But for Al, hey, it's worth it -- proof that an architecture degree
needn't lead _directly_ to professional ruin :-)
I only remembered the engagement about 7:30 tonight, whence it popped
up in my email as a reminder it would have been an apropos venue for
Ernie's bachelor base :-)
Of course, I was at the Gypsy Den, in Irvine.... and the show started at 7.
Dash home, ring up mapquest, put on some pants, and hit the tarmac.
Got to Griffith Park in Los Feliz by 8:45 -- and now, you have to
realize the Greek Theater is up in the park next to the famed
Observatory -- which means, what, 3-4000 fans and cars all crammed up
a two-lane switchback. Parking at the entrance was $25, to
illustrate.
So I scammed my way in. Confused the heck out of the parking
attendant. ducked between two parking rows to a grove of trees behind
the service entrance, scoring free prime parking. And after I got
rebuffed at both entrances with my ludicrous proposition of trying to
buy a lone ticket at halftime, and from the VIP entrances, and from
the entrance by Al's two tour buses, I finally hit upon the
crushingly obvious expedient of asking a departing family for their
stubs -- and scored tenth-row seating!
And as for the show, what can *I* say? It's the only "rock" concert
I'll ever go two where I know every last one of the words -- and have
enough pride to sing right along. If only this had occurred to me
that long-ago besotted Tokyo night I was suckered into karaoke'ing
Axl Rose...
Finale was Fat, then an encore double feature, Saga Begins and My
Y-y-y-y-y-oda... at which time, he suddenly interrupted the
crescendo, and lapsed into Indian Classical teen tal rhythms...
Yes, as astonishing as that sounds. The
thika-thika-dum-thika-thiika-dum-teen-dum at, oh, almost 12Hz.
Amazing stuff...
Live from the third-floor sushi bar at Miyagi's,
Rohit