A night in the life of Rockin Robyn

Well, low and behold this show started on time! Yeah, Metro is usually good like that but I was spoiled by years of late starts at Fireside Bowl. My friend Jen attended this show with me. We missed the slackers. I was really interested to see them. We arrived in time for the last 3 songs by Lucky Boys Confusion.

To the bar! $4 for Bud Lite of all things (argh!). Behind the bar I see the list of bands and their start times for the evening. Mustard Plug is listed for 7:30-8:00. Huh. Last I heard MP had cancelled the shows and Deals Gone Bad would be playing instead. So, I ask Mr. Bartender if MP is still playing. He checks with like 3 other people and finally comes back to me saying, "Last I heard they were here". YEAH! This pleases me and marks the start of a fanfuckingtastic evening.

Lucky Boys Confusion wasn't bad. I hadn't heard them before. I only knew their name from seeing it on the bill for that night. Upon initial listen I thought this was another punk band. The horns then kind of made an audible appearance. I could BARELY hear them. Infact, I didn't even SEE horn players from where I was. (If you have been to the Metro you know how the speakers are lined up against the wall on at the ends of the stage, so if you are way to one side or the other, you aren't going to see the whole stage.) Beer was gone, time for another! I was trying to pace the beer so that I wouldn't have to break the seal mid-set. Jen, the sweetheart that she is, bought our beer that night. THAT'S good stuff!

Usually for shows at the Metro, I position myself left center for bands other than Parka Kings. Believe it or not, I noticed that I was always right center for PK shows. This night, in honor of my first ska show at the Metro in over a year and the bill including the best active ska band, Mustard Plug, I had to be right center of the stage. So I explained the "plan" to Jen. It was packed when we got there. We discussed how the crowd would dissipate some in between bands and we can move in for better positioning. And that's just what we did. By the time Mustard Plug took the stage, I was where I wanted to be. Cept for the tall freaking guy that had to get right in front of me. Am I the only one that ALWAYS happens to?

Mustard Plug takes the stage about 7:25. I cannot recall the order they played the set in, but I know there wasn't much, if anything, from their first CD. "You" lead it off. Yesterday, Lolita, Freshman, Go, Beer and Everything Girl. There was no Thigh High Nylons (a kick ass tune that used to break into some funny LL Cool J). There was no Skanking to the Numbers, Mr. Smiley, or Mendoza. STILL a good set considering I have not seen them for a while. I noticed in the first couple songs Dave was hardly singing. He seemed like he was there just to look pretty. Colin (guitarist) was doing most of the singing. At this point, I am thinking: Dave must have broken his voice and that's why they cancelled those other shows. About 10 seconds later, Dave says that he just had a baby girl last week, had to cancel some shows, and that Everything Girl is Isabella (his daughter). Ah, the mystery is solved - even if MP never replied to my e-mail. Excellent skanking good set. Unfortunately, with the show being sold out there wasn't really room to SKANK skank like I am sure we all would have liked to. Some kids did make room for themselves, but it pushed the rest of us closer than to each other we already were. I was still able to sweat my ass off. MP closed with Beer.

I opted mid break to enjoy another tasty cold alcoholic beverage (even if it was crappy bud lite), hoping I would have time to break the seal before the Bosstones took the stage. I already had a good buzz, thanks to "cheap" draft beer. I did in fact break the seal and return prior to the beginning of the Bosstones set. Upon my return, Jen noted to me that the kids behind us were about 12 years old. I noticed the guy to my left was well past 40. Sweet. Multiple generations out to enjoy the Bosstones. The kids behind us probably weren't alive when Devil's Night Out was released. The couple next to me can probably recall its original release. Some frat boys made an appearance in the crowd as well. Not as many as the last time I saw the Bosstones at the Vic and they weren't as obnoxious at this show so it was alright.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones began their set right on schedule, 8:30 pm. Again, I have no idea what order the songs were played in. The energy was great. Thankfully, only 2 songs from their newest release made an appearance in this hour and a half set. Their primary set included such crowd favorites as Devil's Night Out, Hope I never lose my Wallet, Impression that I get, Kinder Words, Hell of a Hat, Dogs and Chaplains, 1-2-8, Be Back, Rascal King, Someday I suppose, Where did you go (at that point Dicky noted that any movie the Bosstones have been associated with royally sucked), Cowboy Coffee, Dr. D, The Cave, and the first song they ever wrote (according to another Dicky speech) Little Bit Ugly. The band left the stage at about 9.40 but returned for an encore that included Simmer Down and Lights Out.

The over all energy was fabulous. I haven't sweated that much at a show since the Parka Kings departed the scene. Between Mustard Plug and the Bosstones I am glad I was in attendance. Those of you that couldn't be there should be beating yourselves up. There were a lot of females in the pit that night. A couple chicks were even surfing. One chick I recall was wearing a half top and I don't think she knew what was being seen & groped when she was surfing, cuz she got back up there and did it again 2 songs later! Dicky brought a couple kids up on the stage. I remember Elliot. Dicky gave a speech about how he respects bouncers and hates to piss them off. He pitched that speal right before stage diving with Elliot.

Everyone was moving. Everyone was singing along. This guy Jeff that we met that night - it was his first Bosstones show at age 29 (He did recall a couple Parka Kings shows he was at back in the day). Jeff asked me in the middle of the Bosstones set: "Does that guy do anything or does he just Dance ?" I replied, "No, he just dances. He plays the "Bosstone" and I haven't seen him singing this much before". (Tony told me he is also the road manager - something I did not know) That's right, he had his very own mike. I cant remember if he had one at the Vic here a couple years ago, but he actually DID sing some back up last night. And of course did his same old dance the whole show. J

After the Bosstones finished "Lights Out" and left the stage, the lights came on and they started pushing us out of the building. I had a brand new beer!! So, I sucked that bad boy down on the way out. All in all a good show and a good night. I was pretty much buzzed the whole evening and danced my ass off. MP & Bosstones, now THAT'S good stuff!