Monday, February 23, 2009

No False Pretenses

"You look like douchebags."

"Your dad and I are going to a Pretenders concert," I said. I was standing in E.'s family room talking to his teenaged son. "How are we supposed to dress?"

"Not like douchebags," said the boy.

"What do you think?" I asked his friend.

"You look fine," she said.

"See?" I said.

"That's the stupidest coat I've ever seen," he said.

"It's a leather jacket, for God's sake. What's wrong with it?"

"It's ancient."

"It's a leather jacket. It's supposed to be ancient."

He started humming under his breath. It took me a moment to catch the tune. Fat guy in a little coat.

"Pretty tough for someone who's afraid of a Huddle House," I said before going upstairs to find E. Time to go.

We had dinner before the concert, E. and I, with another guy, a mutual friend who's recently divorced. Duck salad and mussels and martinis. Grown up food and drinks.

Afterward we walked over to the venue, one of the good nightclubs in the country, maybe in the world. There was a warm up band and more drinks.

And the show? The sound was muddy, the song selection adequate. Did it make it onto my list of best concerts? Probably not.

But it was Chrissie Hynde singing "Chain Gang" in a little room filled with men and women wearing leather jackets that our kids hated. We toasted each other and if we weren't young, we weren't quite old either.


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

My prob with going to a Pretenders show is I would be devastated if they didn't play "Tattooed Love Boys" and their catalog is so big I would be afraid to risk it.

Sometimes I get hung up on just one song getting played and it bugs me because it can ruin the show for me.

Jennifer said...

Here's to Snag's night out with big boys in leather coats! And here's to not ordering the veal tongue.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

How does Pinko go anywhere? He would probably be disappointed at a Genesis concert if they didn't play Sussudio

I will, however, take his Pretenders tickets...

Snag, is that picture from the show? If so, nice. But that guitar looks like it's made of stainless steel....

I had a friend who was unbelievably gifted behind a sound board. He used to mix a 7 piece alt-pop band with a 3 piece horn section and a singer with a muddy middle range voice. I learned to really appreciate the skills of the soundman.

Also; did the Bad Boys (in Leather Coats) get Spanked?

Snag said...

No "Bad Boys," but we got "Message of Love," "Don't Get Me Wrong," "Precious," "Talk of the Town," and "Brass in Pocket." And "Tattooed Love Boys," which they've been playing at most of the shows on this tour.

Pinko, you need to run, not walk, to your nearest ticket outlet.

Adorable Girlfriend said...

Wait, this kid called you "douchebags." I'm sorry but not only is that sexist, it offends me that kids today will talk like that in front of adults. I'm sorry, but even AG would never say that infront of real adults.

Having said that, you put up Q today, I'll take that kid off your hands.

Snag said...

He doesn't talk like that in front of most adults. Given the way I torment him in public, however, he'd be well within his rights to shoot me in the head.

Righteous Bubba said...

I'm getting a lot of "Hello you pig!" The thing is, she really likes pigs.

Adorable Girlfriend said...

Whew, but still.

It just well, surprises me. I mean y'all know AG, but I don't talk like this in front of my parents or their friends. No wayz!

Brando said...

So, Snag, your son's reaction was:

I found a picture of you
ha ha-ha ha ha-ha


My dad and I went through a long period where we called each other "dude."

Anonymous said...

It's weird because you guys mostly like things I don't like. The intersection is almost nil.

Snag said...

Mandos, that should make you feel considerably better about yourself. It's not like an obsession with bacon, bourbon, and an incoherent musical playlist is the hallmark of a stable personality.

Jennifer said...

The intersection is almost nil.

But you keep showing up so maybe while not liking what they do, you like their blog company and they like yours.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I meant in terms of music. I definitely like puns and forgive the infidel his booze and bacon.

Sorry for being unclear. But its true, I do like the company. And the puns. Always the puns.

Chuckles said...

Snag, at least you don't get the "Mama look a booboo" response at home. I will raise my children the Snag way: in fear that I might accidentally wrap them in bacon and eat them.