Sneezing my way through a concert

Concert-going while sick with a summer cold is not much fun. But since the tickets were already bought... best to at least try, right? People's Court was the venue, a place we had been before and knew just when to arrive to get a decent seat for a sold-out show. Unfortunately, all their tables were sold as VIP seating, at an additional $100/pop. Yikes! Never mind.

But standing for several hours while reeling from a head cold wasn't the most appealing prospect either, so we bolted for the adjoining bar and set up shop in there, playing cards and reading while waiting for the show to start, and then taking turns going in to see the show to hold on to the table.

The opening act was The Head and the Heart, and they were great! Strong harmonies, good mix of ballads and up tempo stuff. Definitely worth a trip to the merch table and their debut CD. :)

Iron & Wine was the headliner, and I can't say that I like the direction they've been going lately. Leaving their folk roots, they have ventured first into Jamaican Reggae and then, currently, into a style that is reminiscent of Chicago circa 1975 (except with synthesized brass instead of the real thing).

The rock jams went on far too long for my tastes, and there was something weird about hearing "Naked as we Came" or "The Trapeze Swinger" with a rousing brass section.

Still, it was worth it to find a new band to follow, even if an old fave has forgotten what made them appealing in the first place.

And as for the head cold, the worst is over as of this morning. A steady diet of Zicam and three sets of tennis this morning (6-4, 3-6, 6-1) drove the last of the toxins out, I think. I'm liking this new tennis partner I've found. Just good enough to push me hard, but not so good that I go home demoralized. ;)