Nothing better than two nights in Mike Cooley's crotch
Thurs:
Took off for Spokane at 10:15, dropped the kids off at the in-laws, then b4dawn5 and I were on our way. Made good time and got to Spokane. Drove around and found the venue and was a dork when I saw the DBT bus. Got out, took a picture.
I mentioned I was a dork.
Went to the hotel and got ready then went and sat in the "Alter Knit" lounge of the Knitting Factory and so got in first. Sat for a bit, where a guy was asking around for $6. If he got $6, another guy was going to match him so he could get a new hat, since his current one was thrashed. Sadly, had no cash. Bought T-shirt (Cooley's stroker ace shirt) and chatted with Craig, the merch guy. Told him we'd see him in Vancouver tomorrow. Venue was "The Knitting Factory", 1000 capacity venue. Really nice place. Stage was chest high, and I was roughly in front of Shonna's mike.
Stood up front for "The Dead Confederates", Zepplin-esque band from Athens, GA. They were pretty good, b4dawn5 really liked them. Chatted with some people around - most seemed to be from Montana, and were amused that it took us 5 hours to drive across Washington, but them only 3 and they hit three separate states. Oh, geography. Got someone's email and need to send her copies of the pictures I took.
And then. THEN, you guys, it was time for my first goddamn rock show.
Spokane set list
Heathens (OMG, they *love* me)
Women Without Whiskey
The Righteous Path
Checkout Time in Vegas
Goode's Field Road
The Company I Keep
Marry Me
The Man I Shot
Bob
Lookout Mountain
I'm Sorry, Huston
Sink Hole
A Ghost to Most
Ronnie and Neil
Hell No, I Ain't Happy
3 Dimes Down
Home Field Advantage
Encore:
Let There Be Rock
(Cooley song - his mike and Shonna's kind of sucked, so I honestly couldn't hear/tell what song it was, even without earplugs, but it contained a lyric including the words "six months")
Zip City
(A story about Chester, Momma and the tabloids)
Eighteen Wheels of Love
Shup Up & Get on the Plane
Angels and Fuselage
Right around the end of the actual set, my camera card was full, and so I missed photos of Mike Cooley smoking and Shonna shaking her (very fine) ass. During the show, whenever Cooley would come to the front of the stage, he was pretty much right above me, so I looked up into his crotch a lot. You'll notice please that this is not me complaining in the slightest. During the wait for the encore, some very drunk guy tried to get up to the front, telling the girl next to me to move away from her wife (that'd be me, apparently), since we were obviously a few choice expletives since we were standing next to each other. The only bummer of an otherwise pretty amazing fucking show in which Patterson Hood dripped sweat on me.
My comments after were pretty much "Goddamn" and "I spent the night in Mike Cooley's crotch". Oh, if ONLY I'd known.
**
The next day we drive back from Spokane (roughly a five hour trip) and made super good time, during which b4dawn5 decided she was going to head to the Vancouver show with us if there were tickets available. inlovewithnight tried to check online, but I couldn't remember my password, so we had to wait until we got home. None through the DBT website, but we called the Biltmore Cabaret and they said they'd have tickets at the door. Offloaded all the pictures from the camera and emailed a few around to friends, mostly to show of Mike Cooley's crotch. Then, when aigooshesays got there, we headed north.
Let me preface this next part by informing you all that Canada VEXES me. Every time I go there, crazy things happen. 15 minute wait at the border, during which the border guard asked us our life history - how did we know each other (worked together, friends), where were we going (to a concert), who's playing (Drive By Truckers), where (Biltmore Cabaret), how did we hear about the venue (band's website). I'm surprised she didn't ask us our bra size, blood type and to name five songs by the band in alphabetical order.
After that, we realized that I sort of forgot to print directions to the hotel from my house, but we managed to wing it and find it. Checked in and got ready and headed to the venue. Amusingly the venue is right underneath a hotel. Heee. Anyway, got there early and were first in line. Chatted with a few others, and ran into Craig, merch guy. Asked him how their trip from Spokane was, mentioned I was at the show. We chatted and he asked me why I didn't go to the Seattle shows in February (short answer - I didn't know the band then, long answers - I'm an idiot). He talked about knowing the band since forever, and how he used to manage the 40 Watt. I mentioned that quicknow was supposed to be there with me from the east coast, but there was an accident, so he told me to come by the merch booth and he'd give me a little something for her (so, quicknow, I have something for you).
The Biltmore Cabaret is a 300 person venue that's underneath a parking structure, so it's small and dark and acoustically pretty fucking awesome. Went in and got in front of the stage next to this black box with a giant cat-thing on it. I don't know, but it served as a place to put our stuff and lean against. Eventually Leeroy Stagger came out and did five songs as the opening act and then the band came out to play. Of course, before they hit the stage, they clustered around the men's room and passed the JD around, giving Patterson time to hump Cooley's leg. God, best OTP ever, you guys.
Vancouver BC set list
Marry Me
The Man I Shot
Self Destructive Zones
The Company I Keep (Wherein Patterson gets by on Cooley's gooooooooooooooooooood looks)
Panties in Your Purse (During which minervacat got a completely incomprehensible phone call at what was, for her, like 2AM)
The Righteous Path
Sink Hole
A Ghost to Most
My Sweet Annette (oh, boys! You DO love me)
Checkout Time in Vegas
Living Bubba
Carl Perkin's Cadillac
Bulldozers and Dirt
When Henry Drinks
Women Without Whiskey
Putting People on the Moon
Encore:
I'm Sorry, Huston
3 Dimes Down
Let There Be Rock
People Who Died
During the show, right before "Bulldozers and Dirt", Shonna left the stage to go to the bathroom. The closest was the men's room, so she went in there, and you should have seen the rush of guys who suddenly had to go to the bathroom.
Okay, so you know how I said I was in Mike Cooley's crotch all night the night before. Well, every solo Cooley played, he came to the front of the stage, which was right in front of me, so his guitar/crotch was *right* at eye level about two inches from my face. I spent half the time staring at his hands/the guitar (omg) and the other half staring at his face (omg) and every bit right after swooning. Fucking SWOONING, you guys. Jesus. Now, I'd like to think they maybe recognized me from Spokane (same type shirt, same hair and glasses, same camera - no flash!) but who knows. Let me just say that Mike Cooley's grin is a wicked wicked thing. Also, Patterson is the cutest dorkiest thing I've ever seen. I kind of love him. And dudes, the LOOKS he gives Cooley. It's just insane.
Shonna was super animated and so damn cute. She's the tiniest thing playing a big ass mean bass and she's just fucking adorable. She was playing the crowd. They all were, and it was just insanely amazing. minervacat told me Patterson loves him the crowd and they love him back, but dudes. DUDES. I've never been through anything like this. It was like a religious experience.
That gets even better.
Because the last song they played - "People Who Died", Patterson is climbing up on the stage and hanging from pipes in the ceiling and Mike Cooley puts his foot on one side of me on the box and the other on the stage so he's IN my face and he's gesturing at all the girls on the other side of the box and then THEN he pretty much rests his guitar on my breasts and plays two fucking centimeters from my face and I don't think I breathed through the entire song. I mean. YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS.
I just...fuck. I don't even know. After the show, I called quicknow and thanked her profusely for giving me the Truckers. I thanked b4dawn5 and aigooshesays for going with me, and you can bet your ass, when quicknow manages to make it to Washington, I'm going to just give her the biggest hug and owe her for the rest of my life.
You guys. BEST FUCKING TIME OF MY LIFE.
Goddamn.
Of course, then we had to come home. It's 10 miles from the hotel to the border. We went 9 miles in about 5 minutes, and then spent 4 1/2 hours in line waiting to go that last mile to cross the border. Afterwards, we hit Subway to pee and to eat, and let me just tell you, freedom tastes like ice cold cherry coke. No lie.
Took off for Spokane at 10:15, dropped the kids off at the in-laws, then b4dawn5 and I were on our way. Made good time and got to Spokane. Drove around and found the venue and was a dork when I saw the DBT bus. Got out, took a picture.
I mentioned I was a dork.
Went to the hotel and got ready then went and sat in the "Alter Knit" lounge of the Knitting Factory and so got in first. Sat for a bit, where a guy was asking around for $6. If he got $6, another guy was going to match him so he could get a new hat, since his current one was thrashed. Sadly, had no cash. Bought T-shirt (Cooley's stroker ace shirt) and chatted with Craig, the merch guy. Told him we'd see him in Vancouver tomorrow. Venue was "The Knitting Factory", 1000 capacity venue. Really nice place. Stage was chest high, and I was roughly in front of Shonna's mike.
Stood up front for "The Dead Confederates", Zepplin-esque band from Athens, GA. They were pretty good, b4dawn5 really liked them. Chatted with some people around - most seemed to be from Montana, and were amused that it took us 5 hours to drive across Washington, but them only 3 and they hit three separate states. Oh, geography. Got someone's email and need to send her copies of the pictures I took.
And then. THEN, you guys, it was time for my first goddamn rock show.
Spokane set list
Heathens (OMG, they *love* me)
Women Without Whiskey
The Righteous Path
Checkout Time in Vegas
Goode's Field Road
The Company I Keep
Marry Me
The Man I Shot
Bob
Lookout Mountain
I'm Sorry, Huston
Sink Hole
A Ghost to Most
Ronnie and Neil
Hell No, I Ain't Happy
3 Dimes Down
Home Field Advantage
Encore:
Let There Be Rock
(Cooley song - his mike and Shonna's kind of sucked, so I honestly couldn't hear/tell what song it was, even without earplugs, but it contained a lyric including the words "six months")
Zip City
(A story about Chester, Momma and the tabloids)
Eighteen Wheels of Love
Shup Up & Get on the Plane
Angels and Fuselage
Right around the end of the actual set, my camera card was full, and so I missed photos of Mike Cooley smoking and Shonna shaking her (very fine) ass. During the show, whenever Cooley would come to the front of the stage, he was pretty much right above me, so I looked up into his crotch a lot. You'll notice please that this is not me complaining in the slightest. During the wait for the encore, some very drunk guy tried to get up to the front, telling the girl next to me to move away from her wife (that'd be me, apparently), since we were obviously a few choice expletives since we were standing next to each other. The only bummer of an otherwise pretty amazing fucking show in which Patterson Hood dripped sweat on me.
My comments after were pretty much "Goddamn" and "I spent the night in Mike Cooley's crotch". Oh, if ONLY I'd known.
**
The next day we drive back from Spokane (roughly a five hour trip) and made super good time, during which b4dawn5 decided she was going to head to the Vancouver show with us if there were tickets available. inlovewithnight tried to check online, but I couldn't remember my password, so we had to wait until we got home. None through the DBT website, but we called the Biltmore Cabaret and they said they'd have tickets at the door. Offloaded all the pictures from the camera and emailed a few around to friends, mostly to show of Mike Cooley's crotch. Then, when aigooshesays got there, we headed north.
Let me preface this next part by informing you all that Canada VEXES me. Every time I go there, crazy things happen. 15 minute wait at the border, during which the border guard asked us our life history - how did we know each other (worked together, friends), where were we going (to a concert), who's playing (Drive By Truckers), where (Biltmore Cabaret), how did we hear about the venue (band's website). I'm surprised she didn't ask us our bra size, blood type and to name five songs by the band in alphabetical order.
After that, we realized that I sort of forgot to print directions to the hotel from my house, but we managed to wing it and find it. Checked in and got ready and headed to the venue. Amusingly the venue is right underneath a hotel. Heee. Anyway, got there early and were first in line. Chatted with a few others, and ran into Craig, merch guy. Asked him how their trip from Spokane was, mentioned I was at the show. We chatted and he asked me why I didn't go to the Seattle shows in February (short answer - I didn't know the band then, long answers - I'm an idiot). He talked about knowing the band since forever, and how he used to manage the 40 Watt. I mentioned that quicknow was supposed to be there with me from the east coast, but there was an accident, so he told me to come by the merch booth and he'd give me a little something for her (so, quicknow, I have something for you).
The Biltmore Cabaret is a 300 person venue that's underneath a parking structure, so it's small and dark and acoustically pretty fucking awesome. Went in and got in front of the stage next to this black box with a giant cat-thing on it. I don't know, but it served as a place to put our stuff and lean against. Eventually Leeroy Stagger came out and did five songs as the opening act and then the band came out to play. Of course, before they hit the stage, they clustered around the men's room and passed the JD around, giving Patterson time to hump Cooley's leg. God, best OTP ever, you guys.
Vancouver BC set list
Marry Me
The Man I Shot
Self Destructive Zones
The Company I Keep (Wherein Patterson gets by on Cooley's gooooooooooooooooooood looks)
Panties in Your Purse (During which minervacat got a completely incomprehensible phone call at what was, for her, like 2AM)
The Righteous Path
Sink Hole
A Ghost to Most
My Sweet Annette (oh, boys! You DO love me)
Checkout Time in Vegas
Living Bubba
Carl Perkin's Cadillac
Bulldozers and Dirt
When Henry Drinks
Women Without Whiskey
Putting People on the Moon
Encore:
I'm Sorry, Huston
3 Dimes Down
Let There Be Rock
People Who Died
During the show, right before "Bulldozers and Dirt", Shonna left the stage to go to the bathroom. The closest was the men's room, so she went in there, and you should have seen the rush of guys who suddenly had to go to the bathroom.
Okay, so you know how I said I was in Mike Cooley's crotch all night the night before. Well, every solo Cooley played, he came to the front of the stage, which was right in front of me, so his guitar/crotch was *right* at eye level about two inches from my face. I spent half the time staring at his hands/the guitar (omg) and the other half staring at his face (omg) and every bit right after swooning. Fucking SWOONING, you guys. Jesus. Now, I'd like to think they maybe recognized me from Spokane (same type shirt, same hair and glasses, same camera - no flash!) but who knows. Let me just say that Mike Cooley's grin is a wicked wicked thing. Also, Patterson is the cutest dorkiest thing I've ever seen. I kind of love him. And dudes, the LOOKS he gives Cooley. It's just insane.
Shonna was super animated and so damn cute. She's the tiniest thing playing a big ass mean bass and she's just fucking adorable. She was playing the crowd. They all were, and it was just insanely amazing. minervacat told me Patterson loves him the crowd and they love him back, but dudes. DUDES. I've never been through anything like this. It was like a religious experience.
That gets even better.
Because the last song they played - "People Who Died", Patterson is climbing up on the stage and hanging from pipes in the ceiling and Mike Cooley puts his foot on one side of me on the box and the other on the stage so he's IN my face and he's gesturing at all the girls on the other side of the box and then THEN he pretty much rests his guitar on my breasts and plays two fucking centimeters from my face and I don't think I breathed through the entire song. I mean. YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS.
I just...fuck. I don't even know. After the show, I called quicknow and thanked her profusely for giving me the Truckers. I thanked b4dawn5 and aigooshesays for going with me, and you can bet your ass, when quicknow manages to make it to Washington, I'm going to just give her the biggest hug and owe her for the rest of my life.
You guys. BEST FUCKING TIME OF MY LIFE.
Goddamn.
Of course, then we had to come home. It's 10 miles from the hotel to the border. We went 9 miles in about 5 minutes, and then spent 4 1/2 hours in line waiting to go that last mile to cross the border. Afterwards, we hit Subway to pee and to eat, and let me just tell you, freedom tastes like ice cold cherry coke. No lie.