Let the summer of music begin!

I promised a post on the happenings of last weekend. What better time than now to blog it out!



So, it all started up with Friday's trip to lovely Aragon Ballroom in Chicago to check out Death Cab for Cutie. This would be the first time the better half and I could see them for a full show. We did see them last year at a short set private event that was outstanding, as chronicled here. The place was sold out but we were able to get a spot with a decent view and saw a nice show. The lead singer was very energetic and they sounded great, although they only played about 90 minutes or so. Highlights included a bass-thumping extended version of I Will Possess Your Heart and a moving I Will Follow You Into the Dark. Lowlights included "that guy" and his special lady friend who spent the entire show cool-kidding it with their iPhones. Really? You had to go to a concert for that? Money well-spent my friend!

The next day was opening day of the soccer season, with a game bright and early at 9 am. The weather could not have been better, probably in the 60s at that early hour. Definitely better than last year's freeze fest in the galing winds. And the 5 year olds are a little further along that the 4 year olds from last year, although we still had a few tears and kids clinging to mom or dad. Must have been the hockey mask I was wearing. Tomorrow promises even better weather, what a good workout.

After soccer, we had a brief respite at home before embarking on another soccer adventure for kid #1. These were the first graders and they got annihilated. But it was a lot of running and more good exercise for me chasing them around. After the game, we headed over to C's 1st bday party, arriving a fashionable hour plus late. Happy bday bro, keep throwing that frosting on mom and dad. Directly after that, I packed up the monkeys and headed for home while the better half headed back to Chicago to House of Blues to check out Rocco DeLuca and the Burden. Apparently the crowd wasn't that great but the music was. Rocco is an artist on Jack Bauer's, pardon me, Kiefer Sutherland's record label and according to JTB the boy can shred the six string.

While that was going on, it was decided that hosting a sleepover with a few of the kids and a poker extravaganza with several of the fellas was a good idea. So we played until about 3 in the morning or so while the kids passed out from too much booze by 11 or so. Unfortunately, I got the unenviable task of getting up with all the rascals at 6:30 (the kids, not the poker players). After a long morning of fighting over Wii controllers, we packed up and headed to #2's 5th bday party at the neighborhood civic center. It was a lot of fun and included lots of gymnastics, rope climbing and riding down a hill in a padded barrel, and I'm not even making any of that up. We wrapped up by jacking the kids full of sugar with cake and fruit punch and a spirited game of duck duck goose.

Afterwards I grabbed a snooze and finished up my paper that I turned in on Monday night. Then dinner for #2's bday and followed that up with my trip out to Cali, complete with a lovely 4 hour delay on the return trip, sweet! And with that, here I sit, ready to start it all over again with soccer tomorrow and more homework. Greatly looking forward to next week's trip to see Flight of The Conchords and other upcoming shows I'll be sure to chronicle at some future date.

Other music notes - songs the better half and I are glued on right now include Pale Bride from Von Bondies (just missed their show a couple weeks back because of class!), Wolf Like Me by TV On the Radio although the whole fam agrees Scott Lucas' cover is better, the new Silversun Pickups CD, and Carolina Liar's I'm Not Over. And, oh yeah, I'm so freaking sick of U2, can you say overexposed? Sheesh.

Song lyric of the day "Wasn't all that great/back in the summer of boats" Local H

Until next time.

Ace