Over The River...

There is something so life-renewing about spending the evening in New York City.

While I will eternally consider myself a Jersey Girl (thank you Tom Waits and Bruce), I have spent quite a lot of time in NYC.  First as a kid, when mom would take me to Broadway shows, then later as a early teenager sneaking into the city for nothing more exciting than to walk the streets and be intoxicated by the dynamic which surrounds you.

Later, there was school, work and living in the city. But the one thing which drew me into New York more than anything else was the music. The venues, both large and small offered an overflowing bounty of sounds from every genre. It still does.

Last night I was able to spend another night in the city with the end game seeing a new band. But as always, getting there is half the fun.

An easy drive over the George Washington Bridge, as well as non-existent traffic down the west side, put me in one fine mood. And the view of the sun going down over Jersey as you ride parallel to the Hudson River, always puts a smile on my face.

Getting across town can get pretty dicey sometimes, especially when the POTUS is in town. Thankfully, I missed him by one day and, even getting from one river to the river on the other side of the island, was smooth. Finding a parking space not too far from the venue was even smoother.

Meeting up with the rest of the crew, a great dive bar with $3 beers was the first destination. And the great thing about this place is they don't serve food, but you can order some in. So that's what we did...ordered delivery from a Korean restaurant, and drank our $3 beers. For those not from the area, a $3 beer in NYC is something like the T-Rex....extinct. Double that is the going rate...I know it sounds crazy, unless you've paid $17 bucks for a Cosmopolitan or fancy Martini. That's when a $6 beer seems like a bargain. But I digress.

With the temperature as close to perfect as you can get, the walk from the bar to the venue, Webster Hall, was easy and enjoyable. Now it was time to breathe in new music. Worthwhile...definitely, but more about that later.

Heading back to Jersey was pretty easy as well. Passed through the Meadowlands before the traffic from the Springsteen concert at the stadium let out. I hear Bruce was rockin' it pretty good last night too.

All in all, a good night. When it includes music, they usually are.

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The Trip To Danville: Almost Showtime

For the first two parts of the story of the road trip to Danville, check out:
On The Road Again: The Trip To Danville along with
And So It Began...The Trip To Danville

Timeline Saturday March 17, around 2 pm. Danville PA

Checked into the hotel, looking like we were staying for a week instead of overnight. Two cooler bags filled with supplies, a bag with wine glasses (plastic cups..I don't think so. We bring champagne and crystal glasses when we tailgate at Springsteen concerts at the Meadowlands), and a small electric espresso maker (doesn't everyone?). Add some clothes and toiletries...well jersey girls don't travel light; we travel prepared.

After having a quick beer, out the door to check out the venue and grab some lunch. At the club, ran into Bob Richardson from the band Hybrid Ice, whom I had interviewed last month. Spent some time talking with him about what to expect for the show later that night. Those details only made us anticipate the evening even more.

Running a little later than we were expecting, we decided to grab a bite at one of the chains near the hotel. Please tell me how you have a new bartender working alone on a St. Patty's Day? The servers were lined up like rush hour traffic going into the Lincoln Tunnel.

Back to the hotel, relax a bit and get ready for the show. Finally get to meet the first of my two tweetville friends, this one drove in from Ohio...did I say crazy lady? Yes, indeed...but a girl after my own heart. If there's good music, don't stand in our way.

So, you always know when you stick out like a sore thumb. Walking up to the venue, we kinda got the "they're not from around here" look from the crowd waiting for the doors to open. Yes, north jersey ain't exactly nearby. It's really just the attitude...actually we are pretty harmless...unless provoked. At that point, we found our other friend from Twitterland and walked in (with a little help from the band) to claim our spots for the night.

With plenty of time before the show, it was fun to actually talk with the people I have been tweeting with for months. Nothing earthshaking, I think we pretty much knew what to expect from each other. Amazing what you can learn about each other in 140 characters. Also, with two of us writing blogs, there's not much in our lives that isn't addressed in public.

The people of Danville could not have been nicer; enjoyed talking to them and enjoyed the $2 price tag on the beers. You ain't getting that in jersey.


Lights go down...
The Music in Danville: First Up, Hybrid Ice followed by The Music in Danville: Jimi Jamison Rocks Hard

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