What a Weekend! (Protomen show, Tenacious D)

Good morning! Lord! How did I live through this weekend?

Event #1: Protomen show, with Noncomissioned Officers opening:

I shamefully don't know the bass player's name, but here you can see Jordan Lehning's right shoulder, Eric Lehning in skull-ish makeup up front, the nameless bass player, a cymbal-obscured Mixta Huxtable on drums, and Bab on keys in the tiki shirt to the right.

Friday night, Matthew sat in with the Lehning brothers' Non Comissioned Officers on a set of Iggy Pop covers that looked a little like this, except way cooler in person. Things I have learned about myself this weekend: I need a better camera and....I need a better camera

Iphone pictures aside, I was really impressed with the sound of the set, being a freakin' DE-VO-TEE of the Lust for Life record. David Bowie produced it; what more do you want from me? I must have listened to that and Lou Reed's Transformer about a million times in a three month period in late high school. "Turn Blue" was probably the high point of the show, but of course, I was too busy boppin' to the beat to even take a video. I do have this one of "Some Weird Sin" (above), also excellent, also dead on. I had the impression that 90% of the audience, having come for the Protomen-doing-Queen set that would follow an act later, had no idea that Noncoms was doing an album's-worth-of-covers, and probably just thought this was a really great opening band. Ah, well!

I didn't notice Eric's grey jacket is a nod to the cover of The Idiot until some time after the set. WELL. Good job, sir.

Here's a shot of Bab backstage, where people are doing makeup and hair and all other kinds of things. The light! It's blinding! On the left, another from the moon shot, this one with Wayne, frontman for the Protomen and all around nice guy:

Pre-jam group hug with Joey and Matthew and Jordan (Eric is being body-painted for his death-pallor stage makeup in the background):

Event #2: Tenacious D TIIIIIIIIIIIME:

We! Are! Fam-i-ly!

My sister Susan and I have been huge Tenacious D fans since the early 2000's, so it was only fitting that the second they released tickets for a show in Nashville at the Ryman, we were THERRRRRRE. I missed Jack Black appearing on stage at the Protomen show because after Bab's set and a bit of socializing across the street at the Gold Rush, I was just too tired (am I no longer rock and roll?). However! I did see him an' his brother Kyle, as he refers to him in "Tribute", on stage in one of the best venues this side of the Mississipp'. So no big regrets. The photo above is from a Nissan photobooth thing they had set up in front of the building. See the family resemblance?

Sus is a really good concert-going buddy. We've seen Eddie Izzard, the Kids in the Hall, and the Hives together so far (Note: And Neil Diamond, she reminds me. How did I not mention that epic concert?!), and I always forget until we actually get to the event how neat it is to go to shows. We had so much fun gabbin' before the set started that it was like "Oh! I almost forgot! We're here to see the D!" Hopeless cases, tous les deux.

Here we are in the balcony, taking the obligatory "we're at a show!" photo

This is before the giant, winged genitalia blow-up stage set thing came up. I spared you! You're welcome.

Yes, I'm one of those "always buy the t-shirt" concert go-ers. It is my nature! How great is this Dawn of the Dead homage design? Also, FYI, this is what they call a women's LARGE. I thought it would be too big because I usually wear a small or a medium. Concert t-shirt makers, consult a sizing chart next time! Your shirts are too teeny!

Last but not least, my day was MADE yesterday when I opened up the mailbox and found a care package from one of the our own readers, Mrs. Leapheart! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the goodies therein, including a book on female juvenile delinquents for Bab (spicy!), an orange bead necklace set from Topeka, KS, and the gorgeous cheetah-print-collar she mentioned in an earlier comment! It's real fur that's maybe has been painted? Or maybe there's some poor naked cheetah out there in the sixties' savannah. Either way, I l-o-o-o-o-o-ove it. And, most importantly, Snappy loves it, too.

I'm ready to take this collar out on the town! Excuse the messy beehive; it was the end of the day.

Whew! Just re-living that weekend has me a little tired! What did you do this past weekend, anything fun? Any great estate sale finds? I've gotta get back to work on this blinkin' educational paper for my Thursday class, but hopefully I'll have it done tonight and get back to the vintage goods tomorrow. See you then!