One Way to Earn Respect

I was so excited a few months ago when it was announced that Squeeze and Cheap Trick would be touring, together. I had never seen either band and the nostalgia appeal was too good to pass up. Plus, tickets after the ridiculous fees were only $28 each. So I had to go.



My Scottish Wife was familiar with some of Squeeze's songs but had only heard just one or two Cheap Trick songs. She was interested, and once the rain stopped and a few beers at Barley's we were all looking forward to the show.

Squeeze opened. It was their first show on this leg of the tour.



They opened with Black Coffee in Bed. Then tried to turn it into a singalong, which really was not the best way to handle it. Turning the opening song into an extended jam was not a good idea either.

They sounded a bit tired, or not used to the idea of playing together yet. I have to say that Glenn Tilbrook sounded fantastic. Chris Difford, on the other hand, phoned in Cool for Cats.

They dug deep into their back catalog, included a couple of songs from the Difford & Tilbrook record, which was quite the surprise. Plus, a nice version of Someone Else's Bell from East Side Story, which is a record that lived on my turntable during freshman year of college.

We were a bit disappointed they did not do Another Nail in My Heart or Pulling Mussels from the Shell, it was still a good time.

For whatever reasons I've never been able to take Cheap Trick seriously. Live at Budokan is certainly a fine live album. Dream Police and Surrender are great songs, but the rest always seemed uneven to me. Then there was The Flame, and the horrors that come from that song.

So I was very curious as to what kind of show they'd give.



Jesus I was impressed from the start. The energy these guys can still put out after being together for over thirty five years is very impressive. Robin Zander has developed and kept some serious vocal chops, and at the age of fifty seven can still wail with the best of them. Rick Neilsen has an untold number of guitars, (he brought out the five necked one!) and can play them all with the best of all the guitar heroes. Incredibly, at the age of sixty three, he was running around the stage with the energy of a twenty something.

They performed a few hits amidst some what may have been some newer or even some deep cuts from the older records. It did not matter, what they did rocked the shit out of the place!



A memorable moment came during Dream Police when a police helicopter went over the LC and shined its spotlight on the crowd. One of the freakiest thing I've ever seen at a show. No way this could have been planned, right? Also on the weird scale is that my ex wife's ex boyfriend saw me there and texted her. He also saw us at Cuco's on Thursday night. Who is stalking who? And hey someone from Florida who looked here for a long time yesterday, how about an introduction?

After finally seeing Cheap Trick I seriously have to wonder why these guys are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was boycotting the place until Ronnie Spector got in. Now, there is another legitimate reason to not go.

The Rhythm of the Heat

It's been quite hot here. Not east coast hot, but we landlocked people do not have any form of a cooling ocean breeze to rely on - just stagnant air and increasing humidity.

So last night I dressed for open mic as if I was headed to the beach. Shorts, t-shirt with holes in it, Chucks with no socks. Then my wife comes down in a nice summer dress and I'm left feeling like a complete dork.

Dirty Franks was packed so we went a couple doors down to the recently reopened Little Palace for dinner. Had the greasiest cheeseburger I've eaten in years. Still not sure if that was good or bad. The server had an uncanny knack of asking how your food was while you're in mid-bite. She was a bit smothering in that aspect of service, and disappeared when it came to paying the check. I've had far worse dining experiences, but I'm not sold on the reboot.

Got to open mic and immediately discovered that the zipper on my shorts broke. I was in a minor pickle, so to speak. Let my wife and Linc know since I was sitting between them. Luckily my shirt was long enough to cover up any wardrobe malfunction. I was still a bit self conscious getting up on stage and reading. I had a secret.

Did a new poem that came from a Facebook prompt. Write a biblical persona poem, the prompt suggested. I've only written a couple of persona poems, they're not my favorite unless the right person is doing them. And by right person I mean Dee Matthews. I've written one from the point of view of Juan Valdez's burro, which tells you, well, what the persona poem means to me.

What I know about the bible you can put on the head of a pin, but in the shower I came up with the idea, wrote it down in about fifteen minutes. Did about five minutes of "research" and tweaked it a bit. It's called David's Rock and I think it went over well. When Rose Smith high fived me after I suspected something worked. Still needs some oomph, but I'm satisfied.

Good quality work at Writers' Block last night. I'll not be able to look at a school bus for awhile without thinking of something illicit involving the bus, a pervert and a trailer. Thanks for the image, poet!

I Guess They Like the Water

It's not that I do not get along with my eastern neighbors, it's that so few tenants are around long enough to even say hello to. In nearly eight years of living here, few have ever lived there longer than three months. The latest tenants moved in last month, one of them frightening me with obesity, no shirt and a lower outfit that showed more than it covered.

They also installed one of those inflatable water slides and left the fan on for it 24/7. Over the past couple of days they have taken down a couple of small trees that border the property and put up what appears to be an 18' by 12' above ground oval pool. Also embedded in the ground are several tiki type torches. May they live there long enough to enjoy them this summer.

In other news my ex adopted a dog from the city shelter. He's a three year old beagle who, when I met, seemed quite friendly and curious - or maybe he was happy to see anyone after being let out of jail. She got him as a companion for our son, and I honestly hope my son and the dog can bond. I've read about therapy dogs and autistic children and it can really improve everyone's quality of life. The real thing is a bit expensive so I'm hoping she made the right choice in dog temperament. I'm optimistic. They meet for the first extended visit after camp today.

Snooking in the Heat

I'm not really a reader of true crime books, but occasionally I'll jump at one when it crosses my desk.

Gold Medal Killer is about a notorious crime that happened in Columbus in 1929. In short, a respected Veterinary faculty member of the Ohio State University and a gold medal winner for pistol shooting in the 1920 Olympics was having an affair with a woman half his age. He ended up killing her at a shooting range at the corner of Fisher and Dublin Road.

Many details of their sex lives were exposed at the trial, and it was a the scandalous trial of the day.

James Snook was convicted of the crime of first degree murder of Theora Hix and was put to death in the electric chair. For sixty five years, the location of his body was kept secret. The rest of that story is here.



How many times can you say you have seen the grave of an Olympic gold medalist who was executed? And right in Columbus.

I think the story is more interesting than the book, and perhaps an author with more talent could have told it in a better style. Gold Medal Killer is worth seeking out though for its capture of an era of Columbus history.

While at Greenlawn, near the Snook grave, I noticed this juxtaposition.



My wife thinks it would be even funnier if I were fifteen again.

Amidst all the World Cup action

There's a very cool little place in the Short North we went to on Thursday night. I do not know much about authentic New Orleans or cajun food, but Da Levee is quite satisfying. The menu changes daily, and is small, but it also has vegetarian options. Entrees are seven bucks, and you get plenty of food. You're also given the option of splitting your entrees and getting a half order of two items. This is a deal and a great way to try different food. I had red beans and sausage and the chicken creole and was quite pleased with both.

There was only one person working when we got there, and he had our food out practically by the time we walked to the table. Very friendly. There's also an arcade basketball game in the back. My wife went to the restroom and while I was talking to the owner he heard the beeping and said, "I think she's found the basketball game."

She beat me, so we have to go back for a rematch.

It was a lovely night to be out. High Street was quite busy. A lot of fine looking women strolling about. Then there was this kid in a faux sombrero, trying to get us to sign up and pay to save the environment, a block later another your lady asked us to Save the Children, and further down someone else was being asked to save Lake Erie.

I really do not mind solicitors, but unlike panhandlers they follow you, and try to inflict guilt on you. When you get saturated with charities every block, you get fatigued, and these people dehumanize giving.

Hey, it's the First of July

It was an eleven person slam last night at Writers’ Block. I drew third and presented a new rant. Not sure if an inferior poem did not go over well, or if I did not have the lungs to present it. Maybe it was a combination of both as I placed ninth in the round.

Scores were low, which I always like so as the second round scores were coming in low I thought I could sneak up and maybe snatch third place. Did My Thunder, which went over very well, just enough to miss third place by two tenths of a point. Not a bad climb, but no points. A fun night overall. No one is really blowing me away right now though, and I include myself in this criticism. A lot of tired and distracted poets, busy too. Being sick is no excuse, really, but I’ve lacked the lungpower to get it right the past couple of weeks.

The social schedule kicks in next weekend. Squeeze and Cheap Trick are next Friday, parties on the weekend. More activities will come as the month progresses.

Google analytics is a rather fascinating way of finding out who is looking in here, and for how long.

Been lax on posting pictures lately, perhaps there will be an update this weekend. Depends on how busy the boy wants to be. Really have to get some rest between World Cup matches (Go Spain!) and swimming. The heat is supposed to increase again.

We Will Be Invincible

It's not that England would have won yesterday's World Cup match. The goal that was completely missed by all the officials would have tied the game at two. But, there would have been a shifting in momentum and urgency by both teams that could have changed the complexion of the game. I think Germany would have won, and decidedly so, we'll never know now.

Missing or allowing goals due to blown offside calls is one thing. Screwing up when the ball has clearly past the goal line is another thing entirely. FIFA have a great deal to answer for. They're earning billions with this tournament and for a goal to be clearly missed in the net messes with the game's integrity.



I was very impressed by this memoir by Pat Benatar. A very compelling story of being one of the only female rock stars in the early eighties. During that time, there really were not many solo rock women out there other than Debbie Harry, Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde. She is one of the few stars who never went into rehab or hit any deep rock bottoms in her personal life. Despite unbelievable pressure by a douchebag record company to produce music and an incredible amount of sexism she prevailed and is now living her own life on her terms. She has a story to tell, and slapping a record company executive is a stunning part of this book.

I was not overly wowed by The Passage, Justin Cronin's thick book about the end of the world. American scientists have created a virus that may slow down the aging process, it's put into convicts, things go horribly wrong. For the first 150 pages it was quite the page turner, then the point of view shifted and I was left bored and stranded. I plodded on through the last 450 pages and could not wait for the book to end. It reads a lot of Stephen King's The Stand and even includes a pious and wise black woman for spiritual relief. Ugh. After finishing the book I was told it's to be a trilogy. Books two and three will not be in my house.

Been trying to shake a cold. Now Captain Trips has invaded my sinus cavity.