What a great show last night. Warmed the cockles of an old man's heart. Hickman and Reilly used a language with 12 words and, for me, switched the points on the compass. What a journey, back to being a kid and jamming in someones garage on a Sat. night. Then Ike got into talking about Chicago. Been time traveling Chi town since, too. It will be sacrilege to Ike, but we always did the Drake Hotel. Walking the acres of McCormick Place all day, then staggering up and down Rush Street, or getting 86ed from the Pump Room at the Ambassador East. Then the South Side, when it really was the South Side. I loved Chicago, Catching a buzz and then hitting Shedd Aquarium. For the price of admission to this show, I got a free round trip there. Ike Reilly can really, really tell a story. The happiness and joy that passed between Hickman and Reilly, then out to us was palpable. I raged through all the emotions. Now, I tell all this, which wouldn't mean a tinker's damn to most, for a reason. A fella stood up at the end of the show and made a pitch to be buying all the merch, cuz that's what's gonna get these guys down the road, and Ike back to Chicago. As Bob Zimmerman lamented, the times they are a changing. I had a pang of guilt. I had blown my wad on a ticket, gas and I splurged and went to In n Out (mmmmm). Being old & retired = financial constraints. Right down to the nickel every damned month. Went over this month to catch this show. This ain’t poor mouthing, it’s an attempt to show value for value. Can't give these Troubadours what I don't have, but I can tell anyone who enjoys peace, love and understanding that there are 16 more shows you can catch. DO IT. Take someone you love to one of the remaining gigs, and then do me a kindness. Buy 2 of everything from the Merch table to make up for my slack. I got so much more out of this experience than I put in. You will too. Believe me, I would eat dollar store ramen noodles till the cows came home to have this quality of live music in my life. Cracker has introduced me to an amalgamation of musicians that has provided me much joy and happiness. Kudos fellas. The garage band feel was the cat's pajamas, No cops though, so that was one disappointment 8-)
