Viva las Arenas!

I'd never been to Vegas before and I'll try not to get too hyperbolic here in saying that this particular gathering could've taken place at a Moose Lodge in Peoria and it still woulda RAWKED as hard, but it's more than a tiny bit true. The people who showed up brought the party just like in Kauai and in many other venues throughout my toddtenure-- for me, meeting with fans feels the way your dumbass High School reunions are SUPPOSED to feel and rarely do.

I can't really improve on the details dropped by Grady Moates (god among men-The band sounded INCREDIBLE, thank you for all of your hard work!! ) or expound upon the powerful prose served up by our fearless leader, Doug of Rundgren Radio.

The YOU ARE THERE!! highlights they deliver tell the tale completely.

I also can't hope to list all the fun and events we packed into 5 days-it seriously rivaled Hawaii, which I would've thought impossible.

Highlights were seeing Michele onstage at the Tubes, (her smile could run several Casinos and still blind an Osmond!) I also enjoyed robot dancing with Rachel and fans after the Sunday show to DEVO, the Pretenders and the Cure . Mel, you are awesome for putting that post-show set list on your I pod!!

Thanks to Prairie for letting me half-hide behind your back as a supah scary shark swam up to the glass our group quaked behind in the pool at the "Nuge" --I don't think you realized it, but I was using you as a shield ( you're also a magnificent drummer/artist/savant, BTW)

If anyone cares, I THINK I saw god during Jesse's beautiful playing on Within You/ Without You at the Sgt. Pepper's tribute and later nearly flatlined laughing at the after party tantrum released by a certain somebody (didn't he used to play one of the Duke Boys on that 70's Hazzard show?? Somebody tell him the Civil War is OVER!!)

Personally, I can only add that having another opportunity to hear the cuts from Arena evolve; beginning with its infant smack on the crack in Kauai last June, to a door slamming angsty adolescence in my hometown mid July -----to the grown-ass man (and woman) cockrock it has exploded into in Vegas was an extremely satisfying bookend to one of the best summers I've had in recent memory.

Special thanks to Darnie and her "a-maze-ing" tights--Steve Hart for keeping us all "Pent up", the weird Gaucho Bus driver from the Brazilian outback for the ride and Cathy Stoia for being lovely and arranging it, Adman and Steve Skin for the Balcony jamz, Mindy for the Moatsies, The Jodies, Biljax and Lois, Dennis, Mott, Lori, Pete and Steve for the spleensplitting hilarity and Todd for replacing my previous feather clad images of him with ones where he is alternately coiffed in a large flower or a WAD of cotton candy. Whew!

That was one well spent weakened dollar and a few days off work in an economy that can kiss it while we party loudly until the shitstorm blows over . We should've all got matching tattoos, dammit!

next time,
Pippi