Whatever happened to my ROCK AND ROLL?

Whatever happened to my, to my ROCK AND ROLL?

I just got back from the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show at Brick by Brick. It's got to be one of the best concerts I've ever seen. They rocked. I have rockstar crushes on everyone in the band. Also: normal crushes.

If you haven't ever seen them live, now is the time. They are shining. Unlike a few years ago, when Robert's bass broke on stage.

First of all, we didn't actually have tickets to the sold-out show. My neighbor and concert carpool gave me one, and then one of the roadies gave us his access pass to get Erik in. We instantly felt a mixture of extremely badass and extremely lucky. Everytime I'm at Brick by Brick, I'm always surprised how great of a venue it is, it's lameness only due to the lame bands they usually bring in. Tonight, of course, was an exception. And we knew it. Towards the end of the set, one of the boys (I couldn't really see who was talking and you know how they both kind of sound the same?) said, "San Diego, it's, you know, alright." Thanks dude. I agree. I usually keep my expectations low for the rockingness and legitimate badassness of this America's Not Quite Finest Anymore City, but hey. We're alright.

After the show, we were dawdling back to our car and saw Robert with the many last names standing out in the alley. Janine, my neighbor, is more of an explicit rockstar addict than any of us, so we got her album signed. I had a chance to talk to Robert a little, and I asked him if he remembered opening for The Autumns, like five+ years ago in LA. Erik's college roommate and one of our dear friends, Frankie, is their guitar player. He not only remembered, but said that he had really liked them and played with them quite a bit. He asked me what they've been up to, and after hearing about their latest album, said something along the lines of "they're such fucking hard workers." Erik was really impressed that he remembered that, which must have made him change his mind about asking if he remembered when his bass broke at Coachella. On the contrary, tonight made me want to be a bass player in a rock and roll slash bluesish gospelish slash general indie band.

My concert reviews and scores generally revolve around how charmed I was. And, charmed I was indeed. Red eyes and tears no more for you, my love.

I feel like I should add: I'm fully aware that I am a poser when it comes to badassness. For example, the lower right side of my back was hurting significantly at the start of the concert, and the pain and discomfort not only got worse, but spread all over my back, right-side, and abdomen throughout the show. My unbadass diagnosis was that my kidney broke.