get to work on time.
All that is to say I'm still a little winded. But the stories and photos will trickle in over the next few days, OK?
First, I will say that it was the height of kickassery to see Jason Ringenberg sing "Absolutely Sweet Marie," "White Lies," and "Take Me Home Country Roads" with the New Jersey Scorchers, a/k/a Maybe Pete. Maybe Pete's set was fun enough, and Jason's set was pretty damn cool (but could've been cooler...see below), but the three-song set at the end was so awesome that a word doesn't exist to describe it. And that, of course, is a writer's way of being lazy when he's still recovering from a long weekend. But, really, you should've been there.
In fact, it would've been awesome if you were there because it (a) would've meant that there were more than 20 people seeing a legendary musician (his jacket's in the Country Music Hall of Fame, people) on a Friday night and (b) you would've been more fun than the deadasses and cheapskates that made up a bit of the crowd. Before the show started, I saw one guy stop a couple from paying because they were "on the list" (new concert rule: if there are less than 50 people in the room and you are living above the poverty line, you're not on the list. There is no list; you're paying, dipshit. It's called supporting live music. Suck it up and pay for your tickets.). And then during Jason's set, when he asked for requests, it turned out that I was the only person in a room with at least a few Scorchers fans who remembered the names of any songs they did other than "Absolutely Sweet Marie." Well, that's not fair; one guy yelled out "Help! There's a Fire" after Jason said he was going to play something slow and spooky. Good timing, chief.
Nevertheless, I had a good time (and, though tempted to just keep yelling out my requests all night and thus make it my own personal show, I kept it to one request, the stone-cold classic and anthem during the college years, "Self-Sabotage"). And, by all accounts, the folks on stage and the sundry freeloaders and silent types had a fine time themselves. I wish the video I took came out better (too close to the speakers), but here it is if you like to listen to lots of distortion. Or, if not, there are always still photos.
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