Rock on

Lest you think that Evan and his family have been snowed in and that's the reason for the lack of new postings, let me set you straight.

I'm glad to report that Evan's parents DID attend the Wilco concert last Tuesday in Kansas City. The snow let up that morning, Evan's aunt agreed to watch him earlier than originally planned, and the gravel road to the dog kennel was plowed (to Karma's dismay). We dropped off child and dog by 2:00 and headed for KC. Once we got out of the neighborhood side streets, the roads were perfectly clear and we arrived in KC at 5:00. That gave us time to check in to the motel, head to Westport for dinner at a McCoy’s Public House & Brewpub (where we spotted friends from Lincoln who were also in town for the show), and visit Streetside Records before the show.

Our motel was just five blocks from the Uptown Theater so we decided to park there and walk to the Uptown. Got there just after the doors opened at 7:00 and settled in to the balcony. We're too old to spend four hours standing in front of the stage and I'm too short to see over the taller folks. The only low point of the evening was the prices for a pint of Boulevard: 10 bucks! The Mess Hall, a two-piece band from Australia, opened the show with a loud, but decent set. Wilco played for a couple of hours -- a terrific show that I'm glad we didn't miss. Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline were stellar. Evan's dad said it was one of the best shows he's seen in years, and that's high praise. If you're interested in reviews or set list from the show, check the Via Chicago site.

Strolled back to the motel at 11:30, grateful that we didn't have to drive home. The next morning we had a wonderful breakfast at The Classic Cup Cafe located in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. Then, back home while listening to Wilco's live cd Kicking Television and reliving the concert.

I must mention that Evan's dad and I first got together almost exactly 25 years ago, at the U2 concert on April 1, 1981 at the Uptown Theatre. I don't recall how much a beer cost then, but it surely wasn't $10. I do recall that tickets for the show were $1.02. The local radio station 102 was sponsoring the show. Inflation.