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Going to the Summerfest with my Mommy:

1. She holds your purse while you stand on the table to get a better view of Andrew Bird.
2. She gives you her shawl to wear, because it really is "cooler by the lake."
3. She says, "They're good. I like them" right after Wilco does a song full of feedback you thought would bother her.
4. She calls Jeff Tweedy "Dylan-esque," which makes you smile.
5. She buys you tiramisu. She buys herself tiramisu.
6. She points out that she is not the oldest person at the Flogging Molly stage.
7. She dances to Mike Doughty, even though she doesn't have to.
8. Dude, I have a mom that likes Wilco, Andrew Bird, and Mike Doughty. How cool is that?

My sister had to work, Beth had a kickball game, my cousin Flannery didn't return my phone call, Peter is out of town (out of the country?), so I asked my mom if she would go to Summerfest wth me. I may punk out of most things, but had I given the chance to see a bunch of really good bands FOR FREE, I would have had to turn in whatver hipster cred I may have built up. So I went with my Mom, and I'm PROUD OF IT.

Andrew Bird was awesome. Except for the brief tiramisu run, we saw the whole set. We stayed for about half the Wilco set. Jeff Tweedy looked like Billy Corrigan with a scruffy Jesus hairdo, and that kind of weirded me out, but they were excellent. We walked over to listen (couldn't see them) to Flogging Molly for a few songs, so I feel I can now miss Irish Fest without guilt. Then I made her go all the way to the other end of the park to watch Mike Doughty for twenty minutes. He was really good (he said he was "feeling the mystical power of cheese" due to eating some cheese curds), and since it was a small stage, had a really good dialogue going with the audience.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Wow, if I was in town I would have gone to that concert with you. Thanks for the tutorial on the differences between MN and WI. I always forget your state's claim to fame is the bubbler... even when you and peter bring it up... constantly. :)

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