Following it down

I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I was back at Summerfest again tonight. For the fourth time in five days. The exhaustion is setting in and I noticed tonight that I was starting to recognize people I’d seen there over the weekend …

Tonight I went to see Gin Blossoms, a band that will always have a very special place in my heart. But I don’t need to tell you the whole backstory … For that you can go to the post I wrote three years ago after I saw the Gin Blossoms for the first time …

After taking my time at home after work and playing with Phoebe, I arrived on the grounds at about 8 tonight. Immediately it seemed like the place was more crowded than it had been during any of the other nights I was there … But when I arrived at the Harley-Davidson stage to claim a seat for the Gin Blossoms, it seemed like there were barely a dozen people there …

At 8:30, Backyard Tire Fire came on. I’d never heard of them, but they were billed as a co-headliner with the Gin Blossoms, so they must be doing something … They have a rock sound with sort of a country twang. And to be honest, I thought they were pretty bland during the first few songs. But they picked it up during the latter half and turned out to be all right. Still it’s nothing I’d race out and buy …

And then (cue angel chorus) the Gin Blossoms came on at 10. Man, it was good to see those guys again …

By this time, the crowd had swelled quite a bit, but it didn’t seem nearly as packed as the first time I saw them either. And the show didn’t exactly get off to a rousing start either …

While there also seemed to me some initial audio problems, the band opened with “Learning the Hard Way” off their 2006 “Major Lodge Victory” album which I know nothing about. They followed that with “Until I Fall Away,” which isn’t exactly a rocking song -- but it is one of their more well-known tunes and they didn’t exactly fire up the crowd with that one either …

Then came another newer song “Fool For the Taking,” followed by the mellow “As Long as It Matters.”

Finally they started to get the crowd going with “Found Out About You.” Such a great song; you hear that opening guitar riff and you’re in …



Their sixth song in was “Long Time Gone,” and it was their last new one of the night.

Then they pulled out “Allison Road” and never looked back, ripping off a bunch of favorites from “New Miserable Experience,” and the rest of their hits.

While front man Robin Wilson bounded around the stage and interacted with the crowd, Scott Johnson and Jesse Valenzuela were trading guitar solos and, the superb players they are, leading the band on extended jams …

Pure sweetness. It was the good old ‘90s rock I had come to hear and loved, and the crowd was soaking it up …

The rest of the set list went like this …

8. Cajun Song
9. Lost Horizons
10. Hold Me Down
11. Til I Hear It From You
12. Hey Jealousy



After “Hey Jealousy,” the band left the stage and the crowd, of course, began chanting one more song. In the meantime, I’m racking my brain to try and figure out which of their hits they had yet to play …

After a few minutes, Robin came out along, strapped on an acoustic guitar and began playing an acoustic, laid-back cover of Elton John’s “Rocketman.” For me, it was totally unexpected, and very cool. Then the rest of the band reappeared on the stage and joined him for the second half of the song …



Then, they finished it off with -- ah, yes -- “Follow You Down.” … It marked yet another loud crowd-sing-along and it was a great way to end the show.

Fourteen songs, all the hits, about an hour and 15-minute performance. Thank you, Gin Blossoms.

Afterward, I moseyed over to the Miller Lite Oasis as Matisyahu was finishing up their set. All I heard was a lot of base and saw a lot of people on stage, but it looked like quite the show …

And then the story turns to my long journey home. First, I couldn’t find my car … Then, by the time I did find it, the parking lot had become one giant traffic jam. Let’s just say the Gin Blossoms could have played a whole other show in the time it took me to get out tonight; in the time it took me to get out of there I listened to “New Miserable Experience” almost two whole times …

But I’m home. And going to bed.

Four nights down …
a Thursday: Stevie Wonder
a Saturday: Dashboard Confessional
a Sunday: Polyphonic Spree