Mid-Week Mosh or I Gave up Being a Kid, Not Being Rad

Tuesday nights I usually stay home, watch a little TV, make dinner and go to bed early; it is a work day tomorrow after all. However, when you have the chance to see The Aquabats, Suburban Legends, Koo Koo Kangaroo and Reel Big Fish you alter your plans and suffer the pains of a terrible Wednesday.

Here are the high points broken down by section.

At Work/Pre-Show
-I dress up for work, but needed to dress down for the show. With an hour left at work I ditched my button down and my #$%&en khakis (which I am not) and put on an Underdog T-Shirt, jeans, and red Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
-With one of my fedoras on I started letting my ska Pandora station play.
-Playing ska almost always leads to skanking.
-Having your boss walk by and catch you skanking, alone, in an Underdog t-shirt is not easy to explain, and probably harder to live down.
-Don't tell your boss you're skanking if she doesn't know what that is.
-My dinner consisted of a Monster Energy Drink, Watchamacallit Candy Bar and Oreo Cakesters. I guess I always associate ska with high school I felt like I could eat like I was High School.
-The line to get into show didn't move and it is hot inside The Venue, thus I didn't want a sweater. This resulted in me standing in line for about an hour in 34 degree temperature in a t-shirt.

Koo Koo Kangaroo
-Koo Koo Kangaroo is a duo of white men who rap about dinosaurs and other nostalgic topics.
-They brought one of those large multi-colored parachutes you had in elementary for us to play with, rad.
-They spent a lot of time jumping around in the audience, and teaching us sweet dance moves.
-You should check them out if you have kids, if you don't I am not sure they will be as much fun for you recorded as they were for me live. But, their lyrics and ironic facial hair is something we can all enjoy.

Suburban Legends
-One of my favorite ska bands ever.
-They are what a "boy band" would be like if said "boy band" was not lame. Ergo synchronized dancing while playing instruments.
-They did a ska cover of the "hide yer wives, hide yer kids" guy, was it the greatest thing ever? It is possible.
-Unless you hate fun you should be listening to this band.

Aquabats
-This might be the most tame show I have ever seen the Bats do, but still sweet.
-We learned backfat is an essential element of hand to hand combat with mad scientists whom you wronged in pre-school.
-The Commander can still do back flips off of speaker stacks he is the man that age can not stop.
-The Aquabats are pure fun, there is nothing serious about them at all. They totally reject the post Bob Dylan world and write songs that just make you want to move. The world could use more of this.
-They played The Story of Nothing for the first time in years. It was at this point you could find the true Aquabats fans versus the Yo-Gabba-Gabba late comers.
-Co-Headlining with Reel Big Fish was fun, but they really need the extra time to get all of the stuff out of their back catalog I want to hear.

Reel Big Fish
-I was really worried that anyone following the Aquabats would struggle because of the elaborate stage show the Bats put on, but RBF did an excellent job. They had a lot of funny banter and put on an amazing live show.
-Opening with Sellout was good because it satisfied the posers early.
-They covered Van Morison's Brown Eyed Girl and Metallica's Enter the Sandman, I don't think I need to expand why this awesome.
-Their more well known cover of Take on Me is excellent live, but I blame it for my sounding like a Delta Blues Musician this morning (the EEEEEEEEEEEEE part in the chorus).

The Aftermath
-I am honestly a zombie today.
-I have large mosh related bruises all over my body.
-I have trace amounts of blood in my caffeine stream.
-Sprite is still the perfect post concert beverage.

Miscellaneous Observations
-We made friends with a group of guys who ditched their wives to come to show. We ended up hanging with them for the entire concert. Seriously, random group of dudes to hang out with, but concert friends are fantastic.
-There is an age group that totally missed Mosh Etiquette 101. The 12-13 year olds got it, the older people got it, but there was a certain segment in between the two that totally missed out on what is rad and what is non-sweet pit behavior.
-Maggie and I had a lengthy discussion about how she was cooler when we started dating, but I have since passed her in coolness. She maintains I am cooler than she is when it comes to music only, and she is still cooler than I am in overall coolness. I think only math can solve this, but it sufficeth me to say we are both rad*.

*I am making a concerted effort to bring the world rad back into my daily lexicon.

Trombone Shorty

This past Sunday Maggie and I attended a concert at Red Butte Garden featuring one of my all time favorite musicians. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is a New Orleans horn player who is masterful on both the trombone, as his name implies, but also the trumpet. He was the opening act for two New Orleans legends The Dirty Dozen Brass and Allen Toussaint. While I am familiar with the two headlining acts, I was there for Trombone Shorty. The guy blew me away, and I recommend all of my friends who like great fusion music to check him out. He blends elements of funk, second line jazz, rock and hip-hop seamlessly.

One of the best parts was that I was able to meet the band after the performance. They were signing copies of their new album Backatown. What was really cool is that I talked to them about their earlier stuff that I knew, and shows that I had watched them on. They all seemed really excited to meet a fan who had been listening to them for a while, and they made sure to shake my hand. It was was a memory making experience to be able to have followed a band for several years, have them get their major label record release and then meet them.

This conversation should illustrate Maggie's new found adoration for the Trombone Shorty.

Maggie: He's hot.
Colt: Is he?
Maggie: (Hold the album close to my face so I can see) Uh...yeah
Colt: laughs a little
Maggie: Yeah he may even go on my list of five
Colt: Really? Wow that is impressive
Maggie: Plus, he's not that famous yet so I might actually have a shot.
Colt: Wait...what?



PS: There will be a reunion blog coming soon. I just want to upload some pictures that I can post along with it, so please stay tuned.

They Might Be Giants, but I was the one who felt out of place

A few weeks back Maggie had to go on a weekend training retreat. This left me home alone. I enjoy my alone time and try to make the most of it. I go see movies that Maggie has no desire to see, get take out Maggie would not like, watch whatever I want to on TV, and try to get out and enjoy the city. This particular weekend I read in City Weekly that They Might Be Giants were doing two shows in Salt Lake. One at the Depot on Friday Night and a Matinee Saturday at the Murray Theater. I purchased my ticket for the Saturday matinee at a discount price and was excited to see TMBG.

I arrived at the theater, parked my truck and walked to the end of the very long line that had formed. While I made this sojourn to back of the line I noticed something was strange. There were kids in line for this show...lots....and lots of kids. I figured that well, this is a matinee perhaps parents are just kids along for fun. I have seen kids at late night shows for the Aquabats and Flogging Molly so it makes sense there would be a lot of kids there. As I stood in line longer it became clear that every adult was attached to a child in someway...except of course for me. This was the beginning of my feeling awkward.

I entered the theater and took my place among the general admission audience. The band has released two children's CDs that talk about things like science, colors, and proper nutrition. I had no idea of this I just wanted to hear Build a Little Birdhouse. There were kids going crazy for songs I had never heard of. I have had fun at children's concerts before. One of the most fun times I have ever had was at a DJ Lance Rock ,from YoGabba-Gabba , concert. I jumped my sillies out, and sang along to Its a Party in My Tummy along with my wife and the several hundred other adults and teenagers there. However, being at a children's concert all on your own is an irony of a different color. I tried to make myself appear less strange by texting my Maggie and my cousin Britta. I was fairly sure that parents thought I was a child molester. This made me uncomfortable.

The saving grace of the concert was that they played Particle Man and Istanbul. The streamers were fun, and I will buy their albums when I have kids. The other highlight was the sang a song about evolution called Your Friend the Ape, and there was a mom in a BYU sweatshirt making her kid cover his ears. This alone might have been worth the price of admission.

They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Tiny Toons)
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Thoughts on Flogging Molly

Friday night Maggie and I went to see Flogging Molly play at The Venue here in Salt Lake. We got in as guests of the band because one of my very first best friends from Kindergarten works for the band. I have not seen this friend in at least 20 years. I found him on facebook and we started to chat one day. I told him that I noticed in his status recently he saw Nathan Maxwell ,the bass player for Flogging Molly, solo act. I told him that Maggie and I also saw him perform. He then casually mentions "I work for his other band." I went on to tell him that Flogging Molly is easily one of my favorite bands, and is always in place to be my second favorite band of all time(second place being the most coveted, because The Beatles are number one. There is no way to best them). He offered to get me into the show for free...I accepted. Here are some thoughts and favorite moments.

-Story: Never judge a Zoobie by its cover. A Zoobie for all those who don't know is uber Mormon Utah County type. Maggie and I spotted this Zoobie looking couple at the concert, except he was wearing a Bouncing Souls t-shirt (one of Maggie's favorite bands). We figured they were here to chaperon a kid or something, and we had to investigate a Zoobie who was wearing a Bouncing Souls t-shirt. We talked with them before the show discovered they were from Orem, and that she got patches from every show because she was making a quilt. Once Flogging Molly started this couple that had escaped across Point of the Mountain for the evening went nuts. They were both in the most intense part of the mosh pit. He stripped his shirt to reveal a very intricate tattoo set. He was getting in a fight with security, and his wife shoved the guard to rescue him from thrown out. This taught me two things 1)Never assume someone is a Zoobie by their cover 2)You can still party hard after having kids...also if you two happen to stumble across this you are awesome and we want to be friends.

-Observation: If you have any stress a mosh pit is better than anything to get rid of it.

-Moment: Watching the group obviously from BYU looking shocked that someone would drop an "F-Bomb" on stage.

-Observation: DO NOT WEAR THE T-SHIRT OF THE BAND YOU ARE GOING TO SEE...don't be that guy, c'mon.

-Observation: Getting hit in the mouth, face, head, rest of body does not hurt if the music is loud enough

-Moment/Observation: I always love watching someone fall in a mosh pit, and then seeing the group stop to help the person up. Seeing compassion in a sea of seeming rage show to me that mosh pits represent the best in humanity. Its tribal.

-Moment: Maggie getting hit on by the cute 16 year old girl.

-Observation: Being soaked in sweat(yours and others peoples) is a pretty awesome feeling.

-Moment: The really old roadie with oxygen tank partying in the middle of the dance floor...rock on brotha.

-Observation: Sprite is the perfect post concert beverage(and I never drink Sprite other wise)

-Observation: Make a friend with me, you make a friend for life, and bonds formed over G.I. Joes, Ninja Turtles, Bravestar, and the Karate Kid are stronger than you could imagine.

Fruitcakes in Las Vegas or The Year of We're Still Here

This past week has been we have been anticipating for quite sometime. Maggie, My Mom, her friend Cindy, Brad Neve and his wife Mandy and I went to Vegas and saw Jimmy Buffett. Friday Maggie drove to St. George to go with my mom and Cindy to see the Elton John's Red Piano show at Ceaser's Palace. I was really envious. I have seen Elton before when he was touring with Billy Joel, but I have really wanted to see the Red Piano. I had to stay in Salt Lake because Friday night I had my Defensive Tactics Final Exam(Butt Kicking 101). I did really well scoring 185 out of a possible 188(Walker Texas Ranger's got nothing...just kidding Chuck Norris please don't hurt me.) Saturday Morning I had to shoot so I was flying to Vegas that afternoon and would meet up with the motley crew to go see Jimmy. This is where the story gets interesting. ..

Maggie, Mom and Cindy at Red Piano

Maggie at the pre-Buffett Street Fair

I flew to Las Vegas dressed in my white sequined Elvis jumpsuit. For those of you unfamiliar with what it means to be a true Jimmy Buffett fan this might sound strange. When one attends a Jimmy concert, one goes in costume: be it tropical, pirate or any Jimmy song related attire. I have seen people dressed as tequila bottles, boats, and blenders. Jimmy is a good ole' Mississippi boy as was "The King." Also one of my favorite Jimmy songs was on the album Take the Weather with You and was entitled Elvis Presley Blues. That is what made my choice to go as Elvis all to appropriate(not that appropriate matters at a Jimmy show.) I came home from the firing range showered(I was really paranoid that all of the gun powder residue would set off bomb sniffing dogs.) Dressed as Elvis and waited for Dale to come take me the airport. I was more than a little worried that this would result in my ending up on watch lists that might keep me from ever flying the friendly skies again. However, people loved it. In the terminal people were trying to sneak photos with their camera phones. When I got on the plane one of the flight attendants said "They are already asking if they can take pictures with you." I asked who was. The flight attendant answered "They entire flight crew." I then learned that Vince Vaughn was on my flight and that none of the the crew had asked for his picture, but me they all wanted one with.

When I got off the plane in Las Vegas I had a line of people wanting to get photos with me. I of coursed obliged them all. It was AWESOME. I have come to the conclusion that doing something just a little bit crazy from time to time is the best way of never truly growing up, after that flight I was probably 15 again. Brad and Cindy picked me up at the airport. Brad was in an Elvis costume he had made himself that was pretty sweet if I say so myself. We met up at our favorite Vegas hotel South Point(Affordable Luxury is what they do best). My mom and Cindy were in tropical attire with hats Cindy made featuring Margarita glasses and "lost shakers of salt", Maggie was dressed in her pirate best, and Mandy was dressed as a sailor. Once we got the MGM Grand for the show people started chanting "ELVIS, ELVIS, ELVIS" as we entered the concert area. We again were in about a dozen pictures with people. One inebriated parrot head remarked "whoa two Elvises!" I responded "hey, pal you've been drinking way too much there is only one of me."

Pirate Maggie, King Colt, Sailor Mandy, and Hunka-Hunka Burning Brad

Holy Rock n' Roll Batman...2 Elvi

Two kings with Pirate kicker

Once the show started we did not sit down(We did sit down for the God's Own Drunk, but that's a really long slow song). Jimmy also did an updated version of Fruitcakes that talked about being screwed by oil tycoons. Maggie cheered extra loud ,on behalf of her Deadhead Dad, during Jimmy's cover of Scarlet Begonias. Jimmy also told a great story about wanting to do a show for the US Navy's Pacific fleet. The admiral is a parrot head and wanted Jimmy to show when the USS Harry Truman was docked in Dubai. The problem was that Jimmy had to fly home for his son's soccer game on the day the ship was set to anchored. The admiral then asked "Well Jimmy when do you want the boat to be there?" Jimmy said "Hell, I guess they work for me." Jimmy then showed a video of concert for the sailors while playing the song Son of Sailor.

Parrot Heads waiting for the show

Here we are somewhere southeast of disorder

I was totally struck with why I love this Jimmy's music so much. For those of you only know Margaritaville and 5 o'clock Somewhere you don't really know Jimmy. The songs known to parrot heads are the ones that really give incite as to why this 60 year old can sell out shows in 20 minutes all over the world. It is totally about having adventures, and giving yourself a life well lived.

After the show we went to Johnny Rocket's so I could get apple pie with melted cheese on top...yum the king would be proud.

Us pretending were normal before we all head home

We headed to St George Sunday after breakfast at the Cheesecake Factory, and a little stroll through the forum shops at Cesar's Palace. It was great to be able to spend a little extra time with Brad and Mandy who we just don't get to see enough. Maggie and I got our hair done that night Sariann's new shop Sinful Pleasures. I hung out in the hammock with Sparky for a little while before going to bed. We hit the road at 4am the next morning so Maggie to be to class by 10. She slept in the backseat while I rocked out to Jimmy on my Ipod.

Whiskey for my Men, and Beer for My Bloggers

Two weeks ago Maggie, my Mom and I went to the Toby Keith concert at USANA amphitheatre. IT was AWESOME!! During the day Saturday Maggie and my mother went shopping for Maggie to get a new western outfit. She got a great new cowboy hat, and a cowgirl shirt that she looks great in. I went to class where we did scenarios and shooting.

This was Maggie's second country concert (Willie Nelson was her first she went to last year) that she can remember. She has been to a few folk-country shows before not many pure country shows. She got dressed up and was pretty excited. I was stoked because I have not worn my Bailey(cowboy hat) or boots in a long time.

That night we went to concert and really enjoyed all of the opening acts. Trailer Choir which is one of the smaller bands on Toby's label was really good. I would recommend anyone who is a country music fan to check them out. Then Montgomery Gentry performed. I have never been a big Montgomery Gentry fan until I saw them live. They put on a great show. I knew a few of their songs, more than I thought I would, but I just learned the chorus quickly for the ones I didn't.

Montgomery-Gentry Rockin' It

When Toby came out it was awesome. Our seats were five rows from the front of the stage, and the pyrotechnics were awesome. The stage was set up to look like the grill of a Ford 150 pickup truck(Ford was the sponsor for the tour). It was the last night of the tour and the show was just awesome. Maggie said she was surprised at how many Toby songs she knew, and was able to sing a long with. I went nuts during "Beer for My Horses" (with all of COP wannabe spirit). One of the more fun moments of the show was when Toby started giving toasts. He started by toasting the firefighters really loud cheers from everywhere(everybody loves firefighters...darn firefighters), then he toasted "Police, Sheriffs, Highway Patrol, FBI and everybody else keeping us safe." 60% cheers 40% boos....darn firefighters. I have to say that Toby put on one of the best shows I have ever seen, and I have seen some great shows.

Toby wearing his Bailey, playing his patriotic guitar while singing "The Angry American"

Maggie and Me in front of the stage

Mom, Maggie and Me

Maggie showing off her new boots