Concerts

Tonight, I'm proud to say (yes...proud) that I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac at MSG. This will be a great event for me, not so much because it's Fleetwood Mac, even though they're a phenomenal band, but because it gives me a chance to watch a very select group of people perform for thousands of other not-so-select people and allows me a chance to reflect on the wrong choices I made in my career. Music is an integral part of my life, it has moved me from a very young age, especially bands from the "classic" genre. But you see, I'm sitting here writing a blog at my sorry and pathetic administrative job, and Lyndsey Buckingham is 4 hours from going on stage and making his guitar squeal like a stuck pig in one of the most notorious venues in the world.

When I see that kind of thing, I immediately regret my decision to go to college. I should have stayed in my garage and mastered a musical instrument, formed a band, and then hit the road telling everything and anything else to piss off. Truthfully I had this desire at some point, but it came at around age 20.....it's hard to get good at a musical instrument when you start that late. As they say, it's much easier to learn music and languages (which is essentially what music is) at a younger age. Nonetheless, I formed a band in college called Zero Gravity, we practiced and practiced and had the fortunate success of opening for my dick at my buddy's backyard in front of 9 people. When the adrenalin wore off, we played for a solid hour and a half and much to our surprise apparently Zero Gravity was able to garner zero appreciation and a musical career that equaled zero. But it was worth every minute of it!

Now if you're sitting there thinking that I secretly wish I would have become a rock star....let me just say, there's no secret about it. I think it's just about the best career one could have, assuming you don't end up main-lining Jack Daniel's into your neck to get high. Then again...don't knock it....etc. So when I go to see a concert of one of my favorite bands, it's a love/hate relationship. I love the experience and yet hate those bastards for succeeding when I'm stuck here blogging about Ronnie James Dio knocking heads off at the Beacon Theater some time ago. Don't misunderstand me please, I'm not bitter. I just want to share the stage with Eddie Van Halen and pretend I can sing like David Coverdale. I'm the kind of guy who upon hearing a great rock song, would play air drums in front of my girlfriend's family at Thanksgiving dinner (first time meeting them) with my knife and fork and possibly attempt a drumstick twirl only to have it end up flying into her grandma's eye! Of course I'd feel terrible that it happened, but I will NOT apologize for "feelin' it".

And so hear I sit at the end of my work day anxiously awaiting to see 4-5 people doing what I wished I was doing for a living. Hell, not even for a living, just for a chance to redeem my sad performance in that friggin' backyard.

Off to the concert I go.