Will April Shows bring May Lows?

Tuesday April 5: The Mountain Goats w/ Mega Fun @ The Vic
Thursday April 7: Todd Barry w/ Brendon Walsh (Stand Up Comedy Show) @ The Hideout
Friday April 8: Cut Copy w/ Holy Ghost! @ The Riv
(Bonus After Party Show: Holy Ghost! (DJ Set) @ Smart Bar
Saturday April 9: Park Ridge Chorale @ St. Luke Church

Most of you have realized that this blog is more of journal that I'm just too lazy to make private or too conceited not to share.  Weeks like the one that just ended are the kind that I need to document for myself.  It's going to make me smile down the road when I remind myself just how my crazy April 2011 began.

I don't think I'll ever have as socially diverse of a week.  Each one of the 5 above listed events required a purchased ticket - for reasons almost as random as the acts:

The Mountain Goats

A friend on Facebook was staring down the idea of attending a concert solo.  Having done it once, I know it's a tough proposition.  Although this friend is easily strong enough to carry out such an idea (I'm sure she's done it before), I think my gesture was appreciated.  The Mountain Goats didn't exist on my iPod when I bought my ticket (although that quickly changed when Amazon listed their latest album on their 100 albums for $5 this month).  The highlight of the show is when they brought out the opening band to join them for a song at the end of their set.  This is an act I wish every headliner would do more often.

Karma quickly came back around in the positive two days later when a different friend agreed to attend a comedy show at The Hideout.  Especially seeing how the early show had sold out, I know I wouldn't have driven into the city through that night's rain to attend the late show.  I had seen Todd Barry's act not too long ago, but the opening comic (Brendon Walsh) had left a great first impression on me from a Conan routine.  When we had left the venue that night, we saw Mr. Walsh just outside the door smoking.  After a quick pause (to make sure it really was him in my mind) I complimented his set.  Even though this man is a professional comedian, his snap response of "Thanks" sounded sincere.

Cut Copy

I've now seen Cut Copy three times - and I'm especially happy I saw them this time seeing as how I will be elsewhere when they are in Chicago next for the Pitchfork Music Festival.  Cut Copy also holds a very important role in my "concert going lifestyle" because when I saw them previously The Metro I made a pledge to myself that I would wear earplugs at every show going forward.  Some dufus lady made a snide remark before the encore to me saying, "Is it too loud for you?" while pointing at my earplugs.  Maybe the old saying is true for me, but one of the first things my friend said to me when we exited was, "I won't ever hear that frequency again."

The wristband from The Riv show got us into Smart Bar for just $7 more to see the Holy Ghost! DJ set.  Of everything that I experienced in the past week, the revelation of just how much I like Smart Bar might be the most significant.  And I'm saying that even after knowing full well how large my bar tap was at the end of the night.  Now stick with me on this next statement: I enjoyed Smart Bar to a level that makes me happy I live in the suburbs... If I lived a CTA card dip away I would spend way too much time and way too much money down in that glowing basement of fun.  (By the way, there's a track from the new Holy Ghost! album available for free download on iTunes)

Finally, I found myself sitting in a Lutheran church listening to a choir sing (among other selections) show tunes.  It was the perfect Week of Shows capper.  For a week that started helping out a friend who wanted to see a show, I was at a show to support a friend who had auditioned for the Park Ridge Chorale and was excited to be performing with them for the first time.  In a week that included some extremely foul language and worse subject matter for the purposes of invoking laughter, I also saw a show that was suitable for a newborn (although the Father felt otherwise, I didn't think bringing a crying baby into a choir concert was a good idea).  Then, of course, there's the fact I sat quietly and respectfully composed in a church pew just 17 hours removed from being a sweaty dancy mess.

There are at least 3 more shows I plan on seeing before this awesome month ends.  The second half of the month will have a tough chance matching this first half in diversity, but it does have a chance because not included in those 3 shows is a birthday party for a five year old girl and a poker night with six dudes all younger than I.

I can't wait.