love on the rocks

the beautiful red rocks soaring into the cool evening sky creating the natural amphitheater came into view. my friend asked me how many concerts I go to in a year.

I realized I don't have a clue what the answer to that question is.

I have an addiction. I admit it, but I can't quit. and I don't want to.

I love the feeling of dancing to live music. I love the incredible outdoor concert venues that are basically in my back yard. I also love a band that many people think just doesn't have it anymore. with these people I disagree. completely.

the local boys of Big Head Todd and the Monsters graced the stage of Red Rocks over the weekend.

I've seen them there nearly every summer since they've played there. the first time I saw them on the rocks was the Horde tour when I was in college with my brother and a bunch of his friends. one of the girls and I ended up in the press box, in the first row.

that was when I fell in love.

it was right after their sister sweetly album was released. it was their first national release, but I didn't know the songs, except the ones that were also on their local releases. at the time I was a poor college student in Texas, where I couldn't quite tune in the good Austin stations, and I relied on my brothers and a few friends to feed my musical craving.

I liked BHTM's music, but I couldn't grasp the pure emotion behind their songs until I saw them live, on the rocks.

I've hooked several of my friends. their live sound is completely infectious. I dragged my friend Jen into going to Austin with me for SXSW to see them. the lack of an audience they had when they first started playing that night was unbelievable. the mass that had grown by the time they ended their second song was equally unbelievable.

my sister has accompanied me on many of my infatuation-driven concert-going excursions. we've driven to Vail through a blizzard to see them. we've hurried back from Winter Park, where they played during the day, to see Todd play the Fox in Boulder with just his guitar. we hope Hazel Miller accompanies them every time we see them. she was as equally bummed as I was when they announced last year's red rocks date... on her wedding day.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times my sister and I have seen them together on the rocks, but I have never been happier to have her there with me than I was this weekend.

although it was cool and rainy most of the day, by the time the concert rolled around, it had stopped raining, and by the time BHTM took the stage, a few stars had peeked out at us through the cloud cover.

being the fan(atic) that I am, I had VIP passes to get all of us into the first few rows. well, my friends, my sis and I spent too much time in the parking lot "tailgating" and ended up getting there after the VIP section was already overflowing.

although my friends gave up staying there, my sister and I refused to admit defeat. our stubbornness paid off, we ended up center stage about five rows back. the show was incredible. Hazel helped out with the high notes. they played many of our favorites, save for a litle Vincent of Jersey.

I am so glad my sister went with me on my wishful ticket for the show. she's better company than most dates I've been on lately. no one else understands my (solely musical) infatuation with the band like she does. probably because she is equally infatuated.

the only other person I've ever met who was almost as into seeing them live was the NowEx. so no real surprise that I was reminded of him during the show, but was the buzz kill of seeing him on the way out of the show really necessary?

well, despite the pain it caused that night, the unpleasantness of running into him has faded into the recesses of my memory.

it's alright echoes in my mind. my euphoria of seeing my (musical) love, live, with my sister, is all that remains.

love you kiddo, thanks so much for going with me!