Blondie & the Beastly E.C.I
After a brief lull of activity in the first half of July, life has picked up once again. From celebrating Bastille Day immersed in French chanson with Fleur Seule, to paying homage to the David Bowie via my friend Raquel Cion’s birthday celebration. And finally, it was the first sign that my France trip is closer at hand with the travel documents in hand. For last night, It was time for my next concert. I went to see two bands that I love but have never seen before live, Blondie and Elvis Costello and the Imposters.
The events of last night started out in the first week of April. When the first announcement of this year’s summer shows at Forest Hills Stadium was announced, none of them jumped out at me. I thought of going to see either Greta Van Fleet or Weird Al Yankovic but didn’t make the move to buy the ticket. Then on April 6th, this tour was announced and I knew that I had to be there. I missed my chance to see Blondie live when they toured with the band Garbage on their Rage and Rapture tour in August 2017. But their stop at the Beacon Theater was sold out. As for Mr. Costello, I was wondering how deep in his back catalog he could go, reminiscent of the shows on stage with his spectacular spinning songbook. By time the midmorning break was over, I had the tickets in hand and one more moment to look forward to.
It was a summer evening in July. Oddly enough, on the same date last year when I saw the Arctic Monkeys at this same venue. The day was warm but not humid, nor excruciatingly hot as it had been the previous days. After a brief stop at home to drop off my bag, pick up my ticket and camera, I was on my way out the door. I arrived at the subway stop at 71st Avenue in Forest Hills. I knew that I was heading in the right direction when a familiar set of murals greeted me as I walked past the LIRR station. On my left, Billie Jean King, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. On the other side of the street, four non related brothers from Queens and native sons of the neighborhood, the punk rock band, The Ramones. The sign above my head, This Way to Forest Hills Stadium. As the late afternoon sun shined bright behind the clouds, I arrived at the gates. With my can of Strongbow hard cider in hand, I made my way up to my seat.
A bit after 7pm, the show began. A series of blaring alarms rang out. Then a silver haired woman walked on stage with her matching coat. From high above, it was the immortal beauty of Debbie Harry shimmering as her band took the stage to open the show. For the next hour, it was hooks upon hooks from the opening song of “One Way or Another” leading into “Hanging on the Telephone”. There was a moment when the past met with the present, in the form of a snippet of Little Nas X’s “Old Town Road” added in at the end during Debbie’s rap in “Rapture”. As the sun cleared the back of the stadium, their part of the show finished on a high note with “Atomic”, “Heart of Glass” Debbie’s own “You’re Too Hot” and “Dreaming” leaving the crowd singing along to every word as they departed the stage. I was in a state of rapture myself but the night was only beginning.
The sun had set and day had turned to night. It was just after 8:40pm when the lights turned down low and You’ll Never Walk Alone began to ring out. Indulging my inner scouser, I began to sing along as hearing the song on tv before every Liverpool FC game scarves aloft warms my cynical heart. But the song cut off just as Elvis and his band The Imposters appeared on stage to rapturous applause. He didn’t waste any time as he launched into “Pump It Up” and it wasn’t easy keeping in tune with the sped up vocal delivery. With “Miracle Man”, “Clubland” and “Accidents Will Happen” being part of the opening salvo, he demonstrated his gift for hooky songs and biting wit. But it was the last nine songs of his 17 song set where he and the band hit their strides. From a funky “Watching the Detectives” to a closing salvo of “Everyday I Write The Book”, “Allison” and closing with “(What’s So Funny) Bout Peace, Love and Understanding”, the entire stadium was singing along to every word. The long day’s journey to night came to an end just before 10pm. I was tired after a long day and ready for bed, but as I drifted gently into the good night, I went to bed happily. Another concert is in the books.
I’m not done yet with the summer, though. It will be a busy August, between the organizattion I work for and its staff appreciation party sailing along New York Harbor at the end of next week, followed by my friends Adam and Aaron reprising their after egos in 2Scoops at Joe’s Pub the following night. The next concert is in two week’s time bringing together The Smashing Pumpkins, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and AFI for an evening of music by the sea at Jones Beach. The month of August ends as the U.S. Open comes back to Queens. It all leads up to my trip to France at the end of September.
There’s more to life than the feelings of negativity and the pressure of trying to merely exist that surrounds me. Joy can be found if looked for. And for me, one of its forms comes in seeing music live and in person. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful world we live in.
