peppering

I wore this to the Herms show on Saturday night at Du Nord. I wanted to dress a little fancy because before the show, I toasted the couple I married for their 1-year anniversary party. As per Chris's suggestion, I recited this verse by Ogden Nash:

"To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup
Whenever you're wrong, admit it
Whenever you're right, shut up."

So the Herms show was one of their best ever. There was a crazy energy to it, and a dialogue of frenzy between the crowd and the band. Hotshot music writer Garrett Kamps was so overjoyed in the front row, he yelled to me, "These guys don't sound like *anyone*!" and then shook up his beer and sprayed it all over the band mid-song, thereby christening Matt's brand new guitar.

But it provided an element of surprise, a sense that anything could happen. This is the punk ethos that indie bands should strive for, but rarely do. I do believe they're on to something.

Adding to the excitement was another friend of the band, he's French and pogo-ing two-feet high in the air, screaming,"Wooo!" during his favorite songs. His infectious enthusiasm made Garrett douse the band again, which delighted the frontpeople and enraged the drummer. Somebody mopped the dancefloor, which for some reason always cracks me up.

This frenchman was awesome. I was introduced to him a few minutes before the show and we immediately shared our hatred for George W. Bush. He said that the french would never put up with a president like him, one who steals the elections. He'd be long overthrown by now. If only!

So he told me that the cameo I was wearing was Marie Antoinette who was beheaded by her own people. It's a bit funny to wear a beheaded head, no? He told me the story about Marie's ultimate demise, that she said about her people who were destitute, standing in bread lines, "Let them eat cake!" Ultimately, they took off her head.

Though there was no cake at the concert, a bandmember's girlfriend brought delicious homemade brownies, each adorned with "The Herms" in chocolate icing. They were free with the purchase of their EP. Some CDs are still available but the brownies are history.