PSB-MSP

My friends and I saw Pet Shop Boys this weekend. I carpooled with long-time friends Adam and Matt who also had tickets. Unfortunately, Adam's wife Heather had fallen ill - which was too bad, as she was really excited about going and had bought my extra ticket. Dinner at Solera before the concert was a bit pricey but definitely delicious!

The concert itself was absolutely fabulous (pun intended)! Neil and Chris have been doing this for 20+ years and it definitely shows. The stage set was minimal (again, pun intended) with nothing but a chaise lounge and three fabric-covered electronically outfitted white cubes. The cubes were used for everything from video projection, stage lighting, and platforms for silhouetted dancers. Later on, cutouts of their heads were brought out along with a big sparkly gold hat.

Songs from their newest release, Fundamental, were included as well as several classic hits from days gone by - my personal favorite being "It's a sin." A nice, yet sullen, touch was a wonderful performance of "Dreaming of the Queen" where the funeral procession of Princess Diana was shown.

One of the neatest features of the concert was the inclusion of an intermission! That's right, at a pop music concert. It was either PSB being clever (the concert was at the Orpheum) or just being cheeky as usual. During the intermission I bought myself a drink from the bar and met up with Jason and Anneka to finish out the show.

Sometimes I Wonder...

Okay, so I grew up in southwest Wisconsin. I used to use Platteville as a reference point, as it's one of the bigger towns from my area - but I can't do that anymore:

Sheriff candidate changes his name to Andy Griffith

Maybe someone should change their name to Gomer Pyle and run down the street, shouting "Citizen's Arrest! Citizen's ARREST!!!"

Eat "Old School!"

Dinner at Nye's last night was like stepping back about 30 years. It's just like an old supper club - except this one has pizazz with sparkly gold vinyl booths, a Chopin Room, a Karaoke Corner and a Polka Room! We went with our friends Heather and Adam, who suggested it after I made a failed attempt at getting an early table at The Melting Pot.

Enough blabbering, Elizabeth has more details! =)

"And this one time, in Marching Band..."

As a veteran of an old-school marching band, I have fond memories of Hell Week and welcoming new band geeks with various rituals and traditions. Times have changed a lot since then. Younger generations of college kids are far more sensitive than we were, and apparently the rituals have gotten far more twisted than we ever dared to attempt. I blame reality TV...

At UW-L, we played hard and partied harder - but it was all in the name of having fun. We never forced anyone to do anything they really didn't want to do. Here's yet another opportunity to throw the "we're better than you" card at 'the' UW (Madison):

UW Marching Band On Probation

I know I'm old when the quote "those darn kids" comes to mind!

Guys Night Out

Saturday was "Guys Night Out" - where a few friends and I went to the local watering hole to join in some friendly conversation, laugh at the spectacle of youth and catch up on what's been going on in our busy lives. We had a great time, but came to the following conclusions:

1) The inability of certain youth to contain their alcohol was quite amusing.
2) 80's fashion is making a comeback...and not always in a good way!
3) The bathroom is the best way to rank the quality of the establishment.
4) As we keep getting older, college kids still stay the same age.

And now, back to your normally scheduled programming...

Cereal Killers

Every year in downtown Minneapolis, Malt-O-Meal throws a party for cereal lovers and sells its 'off-brand' varieties for $1 each. This is a big event, and hundreds of people show up to claim their favorites - ranging from Marshmallow Mateys to Cinnamon Toasters. What's even better? Malt-O-Meal matches each purchase with a donation to charity! That's way-cool in my opinion...