Bermuda's Birthday
Well, August 18 is Bermuda's birthday. But, I was only going to the concert on the 17th, so I thought I'd help him celebrate a little early. I guess I went a little overboard, but I JUST LOVE MAKING A FUSS! I got him a shirt with an HTML joke on it in reference to his Webmaster duties. I thought that would be a unique idea. And, I made him and the band a couple platters of chocolate-covered fruit! (Man, I can really be domestic when I want to be!) Anyway, I wasn't really sure if I was actually going to be able to give him my gifts, but I was hopeful! Luckily, Sue had backstage passes and she delivered my gift to Bermuda! THANKS SUE!
I wasn't sure if the fruit would travel well, but luckily it did. I didn't take everything into the concert with me. I left it all in the car. So, I began to fret about how I was going to get the stuff from the car to Sue before she went backstage. So, during Germs, I ran out to the car and got everything and kept it at my seat.
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Before the Concert
I picked up Dan from work and Courtney met us there. Dan knew a little about Weird Al's older songs, but he hadn't heard Running With Scissors. So, I brought all my Al CDs and played them during the 4-hour trip. I have said it before and I'll say it again: I love listening to Weird Al with people who are not familiar with his music. It's like listening through new ears. The line that they found the funniest was the "one dozen starving, crazed weasels" line in Albuquerque! Classic!
We got to the hotel, met Amy, then went off to forage for food and see a really great concert!
My Concert Companions
I was so excited that I not only had 2nd row seats but that I was right in front of my heartthrob, Steve Jay! Woo woo!
I was sitting between a couple of young guys and a Dad and his young son. The Dad heard me talking to Amy, Dan, and Courtney about my previous concerts and asked me how many concerts I had been to. I told them proudly that this was my 10th concert. I had finally reached double-digits! Woo woo! The Dad started bowing and saying, "We're not worthy!" I was flattered, but told him to save all his praise for Weird Al. He laughed. So, now that these guys were my close personal friends, I warned them that I dance my head off at Al's concerts. And, in anticipation of boogying down, I apologized in advance for hitting them in the head with my elbows during the concert. There's a picture of me dancing my head off on the Ocean Downs web page. You can't see my head, but you can see my arms waving in the air!
The Opening Act
The opening act, Patrick O'Donnell (I think), was funny, but a little blue. Usually, Al's opening act is really family friendly. Not that I was complaining, he was really funny with just a little smut thrown in to keep us adults amused. I wonder if the Barney jokes and Forrest Gump imitation were part of his act or if he threw them in there in deference to Al?
The Concert Set Up
I have to explain about the concert set-up. The concert was at a racetrack and the stage was set up on the dirt track. There was a fence between the audience and the stage. It was about chest-high with the top curving inward, like you would see at a prison (there wasn't razor wire on it though). How could Al possibly come out into the audience for One More Minute??? Luckily, Al didn't let us down.....
Even though I was in the second row, I was still about 12 feet or more from the stage. That's a long way away from the stage, I thought. I knew my pictures might come out really badly, but that didn't stop me from taking three rolls of film. One thing I should do is take a photography class and maybe a film management class. I usually take a lot of bad photos and then run out of film! This concert was no exception!
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The Concert
Let me tell you, after seeing three shorter shows at Hershey Park, I was really jonesing to see the full set. And, I mean LIVE. Watching my Weird Al: LIVE! video is fun but it just doesn't cut it, I'm sorry to say. The jones was still there.
Al came out and started with Gump. I thought his high kicks were even higher than usual. A good sign that the concert would be high-energy! I think I scared the kid next to me when I formed the square in the air. He gave me wide berth after that. Hey, he was warned!
It was great so see Jim West on the stage again. Danny Brant was a lot of fun to watch at Hershey Park, but Jim will always be #1 in my heart!
After Gump, Al asked us if we were prepared to polka!?! Was I prepared to polka? I was born prepared! I love this part because of the videos running in the background at high speed to keep up with the polka beat! Of course, I'm singing every single word along the way! Al got his bubble machine fixed, so there were bubbles during Closing Time. Too bad, I didn't mind providing the bubbles at Hershey. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Al? Are you listening????
Then came Jerry Springer. Of course, Al pronounced it all very well. I always do my best to sing along with Al, but this song is a tongue twister and I kept messing up. How does Al do it? Eddie Vedder followed. I love this song because it is the first time Al plays the accordion in the concert. The audience always goes crazy when Al sings, "Let's just see how jealous she'll get when I start stalking Alannis Morrisette!" I wonder how many of them know who Eddie Vedder is?
The Night Santa Went Crazy was next. Al made his usual smart-alec remark about how Christmas is right around the corner. I knew the fake snow was coming, but Dan and Courtney did not. When it started coming down, I looked back to see them laughing their heads off and pointing at the snow. The fake snow is always a crowd pleaser! Unfortunately, due to the prevailing winds, those of us on the right side of the stage didn't get snowed on too much, but it was nice to watch others getting covered.
The next song, Dare To Be Stupid, was one of the songs I really missed at Hershey! This is my all-time favorite Al song! I know every single word and I never get messed up! I did the spitting on a fish and barking up a tree hand gestures and pointed at Jim when Al did! During the "I can't hear you!" part, Al picked up the microphone and pointed and yelled at some person sort of front and center that he couldn't hear him/her. It was at this point that I noticed that I was the only one dancing my head off. Again, I start my broken record ranting: C'mon folks!!!! Why go to a concert and just sit there like you're at home studying or watching TV?!? This is a rock concert for Pete's Sake!
BTW, did you know that if you visit a U.S. nuclear materials production plant, they make you put on a yellow anti-contamination suit? It's true. When I toured a couple of Department of Energy (DOE) facilities for a job I once had, they made me put on this yellow jumpsuit. I felt just like DEVO (minus the swim goggles and red hat)! Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to keep any of the yellow suits. I did ask, but they said NO! The DOE has no sense of humor! If I was allowed to take one home, I would wear it PROUDLY to all of Al's concerts!
Of course, Pentiums is a great song and I love seeing Al in silver lame pants (hee hee hee)! Plus, I love to see Steve dressed as a nerd. He dresses the part but we all know that deep down, he's really too cool to be a nerd! For the first time, I got a little dizzy when the strobe lights were flashing. I wonder what was up with that!?!
I missed most of Germs because I went out to get Bermuda's birthday present from the car. I did notice that I could hear every word very clearly even way out in the parking lot. I sang all the words at the top of my lungs to amuse myself -- I was alone, so nobody got hurt/offended by my singing (as far as I know)! When I returned to my seat, Al was writhing on the stage. Once I sat down, I couldn't see him at all! I bet only the people in the grandstands could see him at that point. Then, he crawled toward the audience. When he got to the edge of the stage, he picked up his cup of water and poured it on his head. Poor thing! I've never seen him do that before! He must have been really hot! The concert was open air and it was pretty humid. I know by the end of the concert I was sweating all over the place, so I can't imagine how Al was feeling!!!!
Of course, the high point of every concert is One More Minute! During the monologue, Al mused that when the tour started, he told his manager that he really wanted to perform on a racetrack and that he was glad that he finally got his wish. That got a great laugh! After that, I saw only the second glitch that I've ever seen in any of Al's concerts. When Al tried to shoot Rubén, the gun was not in his jacket pocket! Mongo quickly ran out and handed the gun to Al! It was a hoot! Rubén saw what was going on and milked his 15 minutes (seconds) for all it was worth! When he was shot, it was a very theatrical death -- slow with a lot of grimacing and arm waving! Go for the Oscar, Rubén!
Amy and I were wondering how Al was going to come out into the audience with that fence between us. True to his professional nature, he didn't let us down! There were two large black equipment containers set up in front of the stage and on the audience's side of the fence. He had to jump off the stage and climb over the fence (was that Al's parody of The Fugitive?), but he managed to make three women VERY happy that night! He draped himself over the last woman and stayed there for a very long time! She kept stroking his back and playing with his hair! She was in heaven, I'm sure! Al stayed with her for so long that he had to rush back to the stage before the song ended. He was still climbing back on stage during the last verse. He wasn't able to rip his heart right out of his ribcage with his bare hands and throw it on the ground and stomp on it until he died AND climb back onto the stage at the same time. Lucky for us, he choose the latter. He just barely got back on stage in enough time to GASP at the end of the song! It was a riot!
I think Rubén was energized by OMM and was extra zany during Like A Surgeon! Rubén added a new move to his repertoire: he scratches his cone bra, then he starts to gnaw on it like a dog would gnaw on itself. Too funny!
It was sometime during the Medley that I realized these guys had been on stage for a long, long time! At Hershey, the concert was winding up about this time! I love the Medley! I'm really a fan of Al's older songs and he plays some of them during the medley and honors his long-time fans at the same time. I also like Achy Breaky Song and the mini-hoe-down (sp?) Al has on stage! Hey, he's got a cool hat and I think we all agree he really looks good in black (fool)! And, the concert-only songs are always a big hit! Dan and Courtney really got a kick out of them! I made it a point to memorize the lyrics. The Dad sitting next to me was impressed that I knew the words! Once again, please direct all praise toward Al! I am just a lowly Al-umni!
During the faux interview with Cher, Dan went crazy behind me! He was standing up on his chair and yelling. Then he yelled my name. When I turned around, Dan yelled that Al was wearing the same Hawaiian shirt he was. Well, it wasn't exactly the same but both Al and Dan had a pool table motif going on. Dan's shirt had the extra-added attraction of scantily clad Vargas girls on it! And, the words "Rack 'em" and "Break 'em". It was a sight to behold! Never let it be said that Dan isn't the King of Kitsch!
Also, Al added video clips from his Celebrity Deathmatch with Al Gore to the show. I had never seen it before and loved every minute of it! Luckily Amy brought a tape with the show on it, so I finally saw the bout in its entirety! I think of both Weird Al and Al Gore as pacifists, so I wondered what they would do in the ring: thumb wrestle? have a staring contest? I can't believe Weird Al lost! MTV's just pandering to the Rock the Vote crowd, in my opinion!
Nirvana came next. Al really had to heave the water cup to make it hit the audience, but it landed in the third row right behind me! The cheerleaders were not very good. At least you couldn't see them during other parts of the concert like you could at Hershey! When Al was running from one side of the stage to the other, it looked as if his mike stand got caught on something and he was jerked backwards. It got unstuck pretty quickly and Al didn't miss a beat!
Bedrock Anthem was another song left out of the shorter Hershey set. I missed it as well. More than the song, what I really missed was Steve in his caveman outfit! I could elaborate but if you've seen the show, you know exactly what I mean! ;)
Because there was no real backstage area, Al and the guys had to change in the back of 18-wheelers! The trucks were backed up to the stage on either side and only had black curtains to block the audience's view. Al went into the one on the right and Bermuda, Steve, Jim, and Rubén went into the one on the left. How strange is that? This is where they changed into all their costumes including their Amish costumes.
Dan's favorite Weird Al song is Amish Paradise. So, when the song started, I looked back to see how Dan reacted. He was just laughing and pointing! I also saw him waving his arms back and forth! You go, guy!
Al changed into his Fat costume. It must have been 1 bazillion degrees inside that costume! I can't even imagine how yucky it was to be in there that night! Especially with the rubber mask! Yucko! But, Al's the type to never let you see him sweat (figuratively speaking, of course)! My favorite part is when Al jumps up and then Jim and Steve jump up as if they've just been hit by a seismic wave created with Al at the epicenter! I always jump when Jim and Steve do! It's funny and makes me giggle. The people around me usually laugh as well.
After Al introduced the band and everyone had left the stage, Rubén changed clothes and came back on stage so quickly, the audience didn't even have a chance to start chanting WE WANT AL! I guess they wanted to get off the stage and cool down because Rubén didn't spend much time pumping up the audience before The Saga Begins like he usually does.
Saga and Yoda were bittersweet as usual. They signal the beginning of the end of the concert which is a bummer! My favorite parts of Saga are when Al holds the note on "Heeeeeeeeeee's a ghost" and when he sings, "And we were singing...." During the 'he's a ghost' part, the audience started cheering and Al looked around like he was comically amused at our response.
Every time I see the Yoda Chant I like it even more and more! I almost have it memorized. One day, at one concert, I'll get it right! I was very disappointed to see that there is a bootleg copy of the chant on Napster!
Poor Steve didn't really seem into the concert that night. When he wasn't playing during Saga and Yoda he just stood there yawning. Poor thing! Life on the road must be tough! Hopefully, he was able to get a good night's sleep that night.
After the concert ended, I met up with Dan and Courtney who both gave me a really big hug and told me how much the enjoyed the concert (they used the word 'phenomenal', plus many more glowing adjectives)! I was soooo glad. Though I've never taken someone to a Weird Al concert who didn't thoroughly enjoy it, Dan and Courtney were the most impressed! YEP! Another satisfied customer!
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Meeting Jim West
I got to meet Jim West! So now my sister, Beth, is not the only "Launer Lady" who has met him (nyah nyah)! Jim was walking around backstage and Amy waved at him. He waved back and started walking toward the fence. Amy and I said hello and I gave him the chocolate-covered fruit I made for the band. He thanked me. I told him that we missed him at Hershey. He thanked me again and said he was working on a project. I wonder what that project was??? Then, I got my photo taken with him! I asked if I could take a picture. Jim asked if the picture was just of him or both of us together. I said the two of us and we both laughed. It was hard to get close together because of that darn fence, but we both leaned way in and managed ok. THANKS Jim!
I also told Jim that I bought a copy of his CD for my father (SHHHH, don't tell my dad! I haven't given it to him yet!). Again he thanked me. My dad and I don't connect musically very often (generation gap, I guess), but I think he will agree with me that Jim's CD is just excellent! Dad really likes great guitar! Jim's CD has that in SPADES!!!
Amy got Jim to sign her CD (she's always soooo prepared!) and got her picture taken with him. Amy gave her pen to Jim so he could sign her CD and he then kept it to sign autographs for everyone there. Hey Jim, Amy wants her pen back! If you delivered it in person, I don't think Amy would mind! (hee hee hee!)
I didn't get Jim's autograph because, wouldn't you know it, I left his Coconut Hat CD in the hotel room! Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
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Meeting Steve Jay
OK, if you've seen any other concert reviews, you know I have a crush on Steve Jay. Upon further reflection, 'crush' is not really the word to use. 'Completely awed at his musical talent and blown away by his complex lyrical style' is more like it. However, there is that element of giggly, blushing, schoolgirl puppy love thrown in.
I admit, I only bought Steve's CD because he was in Al’s band. But upon first listen, my whole perspective changed! I didn’t just listen to his album, I felt it! Right in my stomach. Ever had that happen to you? I played it at least 4 times the first day! It immediately became favorite and most-played CD.
I have wanted to meet him and tell him how I feel about his CD Tangled Strings! How it affected me the first time I heard it. How much I like it and how can't wait to get his first CD Sea Never Dry.
In trying to be realistic about things, I realize that wanting to meet Steve was 99% (if not more) selfish. I'm sure artists are flattered when you tell them how much their music/art/whatever means to you. But, the telling them part is almost purely selfish. Would Steve go on living a productive life rocking on stage and making great music without hearing how much I liked his first CD? No doubt.
Anyway, with that introduction... Let me say that I still was extremely nervous when I realized I could actually meet him. It all happened so fast. I didn't have backstage passes, so I just sort of hung around to see what would happen. Dan, Courtney, and Amy were off committing petty larceny on my behalf (though I didn't know it at the time)! So, there I was waiting under the grandstand. In reality, I was waiting to see Bermuda to see if he got my birthday present. Then, I saw Steve walk out from the backstage area all by himself. I couldn't believe it, and right then my stomach started to hurt (from nerves!) and just getting that whole nervous heightened-sense-of-awareness thing. Know what I mean?
He wasn't walking toward me but he would walk past me to wherever he was going. I called his name. He couldn't hear me the first time because it only came out in a whisper. That's how nervous I was! Then, I called again. This time he heard me. He turned toward me and I waved. He waved back. Then, I asked if I could come over and say hello. He said yes, so I walked over with my hand outstretched and said, "Hello, my name is Tara Lyn." He shook my hand and said, "Hello, Tara Lyn." My first few feelings about meeting Steve in person were: big hands, real tall, and blue eyes.
Big Hands: When Steve shook my hand, his hand just engulfed mine. I'm 5' 11" and I have large hands with long fingers and Steve's hand just swallowed mine up. Wow! I couldn't believe it.
Real Tall: Steve must be 6' 2" or more. He was a lot taller than I was. I wasn't expecting that. They all look so tall on stage!
Blue Eyes: When he said hello and shook my hand, I looked right into those crystal blue eyes for the first time! That did it! I instantly turned into a worthless babbling quivering hunk of slime.
Though I have seen practically every video that Steve's been in and I knew he had blue eyes, the videos sure don't do his eyes justice. Let me tell you that in person, they are just the greatest shade of blue. The only color that I have ever seen in nature that even comes close is the Mediterranean blue water around the resort Island of Capri off the west coast of Italy. Ever been there? Then you'll know what I mean.
OK, so I sort of gather myself enough to start talking. Though when I'm nervous, I look at my feet, so I was basically talking to my knees instead of to Steve. I sure hope he heard/understood me! I told first told him how much I liked Tangled Strings. I also told him how it affected me when I first heard it. I had never heard anything like it before in my life! I not only heard it, but I FELT it! Right in my stomach. I said that I loved that his music had so many layers and that I enjoyed his complex lyrics. I also told him that I listen to his CD at least once a day.
So, when I finally stopped talking and looked up, Steve was smiling (a slightly bemused expression, I think)! Then he said, "Thanks for listening." I said, "My pleasure!"
I told him that I couldn't wait to get his first CD, Sea Never Dry, but I couldn't find it. He asked where I got my CD and I said from Amazon. Amazon only carries Tangled Strings, apparently. Steve said that I could order it off his website, www.stephenjay.com. Then he wondered out loud if he had a copy of Sea Never Dry in the band bus. Unfortunately not, because he looked at me and shook his head. That was so sweet of him to try to get me a copy that night. THANKS Steve!
Well, then I said to him that I didn't want to be a pest and take up anymore of his time, so I said the stupidest thing on the planet: "Well, Steve, I just wanted to say hello and WOWIE!" For those of you who know me, you know that 'WOWIE' is the highest compliment I can bestow on someone, but, if you don't know me, it just sounds stupid. Oh well, I had been stupid all night. Why buck a trend? I was on a roll!
I said goodbye and nice meeting you and Steve said goodbye. Just as Steve was leaving I asked him if he enjoyed the chocolate-covered fruit I made. He said, "Yes, we all loved it." And then he smiled. I was just beaming!
Of course, I had run out of film and I left my Tangled Strings CD back at the hotel. So, there is no actual record of our meeting: no autograph, no picture. Just the smile on my face when I think about it!
THANKS Steve for talking to me. It was an unexpected thrill that really made my night!
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Meeting Weird Al
Dan, Courtney, and Amy were waiting around with me because I wanted to see Bermuda if at all possible. While we were waiting, Weird Al came out from the backstage area. He was surrounded by four security guards who were going to escort him to what I think was the restaurant. I think Al is sort of uncomfortable with the whole "gotta protect the rock star" thing. He seemed a little bemused at Hershey Park when he was escorted around the park in a cart with security guards running along side (just like the President)! Plus, the Ocean Downs security guards were sort of disorganized they had a hard time forming a box around Al. Couldn't seem to work the angles, I guess.
Anyway, we caught Al's eye and waved. He waved back. We thought that was just great and would have been happy with that! Then Al just sort of walks away from the security guards and comes over to say hello. He shook hands with all of us. We all just said hello and told him how much we liked the concert. Dan said something about the concert being the best combination of great music and stand-up comedy. This made Al laugh. I'll have to ask Dan exactly what he said! Then Al pointed to Dan and said, "I like that shirt!" Dan laughed then offered to video tape Al sky-diving for free if Al would come out to his drop zone. Al laughed again but didn't answer.
As Al walked away, I yelled to ask if he got the chocolate-covered fruit I made. He shook his head yes and smiled. Yep! Yet another satisfied customer!
THANKS Al for coming over and talking to us! You're soooo cool!
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Meeting Rubén
PSYCHE! I haven't met Rubén yet, but would really like to! I'll keep you posted.
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Seeing Bermuda Again
Ok, so I did finally get to see Bermuda that night! I was glad! He was talking to a couple of fans near the venue restaurant. I walked up right after they left and called his name. He looked at me but I don't think he could see who I was because it was dark, so I said, "It's Tara Lyn." He smiled and said hello, gave me a big hug, and thanked me for the birthday gift. He said that he hadn't opened it yet because was going to open all his gifts later that night. He then asked me what it was. I wouldn't tell him! If I did, it wouldn't have been a surprise!
Bermuda said that he didn't know I was here. He just thought that Sue had delivered my gift for me. He then said that I could have come backstage because they were letting practically anybody back there who was related to someone with a backstage pass. I said that I would never try to get backstage like that -- you know, try to muscle my way in without a pass.
Amy showed up a few minutes later. Then Dan and Courtney showed up. Dan was just gushing compliments about how good the show was! Dan talked to Bermuda about how they synched up the videos and the music. Dan videotapes people skydiving and then dubs in music, so he was interested in the whole process.
I just want to say THANKS Bermuda for graciously talking to my friends and me! You're soooo cool! I sure hope you liked the present! And, hopefully I will see you again at another concert.
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Dan's View Of The Concert
You still want my little blurb about the concert; I would say this:
I haven't laughed that hard since Grandma whipped out a dull knitting needle and tried to neuter an angry bobcat in an old phone booth.
Gee thanks, Dan!
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A Little Petty Larceny
I've mentioned the petty larceny that Dan, Courtney, and Amy performed on my behalf. Here's the whole sordid tale:
When we arrived at Ballys Ocean Downs, I was driving my car. We were just goofing off, talking and laughing. Then someone says that there's a really cool sign for the concert and that we should try to get it. I didn't see the sign and I just thought it was a small paper sign. As it turned out, I couldn't have been more wrong!!!
After the concert, everyone knew that I wanted to see Bermuda if at all possible, so they amused themselves while I waited -- they amused themselves by stealing the sign from the entrance to the racetrack! They took my keys and drove to the entrance. They had to cross a wooden fence to get to the sign. Courtney and Amy intelligently climbed through the middle. Dan un-intelligently tried to climb over the top. That's when the top wooden slat broke and Dan went tumbling to the grass, hurting his leg along the way. So, now, my friends have graduated to vandalism! Great! Anyway, so they get the sign and throw it in my trunk and drive back to the venue.
They are just so proud of themselves! I really had no idea what had just happened except that Dan was bleeding. They wouldn't tell me anything. (The man was dead when I got there, I SWEAR!) Anyway, I had met Steve and was still waiting to see if I could see Bermuda again. So, we were hanging out and somehow it got mentioned that there was a great RWS poster displayed at the will-call window. I think Courtney asked if there was anything else she could get me (ask a silly question....). I told everyone that when I went out to grab Bermuda's b-day present from the car, I asked a venue employee if I could have the poster and she said I could just take it. I went back and tried to get it but the display case was locked. The employee apologized that she didn't have the key or she's give it to me. So, Courtney asked me to show her where the sign is and I showed her. She said she'd get it for me and asked if I had something to pick the lock with. I handed her a pen. She started to furiously work on the lock. That's when I left. Partly because I didn't want to miss Bermuda and partially because I wasn't really comfy with what was going on.
So, I'm waiting under the grandstand and Amy, Dan, and Courtney run up to me giggling their heads off with the rolled up poster! I couldn't believe it! Apparently, Courtney had to break the clip off the pen's cap and use that to jimmy the lock open. Just like MacGyver! Then Courtney starts saying that she wants us to know that she doesn't go into the Safeway and steal things. (I guess it's just on special occasions!) Anyway, so I have this one sign that I wanted yet I still had no idea what was waiting for me in the car!
So, we all met Al and Bermuda. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! So we left. We wanted munchies, so we went to the closest open convenience store to get junk food. While we were there, Amy, Courtney, and Dan showed me the sign they absconded with for the first time! Let me tell you, I was totally floored!!! My first clue was that it took two people to get it out of the trunk. My next clue was that it was rolled up like a scroll -- it was still attached to the metals posts it was tied to! They unrolled it and I couldn't believe my eyes! It was 10 feet long! All I could do was laugh like a maniac and hop up and down in the middle of the parking lot! They said they couldn't untie it from the posts so they ripped the posts out of the ground and threw the whole thing in the trunk. I just kept laughing and hopping up and down and hugging everyone yelling, "I LOVE YOU, MAN!" I was soooo jazzed! While we were at the store, Dan untied the sign from the posts and we left the posts on the sidewalk. (Hiding the evidence? NO! We left the posts out in the open near a trashcan.)
The sign was so big that, when I got home and tried to take a picture of it, I couldn't fit the whole thing in the frame. So I laid it out on the living room floor and went up to the second floor loft to take the photo (see below).
The concert sign Courtney, Dan, and Amy obtained for me!
I have to admit, after the initial joy of receiving the sign, I started to feel rather guilty about it! I wasn't the perpetrator, but I was an accessory after the fact. Heck, I drove the get-away car! The thought occurred to me: what if the sign was Weird Al's! I would just curl up and die if I stole something from him! Dan, Courtney, and Amy assured me that it was the property of the venue and that it would have just been thrown away after the concert was over. I believed them (though I might have been under the influence of alcohol at the time)! So, now the deed is done and there is no turning back. The sign is now proudly displayed in the stairwell leading to my room!
I covered up most of the beer ad with the RWS sign I got that night. Plus, I'm going to make a collage of all my Weird Al concert photos and place them over the rest of the beer ad so you can't see it. I'll take a picture and post it when I'm done!
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Later That Night
Little did I know it, but the fun had only begun! Dan and Courtney had been drinking during the concert (this was the first Al concert I had been to where alcohol was served!), and continued drinking afterwards. Amy and I joined them after we returned to the hotel. Let me tell you that Amy and I don't drink too often and when we do it's not a lot. Needless to say, after two large cups of Fruitopia mixed with Vodka, we were more than a little drunk! Pickled, tanked, blotto is more like it!
We all sat on the balcony of our hotel room, drinking and admiring the view of the electrical sub station below us. I don't really remember what we talked about but it was bust-a-gut FUNNY! Soon, we realized that we were (gasp, horror, shock) OUT OF ALCOHOL! So, we began a drunken, weaving march toward what we thought was a liquor store.
Our journey got off to a very bad start! I wanted Dan to give me a piggyback ride and he obliged! However, it only lasted about three steps when we both went smashing down onto the pavement. This was NOT a drunken accident -- we were purposefully imitating the part in the FAT video where Al jumps on a guy's back and they fall to the ground! I ended up smashing Dan's face into the concrete, breaking his glasses beyond repair, and chipping one of his teeth. I would have been even worse if I didn't break the fall with my hands! Ever vigilant, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and continued to stumble down the Coastal Highway.
Well, we never found the liquor store but we did find a karaoke bar! So, we went in. Amy and I wanted to find a Weird Al song to sing, but he was not on the play list. We decided on Like A Virgin and we would supply the new lyrics! Little did we know that there are rules against that at this karaoke bar! Apparently, if we are going to butcher a song, we have to butcher the lyrics they display on the TV. (I did not know this.) So, they wouldn't let us sing! Bad sports, all!
Then, Courtney ordered us these incredibly tall drinks in souvenir plastic cups that were filled with God-only-knows-what kind of alcohol! We sucked those down like they were water! Then Dan and Courtney see a blow up duck advertising a Kaluah drink called the "Duck Fart"! (I thought drinks were supposed to have funny, not disgusting names!) The duck had flames shooting out of his ass! This tickled all of us no end! Dan and Courtney decided that they just HAD to have this duck and take him to his new home at their drop zone. The negotiations began: at first we offered to pay for it. No dice. Then we offered to show the owner our breasts (Dan too!). Still no dice! Then Dan explained to the owner that they were skydivers and the really wanted to take the duck fart back to their drop zone. That broke the (d)ice! The owner said he used to be in the military and had several thousand jumps under his belt! Anyway, we ended up talking the owner into letting us buy the duck fart! I payed for it (I'm still not sure how much money I gave the guy) and we left. It was Closing Time you know!
While we were in the parking lot, Courtney started talking to these guys in a Jeep. I don't know what happened, but all I saw was Courtney and Amy pulling up their shirts and flashing the guys! Man, I totally missed that! I was just drunk enough to have gotten in on the action had I known!
So, we start our journey back to the hotel. I don't know how or why, but Amy and I bummed smokes of Courtney. We don't smoke, by the way! We were walking home and Dan and Courtney had gotten way ahead of us. We were laughing and joking and I guess we said something to irritate Courtney and she mooned us! That just cracked Amy and me up! We could barely stand from laughing so hard! We're still not sure what brought that on.
We continued walking. Amy and I were having a good old time laughing, talking, and basically holding each other up! Luckily, it was a straight shot to the hotel. If we had to turn a corner, we probably never would have made it back!
After we got back to the hotel, we found the nearest bathroom. I don't know why but we stayed in there and talked for another hour or so! As Weird Al knows: the acoustics in there are GREAT!
We had sobered up a little and went to the hotel room. Dan and Courtney were fast asleep. Luckily for us, either Dan or Courtney had propped the door open because neither Amy nor I had a key! We got into bed and kept gabbing until about 5 AM. Dan and Courtney were out like a light, so we weren't worried about waking them.
We finally went to sleep but Amy was up a few hours later sick to her stomach! Poor thing just kept throwing up the whole time! I had never been in this situation and didn't know how to handle it! Then, it occurred to me that saltine crackers might settle her stomach. So, I went down to the free continental breakfast and found the next best thing: plain bagels. I brought a few up for Amy but she couldn't even look at them!
What I couldn't believe was that I was fine. No headache, to upset stomach, nothing! Wouldn't it have been awful if Amy and I had to battle for a space to throw up? EEEEUUUUUWWW GROSS! That would be a Deathmatch for you!
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The Next Day
We had planned on spending the day at the beach but the weather was not good. There was no sun and occasional sprinkles. We went to the beach anyway, not to sunbathe but to fly Dan's kite. Dan's kite was this professional one that was supposed to do tricks. To this day, we still don't know if it does tricks!
Dan had to put the kite together himself. It didn't really work the first time, then the strings got tangled. It took Dan (with the help of Amy and Courtney) over an hour to untangle the strings. (Not good Tangled Strings this time!) Dan was really getting mad! There were young kids with those cheapie kites from Wal-Mart who were doing better than he was! Finally, Courtney, Amy and I got fed up with the whole process and we left to find food.
Before we went to the beach, we went to a restaurant called the Dough Roller. Amy wanted to go there because she heard they had really great iced tea that would settle her stomach. While we were eating lunch, a waitress walked by with drinks with silly straws with smiley faces on them. We just had to have one of those straws for ourselves. We asked our waitress for four straws, but she said they had just run out of them. But, she said we could probably get them at the other Dough Roller on the boardwalk. So, we decided to go there and get those straws!
So, we went to the beach then we went to walk around the boardwalk. While we were there, we went into the Dough Roller to have lunch. We asked our waitress to find four of those silly straws for us and she said that they were down in the storage area. Didn't seem as if she was interested in helping us out. We talked badly about her behind her back saying things like the customer is always right and that she wasn't going that extra mile for us! Then when she came back, we asked her if she had gotten the straws yet. She replied, "If you don't stop bugging me about them you won't get any!" We were shocked out of our shoes! However, she was only joking though we didn't know it. She came right back out with toy noses for all of us! We loved them and put them right on! Then, she actually brought us the straws! Mission accomplished! We left her a BIG tip, let me tell you!
The treasure at the end of the Dough Roller rainbow!
So, Dan was soooo excited about getting his straw that he threw it in the trash just as soon as we left the restaurant. That's when Amy went dumpster diving to get it!
There was a Weird Al RWS poster flat taped to the window of the restaurant which we DID NOT steal. Thank you very much. We talked about it though (snicker)!
After that we wandered the boardwalk for a while trying not to succumb to all the cheesiness! We failed miserably....
We ended up at the nastiest, grossest most pathetic goofy golf course in Ocean City. Of course, it was owned by the Dough Roller. (Sense a recurring theme here?) The place was in sore need of a paint job! We had a great time and laughed our heads off anyway. Amy won.
That ended our Weird Al odyssey. We left Ocean City right after the Putt Putt game. All in all, the best time I've ever had at a Weird Al concert!
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