Didn't I Didn't I Didn't I See You Cry?

I want everyone in Dallas/Ft. Worth to drive to the corner of Preston and Campbell and shop at my friend Michael's store, The Rock Stop. They have the largest selection of KISS memorabilia in Texas, as well as Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and a bunch of other stuff. Michael is a God and deserves to be rich from everyone buying his stuff.

Why? It's all because of him that I got to see Cheap Trick last night. He gave us the 411 on all of the details, and when we arrived last night lacking a substantial amount of the Marlboro miles, he grabbed a friend of his with extras, and the friend gave us as many as we needed. For free! Some jerk in a silk Beatles Anthology print button down shirt (sounds nice, doesn't it? oh, it was, it was!) tried to sell us some, which I guess is a smart thing to do, but someone nicer came along and the situation was resolved for the most part. Amanda was still too young to get in, as the club was 21+, but there were big windows beside the stage and the sound was clear out on the sidewalk, so she was fine. Me, on the other hand, I got to stand amidst a gaggle of 45 year old men air guitarring and spilling beer all over me, but I was a foot away from Tom Petersson, so nothing bothered me.

Tom Petersson! My, how he has changed. He went from cute Swedish wonderboy with long black curly hair in the beginning to a mid-career Marky Ramone look (yes, beautiful) and now he's what could best be described as Peter Holmstrom's rock and roll dad.

I was giddy from the moment I entered and was told that there was a free buffet in the courtyard at the back of the club. I went out there and there was barbecue, pizza, grilled corn, salads, and cookies. FREE! Hook-up! Water was free at the bar too, which was right within my budget. Cheap Trick and dinner, for the price of ... nothing! Can you top that? I stood with Johnny Christ through most of the show. It seemed odd to have him in the crowd, considering how much he likes his gay boy music. I tried to teach him how to have more testosterone, but the closest he got was screaming "take it off!". I guess he needs to stick with Depeche Mode.

The guy that gave us the Marlboro Miles also gave me one of the coolest pieces of promotion I've ever seen - it's a piece of plastic you put on your glass that says "Gone to Pee, Leave my drink alone, compliments of Cheap Trick". Tres cool.

I got a couple of things signed before I left. I normally hate getting autographs, but Cheap Trick are definite exceptions to the rule.

My take on each member:

• Robin Zander - Looks like my old roommate Vicki except with stubble, which scared the living hell out of me. He is a slimy old man with a bad sense of fashion. (Stage attire: white iridescent snakeskin button down silk shirt, white workpants, white reeboks with stripes = BAD!) But his voice makes Corn Mo look like a mere pauper whining for change.
  
• Rick Nielsen - Stop making goofy faces in between guitar solos. Stop acting like a storyteller when you play a every single different note, Rick Nielsen. He has a NASTY goatee (think along the lines of Lit - braided and long with a price tag hanging from the bottom) and is also lacking in taste of attire (black suit, t-shirt, and FILAS). Worst of all, his cup o' pics also had water at the bottom, and when he threw it to the crowd, the pics went all around me to my neighbors and the water landed straight on me. Bastard. No, never mind, worst of all, he's a jerk when he signs autographs. He wouldn't get near his fans and was acting like a bratty primadonna. You are old and ugly! Be happy people even want to SEE you! Regardless of this, he's still an amazing guitarist and although I (now) hate him, I love his work.
  
• Bun E. Carlos - He rules. He is nice. He looks really old. He plays the drums a lot better than just about anyone I've seen.
  
• Tom Petersson - He dressed cool (black short sleeved turtleneck, shiny striped trousers neatly pressed, doc marten sandals) and had good hair. He has a pretty singing voice. He has a cute smile, as long as you can ignore the gold tooth. He is gentle and sweet and a perfect older guy to have a baby crush on. /end gush.

A couple of people inside made the comment to me that I was too young to understand Cheap Trick. I scoff at the comment. Yes, I was the youngest person in the room, but the fact I was too young for them the first time around is no excuse to miss them now. I love overindulgent 70s rock more than just about anything. Waiting for the show, I got my fix of Grand Funk Railroad and ELO on the PA system, and it felt like I had gone to heaven. Some kids were raised on the Beatles, some were raised on the Stones, but as for me, I thank my mother for being so young when she had me to bring me up listening to Boston, ELO, and the rest. I salute you Mom!

No plans for the weekend as of yet. I would love to see the Lo-Fidelity Allstars, but I'm completely broke. So that's kind of out of the question. I'm sure something will come up. Erin is going to Colorado, Katie is having a birthday, and Amanda's getting ready to go to Los Angeles to see the Black Halos. I hope she doesn't die. LA scares me.

I have to finish writing my article for Excellent now, so keep on keepin' on.