Through the haze of semi-drunkeness and hum of music, I will, at the insistent behest of a certain community member, post about the other day's visit from none other than our very own VICTOR VAN DORT.
Mr. SAJN called me several times on his journey to my fashionable Boston Back Bay dorm. When he arrived, I let him on up and shared a martini with my roomate as we listened to a little of the band we'd be seeing in only a few hours, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The three of us then headed down to try to find a righteously badass tavern and restaurant I'd read about, The Bukowski Tavern.
We finally found the place after some wandering, and it was just as I'd imagined it, resplendant with black and white photos of the bar's namesake knocking back straight whiskey. We ordered some standard Americana fare, and I took special relish in ordering the Bukowski "Mad Dog" hot dog... only to be carded. Apparently, because the establishment is technically a bar, we weren't even allowed to be in there, nevermind our not drinking and it being perfect daylight out. Funny, I'd never been carded for ordering a hot dog before.
We slunk out and decided to hit up Vinny T's, just down Boylston street. My roomate, a Mass. native, had recommended it as a top flight Italian restaurant. The atmosphere was decidedly different, but a waiter at the front sure broke the ice fast when he pointed to SAJN's shirt that read "I <3 hot moms" and referred him to a MILF porn site.
Because our dress code wasn't quite up to snuff, we were seated waaaay in the back where more respectable patrons would never have to see us. Unfortunately, this made it all too easy for the waiting staff to completely ignore us. The minutes ticked by as we had some good conversation about the Temple but also while the concert start time crept closer and closer.
When I had finally had enough and exclaimed that we were never going to be served, the waiter materialized with our plates in hand. The meal was hugely stuffing, and we headed out. I ran back to my dorm to pick up my specs/"situation goggles" (which I now seem to have lost? :S) and then we took the subway to the TD Banknorth Gardens arena.
In our rush, we'd gotten onto a train that dropped us off 2 stops too early, so we took a dinky van cab the last mile or so. As we ran up flight after flight of stairs, it turned out that we weren't freakishly late, as we'd expected, but in fact technically early, as The Mars Volta was still opening the show, after an hour of playing. We took our seats way up in the top (but with a great, direct view) and listened to the last few songs by the Volta.
While the roadies changed the stage for the Peppers, SAJN and I talked some more, even calling MBeggar, surfed the forums on SAJN's cellphone, and owned to Wermacht arse on his phone's Brothers in Arms game also. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and all distractions stopped. The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage and demanded our attention.
They started off with Can't Stop and went on from there. SAJN can fill you in on the particulars of the musical goodness. I was highly entertained, but I'd made the colossal mistake of deciding to wait until the concert to actually listen to Stadium Arcadium all the way through... oops.
Just when I was getting into it, all these prep guys came up onto our row and started dancing around and being totally obnoxious. They had four guys to three seats, so we were being pushed out into the aisle... bonjour buzzkill! Granted, I was completely sober at this point and had no buzz of which to speak... but if I'd had one, it so totally would have been killed. The music definitely made up for it. My personal fave of their new tracks was "Charlie," whereas SAJN definitely seemed to be digging "Snow."
The visual accompaniment was pretty darn impressive, with a three story or higher giant screen that then curved over the audience. For "Californication," this meant that viewers were bombarded by an animation of a cleavage shaking dfrom side to side of truly epic proportions.
We took our leave shortly after the encore to beat the wicked ridic crowds (which we still sort of ran into), but finally parted ways at a T station deep beneath the brisk Boston night. No doubt this is where the real adventure began for SAJN, but surely it's where it ended for me. All in all, another successful Massassian Encounter! (tm)
Mr. SAJN called me several times on his journey to my fashionable Boston Back Bay dorm. When he arrived, I let him on up and shared a martini with my roomate as we listened to a little of the band we'd be seeing in only a few hours, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The three of us then headed down to try to find a righteously badass tavern and restaurant I'd read about, The Bukowski Tavern.
We finally found the place after some wandering, and it was just as I'd imagined it, resplendant with black and white photos of the bar's namesake knocking back straight whiskey. We ordered some standard Americana fare, and I took special relish in ordering the Bukowski "Mad Dog" hot dog... only to be carded. Apparently, because the establishment is technically a bar, we weren't even allowed to be in there, nevermind our not drinking and it being perfect daylight out. Funny, I'd never been carded for ordering a hot dog before.
We slunk out and decided to hit up Vinny T's, just down Boylston street. My roomate, a Mass. native, had recommended it as a top flight Italian restaurant. The atmosphere was decidedly different, but a waiter at the front sure broke the ice fast when he pointed to SAJN's shirt that read "I <3 hot moms" and referred him to a MILF porn site.
Because our dress code wasn't quite up to snuff, we were seated waaaay in the back where more respectable patrons would never have to see us. Unfortunately, this made it all too easy for the waiting staff to completely ignore us. The minutes ticked by as we had some good conversation about the Temple but also while the concert start time crept closer and closer.
When I had finally had enough and exclaimed that we were never going to be served, the waiter materialized with our plates in hand. The meal was hugely stuffing, and we headed out. I ran back to my dorm to pick up my specs/"situation goggles" (which I now seem to have lost? :S) and then we took the subway to the TD Banknorth Gardens arena.
In our rush, we'd gotten onto a train that dropped us off 2 stops too early, so we took a dinky van cab the last mile or so. As we ran up flight after flight of stairs, it turned out that we weren't freakishly late, as we'd expected, but in fact technically early, as The Mars Volta was still opening the show, after an hour of playing. We took our seats way up in the top (but with a great, direct view) and listened to the last few songs by the Volta.
While the roadies changed the stage for the Peppers, SAJN and I talked some more, even calling MBeggar, surfed the forums on SAJN's cellphone, and owned to Wermacht arse on his phone's Brothers in Arms game also. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and all distractions stopped. The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage and demanded our attention.
They started off with Can't Stop and went on from there. SAJN can fill you in on the particulars of the musical goodness. I was highly entertained, but I'd made the colossal mistake of deciding to wait until the concert to actually listen to Stadium Arcadium all the way through... oops.
Just when I was getting into it, all these prep guys came up onto our row and started dancing around and being totally obnoxious. They had four guys to three seats, so we were being pushed out into the aisle... bonjour buzzkill! Granted, I was completely sober at this point and had no buzz of which to speak... but if I'd had one, it so totally would have been killed. The music definitely made up for it. My personal fave of their new tracks was "Charlie," whereas SAJN definitely seemed to be digging "Snow."
The visual accompaniment was pretty darn impressive, with a three story or higher giant screen that then curved over the audience. For "Californication," this meant that viewers were bombarded by an animation of a cleavage shaking dfrom side to side of truly epic proportions.
We took our leave shortly after the encore to beat the wicked ridic crowds (which we still sort of ran into), but finally parted ways at a T station deep beneath the brisk Boston night. No doubt this is where the real adventure began for SAJN, but surely it's where it ended for me. All in all, another successful Massassian Encounter! (tm)
