Keep on rocking in the free world
I was walking home from Jo’s, taking the four mile way, and I noticed an orange [Monarch?> butterfly, just as it landed on a tiny orange flower. “Man, this will make a great picture!” But as soon as I pulled out the camera, the butterfly was off to another flower, then on to a third. I never even had a chance. I still think the best pictures are {{popup dark2.jpg dark2 480×640}}big bass being held up by their lower lips, right before they go back in the lake. “Catch and release,” or, as I like to think, in honor of Earth Day and all, “Take nothing but pictures and only leave pierced lips.”
Answer some mail, take a siesta, get ready for Bubba and the Chemical Brothers.
I should remember, the song? “Hey boys, hey girls, superstar DJ’s, here we go….”
So Bubba dropped by, we coordinated times, and figured some of those free hamburger coupons were worth a try. Since Shady Acres is close to the River, and since it wasn’t much of a trek, we decided to walk.
It was turning into a Scorpio evening, that’s for sure. The warm-up DJ, according to my sources, was the same guy who opened a few weeks ago for Fat Boy Slim.
Then the Chemical Brother came on stage. I’m old; I’m jaded. I’ve seen it all. I saw the laser light shows back when they were new. I saw a rotating grand piano, during an art rock tour. I’ve never seen anything quite as amazing as the show those two guys put on, the Chemical Brothers.
The first hour and fifteen minutes or so was a montage of images, noise, music, loops, loud music, and dance frenzy. Really blew me away. It was that simple.
Familiar stuff, but there was the added bonus of it being live, and the set didn’t stop at one song, it just kept on flowing, from one tune to the next. The big plus with generating a live sound like that, the “tunes” were slightly modified, even enhanced, from the what gets served up on the CD.
Then there was the light show. The stage had a huge, circular screen that folded back, two satellite video screens flanked the stage, then there was a six screen set-up behind the stage, and best of all, the DJ booth itself, it looked white, but it was a semi-circle projection screen as well.
I’m way too old to become a rave kid. But the music was really moving. The colors, the images that rotated on and off the screens, and the constant use of white strobe lights, in huge banks, set a different tone; something I haven’t seen in a while, if at all.
I am, by no means, an expert about “electronic dance, trance, hip-hop, acid house” fusion. I’ve long since forgotten how to even work a turntable, I’m doing good to hit the “play” button. For about an hour and half, maybe a little longer, I was lost in world of lights, rhythm, pulsating, ambient music that moved.
INCREDIBLE SHOW. I JUST WISH MY EARS WOULD STOP RINGING.
I had one thought, snaking its way into my mind. Remember how the world was full of hope and happiness, long about 1999? The internet was new and cool, fashion was alive and vibrant? Colors and images everywhere? The juxtaposition of one thing with another, just for its shocking effect? And hope, lots of hope. Everything was going to turn out okay? That’s the feeling I got. Pretty good buzz for a straight guy.
