It appears that everyone was on their best behavior last week, because when I showed up for jury duty this morning we were told that there would be no trial this week. Didn’t even get to set foot inside the courtroom. Thank you for your service. Sucks for the poor sods who decided not to show up, as she was taking down names. The DPS was fairly close to the courthouse, so I decided, since I was in town anyway, to get my driver’s license renewed. I know there are lots of horror stories about DPS experiences, but mine couldn’t have been better. In and out in 10-15 minutes. I didn’t even have time to fill out the application form completely before my number was called.
We watched the four episodes of The Bletchley Circle this weekend. It airs on PBS and deals with a group of women who were codebreakers during WWII but who, in the aftermath, are not allowed to talk about what they did (which saved many lives), and must return to the banal life offered to women in the 1950s. In the first series, they banded together to track down a serial killer. In the second series, there are two stories, one having to do with sarin gas testing on British soldiers and the other about smuggling rings that carried on after the black market established during the war was no longer necessary.
Last night we went to see Don Felder (of the Eagles), Foreigner and Styx at the outdoor concert pavilion near the house. It opened 25 years ago and in those heady early days it seemed I was attending shows 2-3 times a week. Over the years, we have gone less, but I really wanted to see Styx, so I persuaded my wife to go. She was afraid the groups would be “past their prime,” but that was not the case at all.
Felder opened at 7 pm with a set list made up mostly of Eagles songs he co-wrote, along with a recent solo track and the theme song from Heavy Metal. They brought out the obligatory double-neck guitar for “Hotel California,” and Styx’s Tommy Shaw joined him on stage for that song. He was in good voice.
Then out came Foreigner, part of the soundtrack of my high school years, and they put on a rocking good show, even though there’s only one original band member (Mick Jones) on the tour. They were energetic and the songs were loud and invigorating. Then on came Styx, which features two of the five original band members, Shaw and James “JY” Young. Dennis De Young’s vocals are done by Lawrence Gowan, a Scottish Canadian who was a big hit up north in the 80s with songs like “Criminal Mind” and “Strange Animal.” He opened for Styx a few times in the late 90s and Shaw liked what he heard, inviting him to join the band permanently. He wrote a couple of songs for their fine album Cyclorama, and he looks like he’s having the time of his life, strutting, playing keyboards (once with his back to the instrument), jumping, climbing and singing his heart out.
This was the first time I’ve seen either band in concert (I saw Felder twenty years ago on the Hell Freezes Over tour), and I’m glad we went. It was a blast from the past, but it was also fun to listen to and sing along with all these familiar songs.
I wasn’t displeased with the outcome of The Amazing Race. Rachel said she didn’t want to finish second, and that wish was granted. I wouldn’t have objected if the country singers won, either, but in the end it was a satisfactory outcome.
