I'm a Virgin

Oh God Yes is it ever true. I am, of course, a "born again virgin" and what better place to hang out than the "Virgin Music Festival". What a great time!!!
My (lack of belief in) GOD! 2 days of concerts!!! 24 hours of music total!!!

And it was like...non-stop parade of hotties!!!
I chatted up a few girls, one was so friendly and nice and engaged damnit...She showed me her WCP though, what a sport....what is WCP you ask? I'll give you a hint...the first 2 letters are for White and Cotton.

You know, the sound quality was so excellent...they say the best in the industry for concerts. No feedback noise EVER!!
Everything was so beautifully mixed that I just selected a stage distance that was in keeping with my comfort and it was always just great. I could always see the musicians on stage or see the big huge video screens with award winning camera work.

So it was excellent all around.

I met the chick that runs a commune in the woods that owns the copyright to the "Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution" T-shirts. I bought her a beer. She looked like she needed one and was very grateful.

I saw Richard Branson in the crowd, so cool he actually showed up, what a hip bloke.

I sat pretty close for the piano playing chick, Regina Amos Spektor...I mean...Regina Spektor...what did I say? She is witty and lovely and funny...I bought a CD of hers from the Virgin Mega Store tent and waited in line for 20 minutes to get her to sign it. She was incredibly sweet and sincere and nice...I fell for her madly. I guess I am starstricken.

I saw the Smashing Pumpkins...reunited, brilliant, in good form and on their game. They played new stuff like "Death From Above"...the new goth anthem...and old stuff too "Inspite of my rage I am still just a rat in a cage...". The "1979" song sounded amazing even without the sampler. Billy Corgan is all business, focused and intense...he is one Smashing Pumpkin. He is really focussed and concentrates when performing and the band comes off sounding tight...like so many 18 year olds breasts. They go from mosh music to reflective emotional music...such a range.

Interpol were just amazing. They are like Joy Division if they made it big...reliable melancholly drone of pure direct injectable joy. They showed up in suits and ties with a big red Epiphone hollow body electric in the guitarists hands. They looked brilliant. And there is no "I" in "Threesome" I checked.

The show had 2 huge stages...plus a big temporary structure/ tent thing with DJ's and techno....it had surround sound...so pumpin hot with huge screens and lights...Diesel Boy and no less than Crystal Method who just made the place a huge dance.

"All these little pills that give us such a thrill until they kill a million brain cells"

Crystal method have the best gig ever. One guy runs the buttons..and spins the "scratch" disk and the other dances with hot chicks at the front of the stage. Then they switch. "Get Hypnotized"! The one guy stands up on top of things and whips the crowd into a frenzy...the sound was so right on...not earsplitting but clear and thumpin good. I am completely drunk right now.



Even the food was wild too. Ever seen people at a concert sit down with 3 or 4 fresh boild crabs and start cracking them open with a little wood mallet? It was way different from regular show food. All the plastic was made from corn and compostable.

The show was repleat with a lot of activists...fire breathers and stuff...OxFam America was there ...they are my favorite place to put my "tithing" money anymore.

I will have to do a whole other posting on Baltimore itsself. So many quirky experiences available there. I stayed at the Marriot Water Front hotel, which is really nice and just drove or Metro'd to the show .

Since it was 2 days long I have to tell you about a few more bands. I saw "Bad Brains" who are like...reggae then speed metal then reggae. I caught the WuTang Clan...nice to see some hip hop rap stuff represent. I had a special moment after Bad Brains when a shoe-gazer band called "Explosions in the Sky" was checking sound. I was standing by a Baltimore 98 Rock tent where they were playing Joy Division "Dead Souls" on their stereo and the sound check guy was like "Oh you've got green eyes oh you've got blue eyes, you've got grey eyes" and I felt the zen of melancholly New Orderness that made life good.

The there was....drum roll please.....

The POLICE! Yes with Sting....

He was so classy..."That's Stuart Copeland and Andy Summers...." never once saying who he was because we all know, of course. He was in excellent form...playing the bass and singing like a siren. He even did some 4ft jumps in the air like a rockstar. It was so great to see them. They just played the hits in excellent form. Once he said "This is not at all autobiographical.." before "Don't stand so close to me". Funny. I loved the show, they rocked the place...lots of "Message in a bottle" crowd singing along with some "eeeeooooo...eeeeyooooo.....eeeeeyoooo...". Roxanne is still a damn hooker...after all these years...I'm impressed, frankly.

I almost "hooked up" with some hottie who was clearly to flipped out on something to make good choices so I dropped that like a hat from a bridge.

This is not someone I met...this is a picture of the stage...and NOTHING ELSE!!!



My pics are just my lil iPhone, so they aren't much to see...trust me...it was a great show.

=sw