A new hero

During my trip to Toronto in September to catch the Rush show with my brother, we spent an afternoon playing tourist through the streets of downtown Toronto.


There's a monument in one of the downtown parks that honors one person that's died in the course of doing their job. Many of the honored died in semi-expected manners, e.g. hit by a crane, fell into a cement mixer, etc. But one person stands out above the rest. I present Mr. James Harnby who lost his life on September 12, 1913. What makes him special? Any man that dies from a brewery truck has to have one hell of a story and as such, leaps to the front of the line.

Everybody Wants Some!

What a great summer! Last night was the conclusion of my 2007 concert series -- The Police in June, Rush in Toronto in September and two Van Halen shows, the final one being last night in San Jose.

Yeah, it's like 1983 all over again, but you know, the music these bands produce is good -- much better than the stuff kids listen to today. I mean, I worked a concert the other day with a number of popular bands -- none of them had much talent, but the audience had a great time which I guess is the whole point. Anyway, the Van Halen show last night was even better than the one I went to two weeks ago. David Lee Roth's pipes are solid and Eddie Van Halen is reasserting himself as music's premier guitar hero. Even though I've seen his solo probably 10 times, I'm still mesmerized by his performances. Something about the hammer-ons combines with the volume swells just hypnotizes me. And running through 22 songs, many of which haven't been played since 1984 was truly a wonderful thing.

After all, it's about a trip back to happy times, having a a beer or two with your friends, and going to see Van Halen with a pretty girl on your arm. David Lee Roth and Van Halen delivered. Heck, we even saw two Camaros and a Firebird on 87 on the way into the show and were served with a bonus Fiero GT entering the San Pedro Street garage! This 20 year high school reunion was much better than the first one!

Sending out an S.O.S.

Last week I had the chance to catch the Police reunion tour at the Oakland Coliseum. All I can say is that this show epitomizes all that is wrong with music today. Oh, it wasn't the Police that were a problem, it was that they showed how bad most other shows and music really are. Of course, the jackass critics gave it bad reviews (access to the freeway was difficult, refreshments were too expensive, etc.) but they totally missed the point.

This show was great not for the precise reproduction of the albums, not for the over-the-top production quality, not for the reverberation of the sound off the back wall of the Coliseum, not for the ease of transportation to and from BART, not for the crowd management, but instead for the experience.

Sharing great tunes with 46,000 people, a remembrance of "Days on the Green" gone by, seeing three guys up on stage with no background support (well, a little bit of pre-recorded background vocals), dragging your your girl/wife/etc. behind you as you make your way through the crowd, and having a beer with friends. A time when the entire crowd was there to have fun and share, not a gang banger/wannabe throw down. No need for metal detectors, just a good time for all. Wearing the t-shirt to school the next day. Anyone who thought this show was intended to be about musical precision sorely missed the point....

Finally, after seeing many top acts in my life, I would rank this event in my all-time favorites (in no particular order or reason):

B.B. King at an 800-person theater
The Count Basie Orchestra
The Who (1989), Oakland Coliseum
Van Halen 1995
The Rolling Stones (2004)

UPDATED 16-DEC -- This list now has six entries. Add Van Halen (2007). Hide your daughters!

A truly great evening.....

Why I love and hate Las Vegas

Love - All of the sights. And you know what I mean. :-)

Hate - Tourists that hit on a 12 when the dealer is showing a 4.

Love - The pure hedonistic lifestyle with a subtle undertone of organized crime influence.

Hate - When did a basketball jersey become acceptable attire?

Was in Las Vegas this weekend for the De La Hoya vs. Mayweather fight along with a little golf at Tuscany out in Henderson. Definitely a good weekend, and even had a little excitement Monday morning with an explosion at our hotel for the weekend, the Luxor. Yeah, it was just a random act and there was no mob involvement.

Airline insanity -- and a CURE!

In the aftermath of the recent attempted attacks on American airliners, the process of getting through security at any U.S. airport has become completely absurd. This morning for example, I arrived at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas more than 60 minutes before departure. No bags to check and online check-in completed I zipped past the tourists, up the escalator and ran into a mass of bodies backed up past the Grand Prix bar. I'd never seen it this bad. Fortunately, the TSA operations at McCarran moves fairly well and I made my flight, but I've not been so lucky in the past. Fortunately, a new service has emerged from Fly Clear. After submitted to a TSA background check and hitting my Visa for $100, I was awarded the ultimate VIP pass. After arriving at the airport, all I need to do is to present my Clear card, scan my fingerprints and I'm whisked away to the front of the security line. When I used it for the first time last week, I was speechless as I was through security in less than two minutes. If you're in a city served by Fly Clear and travel more than once a month, this is worth the $100.