Bug bite weekend

I survived a weekend in the wild. Though I felt like I was the main entrée at a mosquito buffet, I had a great time. The perfect cure for work. I just hope I can ignore the bites on my legs and not spend the day scratching at them.

One thing I have always liked about living in Milwaukee is that is doesn’t take much time to get away to the country. You can drive roughly 30 minutes in any direction and be out of the city and most of it suburbs into wide fields and farm lands. An hours drive to a campground where you can unplug from life and soak in what nature has to offer.

By you do need to get there first. Sadly, that means you need to deal with the morons on the highways who do not understand how to drive in a two lane highways in Wisconsin. These chuckleheads cannot grasp the concept of a driving lane and a passing lane. The right lane is a driving lane. You should stay in it unless you need to get by a slower car. Then you move into the left lane- the passing lane- to pass the other car. The left lane is not meant for you to cruise the speed limit and force cars to slow down or pass you on the right. Simple rule of thumb people:

If you are being passed on the right side of your car, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE!!!

Do they not teach this anymore in school? I remember being taught this simple fact. Slower traffic keep right. There used to signs on the highway stating that as well but I don’t see them much anymore. It can really piss me off to see some person tooling along in the left lane oblivious to the traffic that is stacking up behind them. I guess I shouldn’t zip around them like I do. I should make a sign I can hold up but then I would seem like the crazy one.

I think that is what makes the beer taste even better when you finally get to the campsite and get everything set up. The dipshits on the road are forgotten and the company of good people takes over. Throw some logs on the fire and settle in to a relaxing weekend.

Unfortunately the weekend doesn’t last forever though and you need to pack up and return to the real world. Our group usually takes their time. People wake up on congregate around the fire on their own accord. When the time feels right Ben will start his packing of his truck which then leads to a quick breakfast before the real tear down begins. We aren’t necessarily on a rush to get back to the city but apparently others are. At some point I need to take a walk to the restrooms that have running water to clean up my contacts. I am always amazed at how many people have already left. The sites that were packed just 12 hours ago are empty by 10 am. To each their own I guess. I just hope they are the ones that I will be stuck behind on the highway.

Getaway

I swear my cat knows more about what I am doing that I do. He knew I was going to be gone for a couple days and voiced his displeasure. He also decided to go the projectile vomit route to prove his point.

Really. Projectile vomiting.

I didn't see him do it but heard it. It was just after I gave him some fresh water and food. I heard the puking noise but noticed it was slightly different. Instead of a "Bleaaaaa and splat" it was a "Bleaaaaa and splash". It looked like he urped up a belly full of water.

Of course he wasn't done. He kept whining until I left. I feel sorry for him now. I mean, who doesn't miss me when I am gone? I think of what my friends and co-workers must go through when I am not around. Don't worry kids, you will get you fill of me this weekend.

It is a camping weekend which meant yesterday was a trip to the store to get my provisions. I had my list ready. Cheese...check. Lettuce...check. I really thought they were kidding when they said you could buy shredded lettuce in a bag. I figured I would save the money by chopping up a head myself but the bag was more convenient. Texas Toast...check. Holy crap! $3.29 for a loaf of big bread???

Once I got done with foodstuff I began the real shopping. In the liquor store. I wanted something different to take along. It is supposed to be a warm one this weekend so I opted for something light. Some Mike's Hard Lemonade sounded good so I grabbed a variation of it. I also got a sixer of Sam Adam's Summer Ale. Good stuff to drink after my arrival. I also got my mass produced brew. Looks like I will be living the High Life this weekend. To make sure I was different I also got cans. Actually that was more out of practicality as I needed room in the cooler.

Weather may suck today with some rain but the rest of the weekend should be quite nice. Forecast is for little to no mosquitoes for tonight but those bastards may be out in force tomorrow. Looks like I will have to bring my dodging shoes along.

Go rock on with your bad selfs this weekend!

Who would have known

I learned something new today. The Milwaukee Wave, the professional indoor soccer team that calls the city home, is going to fold. I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't read about it in the newspaper. Seems like next Wednesday is the do or die date for the franchise.

This is kinda sad. The Wave has been pretty successful winning a couple titles in their history. The players go out and serve the community. They do what they can to get people to come to games.

But people don't go. I may sound like an ass but it doesn't appear to be a viable business model. If they can sell 2000 season tickets they can stay afloat to play in the National Indoor Soccer League and battle the 4 other teams in an 18 game season. Yep, you read that correctly. 4 other teams. So there really isn't a market out there for the product.

Sometimes you just have to let go. People need to learn that failure happens and in this case, no one wants to go watch indoor soccer. If they did there would be more than 5 teams in a league.

I wish them all the luck but won't shed a tear. Some may say the kids will miss out but I think those 5 kids will find something else to do. Maybe they should toughen up and try football.

Man I wish it was Friday. Don't feel like working. It must show as I just wrote about soccer. Must fake it through the next 3 hours.

Last Summerfest thoughts

Beef jerky returns on the 4th of July. People were saddened that they couldn't watch Sasquatch videos or get their steak bites earlier in the week.
The aftermath of a Judas Priest show. Good stuff.
Speaking of good stuff, stop staring at the cleavage and focus on the food. No, not the melons, the lasagna sticks. These may look funny at first but they were fantastic! Would definately get them again.
What is with the vagina shaped urinal? This one perplexed me at first. I even avoided it not knowing how the hell one would use it. Then I read the little plate above it. It is a waterless urinal. Really. No flusher attached. Somehow you pee in it and it all goes away. Funny story that I swear is true. I was taking a piss a couple spots away when two college aged guys walk up to use one of these. Guy is doing his business before he exclaims "Wow, water is cold. Pretty deep though!" Idiot has no idea of the waterless concept.
These people irked Gambino. They are playing gin rummy or some other card game. She did not think it appropriate to play cards at Summerfest. I can understand if you are there to see the main act and want to kill 10 hours, but if that is the case, why aren't you securing a seat up front? So glad I don't do anything like sit around for 10 hours waiting for music anymore.
Beers come in six packs. 'Nuff said
Really, this must be a joke or a bet. No one would intentionally go out in public with these sunglasses. Really?

Fits

Blogger is giving me fits today. Won’t load properly or give me ability to link or font or add pics. I am not sure why this happens. I could be the laptop I am using or it could be universal. Any which way you get a unspectacular post because of it.

I am sure I am something brilliant to say earlier with links to all kinds of cool stuff. But because I am not able to add stuff in I can’t give you the entire experience you would like. I could take appointments for the ladies but that may cost you some money.

The big story in Milwaukee was the bacon fire down to the south in Cudahy. The Patrick Cudahy plant was up in flames for a good 20 hours. All kinds of fire departments were called in to assist in the fight. People were evacuated from homes and are told to not use much water today as the system is low. I believe they say 1300 people are currently without a job until they figure out what to do.

Personally I was disappointed. I think I am roughly 10 miles from the plant. I fully expected to come home to the sweet smell of bacon wafting through the air. Instead I smelled Lake Michigan. There isn’t anything sweet about Lake Michigan air. Sometimes it smells like ass. I wonder why?

Hopefully I can upload some pics from Summerfest tonight. Maybe Blogger will cooperate with me then. Until then I wonder if the video of pervert Michael Jackson's ghost will haunt any one?

Back to the grind

I cried a bit last night. When it came time to go to bed and actually turn the alarm on, I cried knowing my vacation was over. No sleeping in. No drinking all night. Responsibility was back. I couldn't tell if my cat was smirking at me for having to go to work or if he was sad I wasn't going to be around to pet him most of the day.

I hadn't even made it halfway through the day when my ass started dragging. I was down. I may have to check for splinters when I get home. Thankfully a couple of conference calls allowed me to zone out and semi sleep.

I guess it is a bit of detox. I had basically been drinking since last Wednesday. Every day, drinking beer and help prop the bottom line for a couple local breweries.

I slogged through the emails and pushed through all the interoffice envelopes. I was stunned there were no voice mails. People actually listened to the message and didn't leave any requests to call them back? Miracle!

I just need to find something to get me through the day. There is a bar across the street. Maybe I can set up a meeting on my calendar and call it an early one...

Rock Hard, Ride Free

It is not often that you get to see true legends of heavy meal play live. Its not often when the main players are on stage- not a replacement singer or guitarist but the original members- playing the music you remember from your youth. Even rarer when they dedicate the show to playing music off what some call one of the best heavy metal records ever made.

But there they were, Judas Priest, on the Harley Roadhouse playing to a huge crowd, cranking out songs from an album first released in 1980, British Steel. From the opening songs of Grinder and Metal Gods to the closer You've Got Another Thing Coming, Judas Priest had the crowd eating out of their hands. Anthems like Living After Midnight and Rock Hard, Ride Free pumped the crowd into a frenzy as the guitars crunched out the heavy notes that would leave ears ringing the next day.

I am not a die hard Priest fan. I am a fan but I couldn't name you all of the songs off the British Steel album. I knew a handful of the songs but was only acquainted with some others. But it didn't matter. The band was cranking on all cylinders, pumping out riffs that made your body move to the music. You didn't need to know the words. Either the pounding of the drums or the shredding of KK Downing's guitar kept your head banging to the music.

Rob Halford also did not disappoint me. Playing a venue that features a stage sponsored by Harley Davidson, I would have been let down if he hadn't ridden a bike out on stage as some point. But the roar of the bike went up from backstage and soon he was rolling out to the center as they slammed into Freewheel Burning.

The show wasn't perfect. The band went on stage 20 minutes left and played just under an hour and a half. Like most great show you wanted more. I was hoping to hear Painkiller or Hell Bent for Leather. But I still left feeling like I got exactly what I wanted. A night of great music played by the Metal Gods.

The local cover metal band Cherry Pie opened for Judas Priest. Though the lead singer either had mic problems or just sounded like crap, the band played a slightly heavier set than they normally do. They actually played some Metallica instead of teasing guitar riffs. Makes me wonder if they have a "safe" set list for the church festivals.

What a Stroke

Sometime you go to concerts with a good idea of what to expect. Others you have no clue but hope the artist can deliver a good show. Expectations aren't necessarily high but you expect something good. If they can't deliver good then it may be a waste of time. I would even go far enough to call this a scale of how to rate a show:

Sucked- Band played a bunch of songs you didn't know and/or they simply sounded terrible. I have been to more than one Dokken show that fell into this category.
OK- They played the songs you expected but the band didn't look interested or really didn't do anything. They lack energy. No theatrics whatsoever. You won't bother to see this band again.
Good- Just slightly better than OK. You leave the show satisfied with a better attitude than OK. You would go see the band again.
Very Good- They came out and did it all. Played the songs, played the crowd, played well. You wake up the next day thinking about the concert. You tell people they should have see this show.
Fuckin' Awesome!- Memorable, something special. One that causes envy in your friends.

Again, every show should at the very least be good. OK is a disappointment. And while rare, fuckin awesome! is good to see.

Unfortunately for me, I saw an OK show last night. Seeing Billy Squier play some guitar and rock out sounded like a great idea. On paper, it looks good. But in reality, it was just ok.

Squier played his hits. Started with Lonely is the Night. Would play his hits ending the show with the Stroke which led to a pathetic beg for an encore. Would end the show with Everybody Wants You that felt like pulling teeth. Even though they ended up playing for about an hour and 20 minutes, it felt longer which wasn't a good thing. The show plodded along.

The band was good. They did their part but they lacked energy. Even Squier didn't move around too much. They were on the edge of boring up there.

And what the heck was with the light thingy in the back of the stage? It was a lame wall of lights that didn't really make any sense. It led to some cheap karaoke during Rock Me Tonight and said Stroke during that song but otherwise was a mish mosh of colors going on and off. Was it supposed to be synched to the music? If so, they need to get their money back. Seriously Billy, you couldn't afford a LCD screen? For your sake, I hope that is actually a fixture on the stage and something you are not touring with.

The show was a big disappointment. So much that it made my friend puke when it was over. Ok, it was later determined to be a rogue nut she ate. I still think Billy Squier had a hand in it.

Update:
One thing I forgot the Jo mentions in the comments. A show cannot be good when the opening band puts on a better concert that you do. Billy Squier was outshone by a band from Chicago called Dot Dot Dot. For lack of a better term, I called them a glorified festival band, which sounds unfair but it is not. Dot Dot Dot put on a good show covering a wide range of bands. I don't recall them playing any of their own music which is rare for any act at the Rock Stage. Dot Dot Dot had the energy that most local bands lack. They had stage presence. They had talent. They had a hot chick with a tight body playing bass.

I will give credit to any band that can go from playing Black Sabbath to Neil Diamond. Yes, they played some War Pigs and did it some justice. And with a lead singer that could- and did- play every instrument on stage as others sang, this is a band that I know other groups in Milwaukee could learn from.

If Dot Dot Dot comes back to Summerfest next year, they sure won't be playing the Rock Stage. They will get a nice prime weekend afternoon spot at the Miller Stage. That is where they should be playing and that is where they would be a huge hit.

My nothing vacation

It is extremely rare I take a vacation with nothing planned. I like to have an idea of what I am going to be doing with my time. It doesn't need to have every hour on a schedule. I just need to be doing something. Laying around the house waiting for something to happen is not my idea of a good time.

So with a week off and no where to go I had to find something to do. I made a bit of a checklist of things to get done during the day. If I wanted to trek off to Summerfest at night is was easily doable. So in no particular order, here is what I am planning to get done this week. Or at least make some kind of effort:

Mow the lawn
Clear out last of crap in spare bedroom
Flip mattress
Change light in garage
Paint bathroom (if I am feeling really ambitious)
Clear out some brush in backyard
Read a book. Or two. Just about finished with Check Raising the Devil. Have a couple Harlan Coben books to digest.

I have a couple things done on the first day. Hey, any monkey can flip a mattress or change a light bulb. That reminds me, I must pick up some bananas.

You want the best, you got the best...KISS!

One part of a concert I enjoy is the song a band will play when they dim the lights to signal the show is about to start. For years, Motley Crue would play Frank Zappa's Crew Slut to show they were coming out. Warrant would play Queen's We Will Rock You. Other bands would have parts of a long intro instrumental play. I hadn't seen Kiss play live in maybe 15 years so I was interested to see how they would start.

The first clue was the guys on the side of the stage. I pointed them out to my friend and joked "the Kiss Army" is ready to jump into action. The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again was playing in the amphitheater. The crowd was beginning to buzz as the Townsend guitar riffs filled the summer sky. As Roger Daltrey belts out the lyrics "we won't get fooled again!" a black curtain with a glimmering KISS logo drops down, hiding the stage from the crowd. The lights go off and the anticipation builds as the Who plays on. A couple minutes later, with a final Daltrey scream "YEAHHHHH!!!!!", flames blast behind the curtain, lighting up the stage. The drapery is dropped as the band takes the stage. It is time for one of the most unique shows you will ever see.

KISS.

KISS concerts are unique. There is nothing else like them in the world. Some would say it is hyperbole but it isn't. A KISS show is not like a Metallica show. Not like seeing Iron Maiden. Not like seeing a spinning drum in Motley Crue. KISS is the originators of metal theatrics. It isn't about the music as it is putting on a show. It is the makeup, the instruments, the strutting. It is about not being Gene Simmons but being the Demon. It is about a now fake Ace shooting fireworks out of a guitar. It is the risers. It is the blowing fire, the spitting blood, the flying to the top of the rafters. It is a show unlike what you can believe.

It appears a lot of people did not understand what was going on. I heard some rumbling on the bus that people were disappointed with the concert. I read the review JSOnline gave them as well. Though not a bad review, the guy missed the point of the show. So does onmilwaukee.com. The show is a reproduction of the Alive album. Celebrating 35 years since it came out. These guys are supposed to be journalists and they can even research this? Didn't the Alive 35 concert shirts give it away? I knew this coming in and I am nothing but a blogger.

Here is the setlist. They actually stuck very close to the Alive show.
Deuce
Strutter
Got to Choose
Hotter than Hell
Nothin to Lose
Come on and Love Me
Parasite
She
Watchin You
100,000 years
Black Diamond
Cold Gin
Rock and Roll All Nite
Let me Go, Rock n Roll
Lick it Up
I Love it Loud
Detroit Rock City

My voice recorder got garbled up so I am not sure exactly what was played after the finished the original Alive concert. The noise level was too much for the iPhone to handle.

We did get to see the fake Ace fire shots out of the guitar. I think that was before She. A good drum solo was done just before 100,000 years. Could the fake Peter Criss have more cymbals on the drum kit? There looked to be at least 20 of them. Holy Christ! Finally, Gene Simmons blew his fire at the end of Hotter than Hell. He waited until I Love it Loud to go into full demon mode and spit blood all over the place. He then sang the song from the top of the lighting rig, having "flown" up. I wonder if Simmons was feeling good this night. His makeup was ragged compared to the others like he was sweating more than the others. I swear he puked on stage early in the show and was spitting as the show went on. If he was ill, he held it together like a pro and played on.

I left this experience happier than a pig in shit. It was all a KISS show promises to be. Only downside was not having the original KISS sign on the back of the stage. It was replaced by a big LCD screen that did have problems during the show. But seeing Alive come back to life after 35 years was a treat. Sorry if you came to hear Heavens on Fire or Crazy Nights. You should have bought a clue.

What is he doing to that poor dog?