Happy Unhappy Birthday!

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Planning
Planning to go out with your significant other when you have three children requires much more obviously than with just one child who can somewhat easily be carted off to grandmas's for the evening. Its especially difficult if you have school and work the next day and your children start school at different times. Its complicated even further if you, yourself, are a teacher and are expected to greet children or teenagers with  bright smiley faces at 7:45 AM the next day and have an exciting lesson planned.

Despite these obstacles Roland and I were able to make things happen with the help of grandma and my friend Kim. In fact it worked out well because the boys stayed the night with grandma and Kim allowing us to feel tired and run down without any interruptions from younger family members Monday morning..

Cops and Robbers and Jesus, Oh My!
I have to say that our trip to the House of Blues was rather surreal. Honestly, its experiences like ours that deters  Orange County people from ever leaving the Orange Curtain and venturing into Los Angeles. First of all, we got off the 101 freeway and drove down Sunset Boulevard and then had to pull aside for twelve unmarked police cars. We have no idea where they were going but it was extremely noisy and were grew a little concerned about whatever might be the cause of it. I mean, I was concerned that there might be some incident at the House of Blues-perhaps some crazed Morrissey fan got carried away with the whole Unhappy Birthday thing. I was also concerned for a homeless man who was so off his head he walked out into traffic in front of the speeding police cars and waved at them. He was waving at them like, "I'm over here." I was afraid to watch him because he nearly got run over by the cops. I selfishly thought that may ruin my evening.

Next, we passed a parking lot attendant that appeared to be getting attacked by some thugs. He was older and was dodging fists and a lead pipe. We made a U-turn to investigate and when we saw the attendant he was just sitting in a chair in  the parking lot looking relaxed. Like nothing had happened. Perhaps I only imagined it. After all, Roland hadn't seen it.

Finally, what I saw next was not an apparition since  Roland saw it as well. As we approached the Comedy Store we saw Jesus. Yes, indeed! I wish only that I had my camera ready because it was so unbelievable! He was wearing a long robe and sandals and a benevolent expression. Its almost as if he next would most likely outstretch his arms like the giant Jesus statue in Rio De Janiero, Brazil to bless us all. I theorized it was a homeless man while Roland thought it was some actor hired by the Comedy Store. I just don't understand why the Comedy Store would find Jesus funny.

Get Me a Drink
Once inside we beelined it for the bar-obviously.

Not Target. Saxs Fifth Avenue
In my previous post, I said that The Sweet and Tender Hooligans were like the Target version of The Smiths. I have to disagree with that. I expected the show to be kind of hokey-after all, it isn't REALLY The Smiths. But the band were so good that I would say they are more like the Nordstrom of The Smiths or the Saxs Fifth Avenue of The Smiths. Honestly, Jose Maldonado has such a great Morrissey voice.

The musicians were fantastic. They even brought out some string musicians for a few of the numbers.

Something contagious happens when a band looks like they are enjoying themselves-the audience tends to feel that energy and goes with it.

I expected that The Sweet and Tender Hooligans might try to "be" Morrissey and The Smiths. I mean sort of take on the role as actors. I dreaded that possibility. But thankfully the band does not seem to be afraid to take from The Smiths and make it their own. For example when the lead singer sang "Ganglord"with only the stringed instruments, it was refreshing to hear an old favorite presented in a different format. He also sings some of the songs in Spanish.

As I was singing along with perhaps 1500 Smiths and Morrissey fans, I thought about the beauty and strangeness of the fact that probably the vast majority of these people singing together have sat, at some time alone in their rooms or wherever and felt the same gnawing emotions that drew us to words and music that we so identify or identified with. How ironic that we were together in lonely words. You can't reach out to people on Facebook if you feel that way. You can however when you commune with people who know the words to the songs you seemingly claimed as your own.

After that realization, I laughed uncontrollably suddenly remembering that I saw Jesus outside the Comedy Store!

Our Self-portrait at the Bar