Wild Flippin Weekend part 2

Okay so I ended the last blog with me going to the Merle Haggard concert...
My friends Matt and Tracy had an extra ticket and asked if I would like to join them... I graciously said YES I'd love to go!
Now it was in the Civic Center Theater...We had 7th row center. Unfortunately we got there as soon as the opener came on and we had to climb over 24 people to get to our seats. They were not very accommodating about either standing up or even tucking their feet in. Guess what...of course we stepped all over their shoes. Finally we sit and listen to the opener. Great guy. Intermission to follow. Now let me explain a bit about the crowd. 60% very old people who I am sure were very happy to sit quietly and enjoy the show before their bedtime. 20% Younger crowd who love old school country and were happy to sit and enjoy the show before going out.(We were in this crowd) and then 20% rowdy ass crazy drunk young people who were there for a freakin romp with Merle. Now you can imagine the 1st and 3rd group didn't get along very well. I felt bad for the 2- 24ish yr old men in front of us...They were so excited about seeing Merle...They knew every song and were enjoying the cocktails. They liked to hoot and holler and cheer and stand and clap...all your normal concert going actions...group number 1 DIDN'T like this group much and constantly told them to sit down and shut up and they were ruining their night...blah blah blah! These boys were not doing anything unordinarily bad for a concert...Cheering right after and right before the songs. so it was a bit of Clash of the ages. Regardless...Merle freakin ROCKED. That man is a freakin legend...I highly recommend if you have the chance to see him in concert ...GO!
Okay so onto Monday...
Monday

9:30am Left Peoria and drove to St. Louis
(in car...Jim, Shawn, Cara, Mark and ME)
Shawn had to be at the airport by 1pm for a flight to Phoenix to see his mom. Well we got stuck in bridge traffic right before the river (55). We were slightly late to drop Shawn off but no harm he made his plane. (It was slightly delayed...WHEW!)

2pm Okay so the concert doesn't start until 7pm so we go to Union Station and proceed to waste 4 hours. Mission accomplished very uneventfully.


6pm Drive back over the river into IL to go to POP'S nightclub in Saget IL. Now I Googled the address so we were all set. Turn here ,go here, blah blah ...it should be here! So we are looking at an empty lot in the worst part of town. I know Google always says..."these are only for reference blah blah...check for sure." Well needless to say we got freakin lost in East St. Louis. Thankfully the sun was still up and it wasn't dark yet! We finally get back to the main road and we stop at a Citgo to ask directions. In front of this Citgo is a large Ad billboard for Pop's so Mark says "it has to be this way because you can read the billboard from here" I say "But the other side of the billboard is also an Ad for pop's...so I don't know...I'll go in and ask"
I walk into the gas/food stop and ask the woman behind the counter, "Where is Pop's?" She looks at me strange and says "Pop's?" Yes Pop's...She looks at me even more strange and says, "Right behind us!"
I politely thank her and walk right out. Geesh Pop's is this huge building in plain sight right behind the gas station!

7pm We get our Will call tickets and go in to the show and grab a spot on the balcony. Opening opening band is supposed to be Riverboat Gamblers...they were No Shows cause they got stuck in Vegas...Drat!...so a local band opened and they were ...okay.

Then Rollins Band came on...AWESOME! I love Henry Rollins...he used to front the 80's punk band Black Flag...He has been in a couple of movies and also writes poetry and has a show on IFC. I was very excited to see him touring with his band since he has only been doing spoken word shows for the last couple of years. I was lucky enough to see him more than 10 yrs ago in Tempe and you'll never guess who opened for him? TOOL! He is a freakin god! VERY intense and amazing energy on stage! He played for about an hour and 15 min.

Finally time for the head liner...X! Original Lineup baby!!! eXene, John, Billy and DJ! It was such a great show. I was even tempted to go to Chicago this Sunday to see the show again because it was that good!

To see a band formed in 1977... lived and played hard through the hey day of 80's punk. Break up...do all their own stuff...acting, other music projects, drugs...and be able to get all four members back together almost 30 yrs after forming and tour is just obscene! The fact that they are still alive and talking ot each other!

The lead guitar player and vocals is John Doe...He is more known now for his acting. http://imdb.com/name/nm0230335/
He was, if I remember correctly, married to eXene and I think when they broke up so did X! But they obviously are all friends now because they rocked like it was 1980! I highly recommend if you get a chance to see them you do!

So there is nothing better than 3 concerts in 3 days in 3 different cities! I should be a rock star...(at least I am in my head and that is all that matters!)

Okay so I have recovered from last weekend...so tomorrow I am taking a bus trip up to Madison WI for a ....(nope not a concert)...(nope not a baseball game).... a beerfest!

Can't wait to fill you in on all the drunken stories from that!

Until my next hangover!