My Childhood Revisited

Had a rather tame weekend. I finally had a weekend at home which was awesome. Friday night I just sat on the couch and watched some TV. Saturday I did tons of laundry, went to Trader Joe's, rushed home to check Missed Connections on Craigslist since we all know everyone gets missed at TJ's (yes, this part I made up), and spent another fun-filled evening on the couch watching bad TV movies. Actually, that's not entirely true. I did watch Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Too funny! Sunday I did some house cleaning. Ah, the exciting life I lead. That afternoon I went and got a massage. Mmmmmmm.....Massage is good....

Sunday night I picked up my buddy from New Zealand who had just flown in. G is a flight attendant (one of the only straight ones I know) from NZ and we know each other through rugby. Picked him up and met some friend's at Zuni Cafe for a quick bite to eat. Then we went to Cafe du Nord to see one of my favorite bands from my childhood - The Plimsouls!!!

I heart The Plimsouls! If you've never heard of them, they are a band out of LA. They put out their first album in 1980. At a time when rock music was shifting gears, the Plimsouls threw British Invasion into the new wave mix and permanently altered the genre. Fun was the operative word, and bar bands everywhere joined the fray. But the Plimsouls were exceptional because they boasted the talents of singer/songwriter Peter Case. The one big hit they had was Million Miles Away which is on the Valley Girl soundtrack. Actually, if you have seen the movie (and are willing to admit to it publicly), the scene where they are in some dive bar and a band is playing - that's The Plimsouls. Anyway, these guys broke up in 1987 and fans everywhere were heartbroken. However, they have now reunited and all is right in the world again.

So, the 6 of us head over to Cafe du Nord. There are some steep steps that lead down to the bar area. So basically, you're going from bright sunlight down into darkness via a steep staircase. I was carrying a jacket and the LP jacket to one of their records (that's right, I own some records), my hair was in my face, I couldn't see, and yours truly pulled an oh-so-graceful move and missed the last step. Managed to nicely roll my ankle. Oh yeah, I'm Grace Kelly.

Anyway, turns out there was an opening band we didn't know about. They are called The Magic Christian. If you ever get a chance to see these guys, DON'T!!! They are garbage! Actually, that's not quite fair. Their guitarist, drummer (former drummer of the Tubes) and base player are all good musicians. However, their lead singer has GOT TO GO. The man can't carry a tune to save his life, has no rhythm, and to be honest, is just a tool with bad hair. One of my friends, SM, wasn't familiar with The Plimsouls and thought these guys were them. When she finally realized it wasn't she was truly relieved. Apparently she had been standing there wondering why she was friends with us at that point in time. G had also been wondering why he was still awake for such a horrid show instead of being in bed catching up on sleep.

They finally get off the stage and it's time for The Plimsouls. Woohoo! The guys sounded AMAZING! Just like they do on their albums. It was a GREAT show. The ability to relive your childhood is amazing and if you ever have the opportunity, take it! I danced like a maniac despite my ankle. They did a couple encores. It was fabulous! After they show they came out front and I got them to sign my album jacket. Apparently they are writing some new music and will hopefully be around for a while. They are total sweethearts.

Got home a little after midnight which is making work a bit painful today. So is the ankle. I iced it last night, but can hardly walk today. Have a nice ace bandage and am wearing sandals at work. Sexy....kinda. However, it was well worth it! If y'all get the chance to see The Plimsouls, definitely check them out.

This music review has been brought to you by the letter R and the number 10.