What A Way To Go-Go

Remember when the Grateful Dead was still together (when, say, Jerry Garcia was alive), and fans would follow them from city to city to see them perform. Their fans had the time, energy and dedication to follow their favorite band. And perhaps they were a bit nuts.

Well, I officially have become one of those fans.

No, I'm not talking the Grateful Dead here, obviously. On Tuesday, the Go-Go's played at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Then last night they played at the Greek Theatre in L.A. And I attended both shows.

In case you aren't aware, the Go-Go's have been my favorite band since I was twelve. I love them more than my second favorite band, the Beatles, or any of my other favorite bands... the English Beat, the Monkees, the Specials, X, etc. I even love them more than my rock and roll crushes, Buddy Holly and Nick Lowe (yes, I know Buddy Holly has been dead for more than 50 years). And the Go-Go's still tour with the lineup that made them famous (technically not the original lineup, as two of the original members were replaced before the band made it big).

So when I realized that I could take the time off from work and afford a little flight from San Francisco to L.A., it just made sense to buy tickets for both shows. At the Fillmore I got the intimate club experience, enjoying the show from... oh... I'm guessing 20 feet or so from the stage. The Greek Theatre was a slightly different story. My seats were decent, but a large amphitheatre is a large amphitheatre, and even decent seats can feel a bit far away. However, my seats this time were better than the ones I had when I saw the Go-Go's and the Red Rockers at the Greek on August 8, 1984 (my first concert, thank you very much). Plus, thanks to a tip from my friend Angela, I actually was able to attend their soundcheck yesterday afternoon. I only saw part of it because of my flight time, but even part of it was way cool.

Figuring that I may as well make a long weekend of my excursion, I'm still in the City of Angels and will be here until Sunday afternoon. I had a chance to visit with my nephew, Mikey Jet, today and intend to do some singing, socializing and lots of dining for the rest of the weekend. I even plan to enjoy a little more live music.

A trip to the Southland based on catching my favorite band play one night after I saw them in San Francisco...I can't help but think that somewhere Jerry Garcia is smiling.