Monday, September 15, 2008
9/16
UPDATE: OOPS - I forgot a few shows back on 9/11. That page has been updated with a couple more gigs.
9/16/00 - Furthur Festival - Camden, NJ
Like I said previously - these shows all blend together. I remember staying with Dinger's friend, Bob, so I'm sure it was quite the drunken good time. Bob lived just off of South St. in Philly. It was an easy walk from his place to the ferry and over to the amphitheater in Camden. Dinger and I actually drove up separately to Philly. He stayed at Bob's place the whole weekend, while I drove up to Penn State the following morning. The Festival was playing at PSU the next day. I wasn't about to pass that up.
9/16/01 - Laurie Anderson - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
This was my first show after 9/11. I'm pretty sure it was my first trip into DC after all that happened. It was great to get out of the house - away from the television for the first time in days. Good to see a few friends again. I remember hanging out in front of the club before the show - everyone obviously talking about the recent events. Every time we'd hear a siren - an ambulance or police car - the crowd would fall silent and start looking around to see where it was coming from and where it was going. People looking up to the sky to see if there were any planes. It was very obvious people were uneasy. Myself included.
Laurie came out and immediately acknowledged the awkwardness of performing so soon after 9/11. I forget her exact words, but she said something about us needing to be careful about where we direct our anger. That may not be quite right - but it was something along those lines. Mike recently reminded me of her comment about sitting in her apartment along the West Side Highway and looking out across America. Other than that, my main memory of the show was thinking how much I didn't like seeing Laurie in a nightclub. I really prefer seeing her in a seated theater. It's just much easier to focus on her and what she's saying.
The show was a nice way to ease back into routine life. It was great to get out, see friends and see a show, but nobody was really ready for a big rocking night out yet. This show was exactly what I needed to soothe my soul a little.
9/16/00 - Furthur Festival - Camden, NJ
Like I said previously - these shows all blend together. I remember staying with Dinger's friend, Bob, so I'm sure it was quite the drunken good time. Bob lived just off of South St. in Philly. It was an easy walk from his place to the ferry and over to the amphitheater in Camden. Dinger and I actually drove up separately to Philly. He stayed at Bob's place the whole weekend, while I drove up to Penn State the following morning. The Festival was playing at PSU the next day. I wasn't about to pass that up.
9/16/01 - Laurie Anderson - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
This was my first show after 9/11. I'm pretty sure it was my first trip into DC after all that happened. It was great to get out of the house - away from the television for the first time in days. Good to see a few friends again. I remember hanging out in front of the club before the show - everyone obviously talking about the recent events. Every time we'd hear a siren - an ambulance or police car - the crowd would fall silent and start looking around to see where it was coming from and where it was going. People looking up to the sky to see if there were any planes. It was very obvious people were uneasy. Myself included.
Laurie came out and immediately acknowledged the awkwardness of performing so soon after 9/11. I forget her exact words, but she said something about us needing to be careful about where we direct our anger. That may not be quite right - but it was something along those lines. Mike recently reminded me of her comment about sitting in her apartment along the West Side Highway and looking out across America. Other than that, my main memory of the show was thinking how much I didn't like seeing Laurie in a nightclub. I really prefer seeing her in a seated theater. It's just much easier to focus on her and what she's saying.
The show was a nice way to ease back into routine life. It was great to get out, see friends and see a show, but nobody was really ready for a big rocking night out yet. This show was exactly what I needed to soothe my soul a little.
