Crazy with the Cheesewiz

Clearance Rack

Beckity, Beck, Beck, Beck.

1996 was a killer year for a Beck show. I know, I saw four of them. You can never get enough Odelay. Actually, the first and second one's I didn't exactly, see, I just heard. It was one of those festivals with a million music acts, food and people. Great bargain, great shows, but deadly crowded at times. The third one I saw was at the beautiful Paramount theatre in Seattle, WA. You may know it from the Pearl Jam 'Even Flow' video where a long haired, Eddie Vedder jumped into the crowd from the balcony. I digress. This show was a suprise for me since tickets had been sold out, scalpers were asking $75 (I was a poor just college grad. saving up for a European trip), and I felt there was no hope. Then came a call from my off and on college boyfriend, with whom I was good friends with but bloody thankful that he was not and had not been by boyfriend for awhile. (Why is hindsight always 20/20?) He'd spent $300 on four Beck tickets and was telling me that he and his friend Steven were going with a couple dates, yet to be scored. I think he felt a little overwhelmed with having spent that money, considering he was a struggling entrepeneur at the time. I wished them well, called them lucky bastards and went about my business. Cut to the next day (day of the concert). Dude calls me and says they couldn't find dates and asked if I wanted to go. For free. Hells yeah. I asked who else was going. He told me that Steven's sister Linda was going as well. Classic. Two eligible, outgoing, Seattle 20 somethings can't scare up dates to a hot, hot show and have to take their ex girlfriend and their sister. Too funny. We all meet up for drinks, slam a few "stiffies" and hit the Paramount. The show was somewhat of a blur. More dancing than ever before. Most energy I'd ever felt at a show and we smoked a doob with a security guard. The fourth and final Beck 'Odelay' show of 1996 was in Philadelphia, PA. I was residing in Newark, DE at the time (don't ask) and Philly was the nearest venue. Again, same high energy, different scene as it was in an arena and we actually got there in time to see the Cardigans open for them. Yeah, I thought that was a weird choice too. Again, we smoked a doob, this time not with a security guard, but next to an 8 year old and his grandpa. No lie. Didn't realize they were there until mid-pass. Ooops. But, very pleased to see the young and old alike appreciating the high energy stage antics of the little, indie, genius freak, Beck. He came to Chicago in 2002. We missed that. Bummer. He'd come to my tiny college town of Ellensburg to play, but I missed that too. My friend Danny saw him in the local health food store and invited him to his house to smoke of the pipe. Beck politely declined, sighting a sore throat. He was in fact shopping for Throat Coat tea. (Bitchin' stuff by the way.). Now Beck is due back here in Chicago. There are no two ways about it, I'm going. It's been nine years since I've rocked a Beck show. The feeling still lives in me like it was yesterday and I'm shocked that is so easily recalled in my mind after all these years. Oh, Beck, I will forever be under your weird and wicked little spell. Ex boyfriends, security guards and eight year old children aside, it's all about you.