The summer concert season kicked off on Wednesday the 1st with Boy George and Cyndi Lauper, and Operation: Cheaper Than A Babysitter was a success. Nina had a blast, the show was great (featuring David Bowie and Prince covers as well as duets on T. Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”). One lesson learned: don’t keep playing her the big hit that won’t be played until the bitter end (she was asleep 3 minutes into the drive home). Thursday Jill’s mom and Auntie Kelley stayed the night on their road trip home, and we got takeout from Red’s Table.
Summer concert #2 was John Prine and Patty Griffin, on Friday, by myself. Sixth time seeing her, but first time solo. Good show, loved “Angel From Montgomery” by Prine. The big discovery was his guitarist, Jason Wilber, very talented. Saturday Nina and I helped with the annual lake cleanup after her swimming lesson. Sunday we all went to Awesome Con in DC, where despite long lines we got to meet Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi (and have a nice lunch at Nando’s).
Summer concert #3 was Mudcrutch at the 9:30 Club (on Monday the 6th, by myself), because when Tom Petty plays a club, you should go. And you should pick up the 2 Mudcrutch CDs, because he sounds reinvigorated on them (but they don’t have the killer cover of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” they busted out for the first time last night). Wednesday was Nina’s last day of school so I picked her up at 1 and took her to gymnastics later. Jill took an extra day off to watch her on Thursday and Friday, taking her to the dentist Thursday morning, then I met them at Lake Anne for Nina’s class picnic that afternoon.
Saturday we went over to Lorna and Dave’s for a garden party in the afternoon, then it was time for summer concert #4 – The B-52s. Too hot and crowded at Celebrate Fairfax to get close, but they played all the hits. Fireworks afterwards was the 1st time Nina liked them. Too bad we didn’t get her into bed until 11 (the late concerts are OK, it’s the late bedtimes that kill us).
Summer concert #5 was Living Colour on Sunday the 12th. Back to Celebrate Fairfax – we didn’t see all of the show (as someone was taking full advantage of her unlimited rides handstamp), but we did get there in time to see them tear through Glamour Boys/Love Rears Its Ugly Head/Type/Cult of Personality while we ate our shaved ice in the shade. Afterwards, Nina said she wanted to be a Glamour Girl.
Summer concert #6 was Abbie Gardner & Jesse Terry on Tuesday. I still prefer her with Anthony da Costa, but Jesse Terry has a good voice, and they pulled out some fine covers, including The Civil Wars’ “Forget Me Not” and Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping”. Wednesday we had tickets to Howard Jones/O.M.D./Barenaked Ladies, but someone got a possible concussion at summer camp and we had to cancel.
Summer concert #7 was The Lone Bellow & Lake Street Dive on Thursday the 16th. Good show, but leaving in the rain was a pain. Summer concert #8 was Laura Lea & Tripp Fabulous on Friday. We only went to the Taste of Reston to eat chocolate covered strawberries, but someone couldn’t resist a concert after 2 days of enforced rest.
Saturday morning I took Nina to the Reston District Station Open House and Grand Opening after her swimming lesson. She enjoyed sitting in the helicopter and bus, acting as Goldilocks, and eating shaved ice. Summer concert #9 was Dave Matthews Band, which resulted in this:
Nina: What’s that stinky smell?
Me: Uh – someone’s trying to smoke some plants they shouldn’t.
Her 1st Dave Matthews show, my 42nd. She got the full experience, from tailgating, to people in our seats, & epic jams (but her favorite part may have been ice cream cones at the 24 hour Baskin Robbins).
Summer concert #10 was Sting & Peter Gabriel on Thursday the 23rd. We preceded what was probably the biggest and best concert of the summer with the biggest and best meal at NoPa Kitchen + Bar (fried strawberry rhubarb pies to die for). The show was outstanding, similar in format to Sting & Paul Simon’s tour a couple years back, with the singers and bands swapping out repeatedly. A murderers’ row of hits, not really any time for breaks during the show.
After my 3rd morning on my mom’s house that month (gotta rent that place out), summer concert #11 was Riverdance on Saturday. Still a great show, and Nina loved it. But we left at intermission because we were exhausted (and still didn’t get her into bed before 10). Sunday night I was watching the Game of Thrones season finale with a bad taste in my mouth. Because my daughter handed me a toy in the bath at head level, and I grabbed it with my teeth to be funny, only to discover it was smeared with soap.
Summer concert #12 was Dreamworks Animation In Concert with National Symphony Orchestra on Thursday the 30th. Because is anything more fun than picnicking and watching cartoons on a giant screen? And thank god for intermissions (and leaving then), or we’d never get her to bed at a reasonable time.
