HiHi Puffy AmiYumi? Gazundteit!

As a warm up to Una's U2 'debut', I decided to take her to a smaller scale show at the Filmore, the other night. She loves a cartoon called 'HiHi Puffy AmiYumi' which is about an evil busting Japanese female rock band. Little did I know this is an actual pop/punk/surf rock band from Japan. When Una found out they were playing in San Francisco, she was instantly hopeful. What the heck. It seemed to be the perfect way to introduce her to the ins and outs of a live show, a skill that will come in useful in the not too distant future.

Una donned her rock-diva ensemble (complete with rinestone studded, black, knee high ass-kickers), her most sparkley blue eye shadow and her older-than-her-years 'big-girl' attitude and off we went to meet up with her friend, Olivia (and Olivia's dad, Eliah). The two of them were practicaly vibrating with excitement.

I was expecting alot of kids to be there (very odd as the Filmore has been the home to so many drug-induced nights of music over the decades). I was not expecting the rather large number of middle aged suits that were wandering about. I don't know if they were there to gawk at the kids or the girls that front the band. Or both. Either way, they were creepy and really out of place. Rock shows usually have a few unsavory types, but they aren't usually of the pedophile-type. The other oddity was the number of venue employees there were pasing out ear-plugs. In my day, your hearing was your own worry (turn it up to 11, dude!).

The kids kind of put up with the opening act, but as the singer was neither Ami or Yumi, the girls were largely unimpressed. A shame, really, because the first band (whose name I do not know) was very good. They did an interesting punk version of "Time After Time", which is apparently an "oldy" (when the hell did my music become "classic"?).

Puffy AmiYumi was an interesting affair. The whole band had names like "Max" and "Taylor" and "J.T. Snow". The keyboard player, looked like one of the Sweathogs. Remember the goofy one with the nasal laugh? (OK, maybe my music is "classic" if I remember "Horseshack"). The guy had a full on Jew-fro that even swayed from side to side when he bounced his head, a la "Partridge Family". Now unless his father is named Rabinowitz, I'm pretty sure this was not a Japanese characteristic. One of the singers, Ami I believe, had chanelled "Avril Lavine" and was doing her best to be "hard". The huge, sequined bow pinned to her cut-off skater shorts under cut the image a bit. Possibly the funiest part were the two stage manager/crew guys on the sides of the stage clapping very pointedly in time in hopes of keeping the band together. If you have ever seen a large group of Asians at a karaoke bar, you can picture this (before anyone accuses me of racial insensitivity for this statement, I refer you to any Japan Town karaoke bar or "Lost in Translation" if their is no Asian enclave in your town).

The girls, of course, found it all to be just "too cool". So much so, in fact, that the excitement and frenetic dancing pooped them out and caused us to need to take them home before the end of the show, as Una was falling asleep!

I have since found Una with her hairbrush, singing in front of the mirror twice. She has also declared "the Beetles" to be "booooooring!" and insists on constant dance music to be played. Before you know it, I will find myself yelling "turn that crap off!!" and wondering why "kids these days can't just listen to some good old AC/DC? Now that was music!" I think I have managed to orchestrate my own demise.

Rise of The Machines

Does it ever feel like our lives are more and more dependent on machines each and every year? You'd be hard pressed to walk down the street and meet someone without gadgets spewing out of his pockets. That assumes you can penetrate the electronic force field that forms his neuro-net connecting his PDA to his drug dispenser, least he comes off his designer drug high and come to his senses. Heck, even the bum that you passed is sporting some RFID chips in the items he stole from the nearest Walmart.

This rant is brought to you by the courtesy of our broken washing machine. Damn smart washing machine too. It knew to break down just one month after its warranty ran out. That thing is probably already plotting how to create the most mahem so that the repair folks can maximize their profits.

And in case you're wondering: Yes, we rent. Yes, we own our washing machine. We were at the mercy of this one after our old, cheap landlord decided it was better to put the used washer and dryer in the landfill if he can't get $200 from the new, cheap landlords to leave them. The new, cheap landlord then decided that it was better to pay for the utilities for a washer and dryer that we owned over coin operated one that they would own. Never mind that they would have recouped that $200 by now.

Until our washing machine is fixed, hope that Declan barfs over our clothes as little as possible.

My Son the Rockstar

As many people know, U2 is my favorite band of all times. They are the best rock and roll band out there. There is simply no room for discussion on this point. And like all good parents, I have made sure that my kids worship in the correct church- the Church of Bono. After buying Cameron a portable CD player for Christmas, the first of our albums he burned was "How to Dismantel an Atomic Bomb". He has impeccable taste.

When we heard that the tour was set and tickets would be on sale on whatever date it was, Cameron and I set our minds to getting tickets. I was determined to introduce the kids to the joy that is discovering the first band that makes you want to be a rockstar (for me it was the Talking Heads). When the day came, I overslept and missed out on tickets by just 10 minutes! We were crushed. Cameron and I spent the whole of April 9th and 10th nursing our disapointment as one caller after another called KFOG to tell all of us just how great the show we missed was.

Today, April 20th, came the news that there were still tickets for the expanded tour! Dare I dream? Dare I try again? Nothing in Los Angeles. Nothing in San Diego. Could there be anything but heartache if I tried for Oakland? The scene of the PopMart Tour I saw 8 years ago? Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls...

THE O'CHANS ARE GOING TO U2!

Yes indeed, Cameron and Una will experience the joy that is the arena rock show. They saw Dave Mathews at SBC park, but it doesn't compare. They will know the bliss that is ringing ears despite your earplugs. The exquisite dilema of whether or not to spend hard earned allowance money on their first concert tee shirts. How to negotiate the beer soaked concrete steps of the Coliseum. I will have the beautiful memory of catching my kids singing "Desire" or "Vertigo" into their hairbrushes in front of the bathroom mirror.

And best of all, it isn't music I need to yell at them to turn off because it sucks.

More Pictures

Yes, from the phone. Fun with personal electronics.