Philadelphia
I recently returned from a short weekend in Philadelphia. While the more devious parts of me are inclined to say that the highlight of the trip was making a vegetarian watch me eat a cheesesteak on her birthday, that wasn’t focus of the trip. Rather, I was brought to Philadelphia because the ever lovely Rachel G. had acquired a couple of tickets to see most of The Cars. Benjamin Orr, their bass player and occasional lead singer, passed away a few years ago from pancreatic cancer, so it was probably for the best that they didn’t goad him into attendance. It’s always difficult to focus on music when a ghost is trying to steal the show.
The concert itself was pretty amazing, if you like that sort of thing. As it happens, I do, and as such, it was. As the band took the stage with no introduction and the least bravado I’ve seen outside a funeral, the room went wild. What The Cars lacked in antics (or, for that matter, dialogue of any sort), they more than made up for with spirited performances of some great classics, and a healthy mix of new material sprinkled in for those in the crowd that are unfortunate enough to not remember the 80s. There were moments where Ric Ocasek literally dropped his guitar behind his back, slumped his shoulders, and stood motionless while the rest of the band rocked out. If not for some awkward hipster robot dancing from synthmaster Greg Hawkes, you might have mistaken the show for a sound check. But personally, I felt the lack of theatrics did only added to the charm of the night. And even if the band had failed to deliver even the most mechanical reproductions of their work, it still would have been worth it just to stand in the same room as Ocasek, one of the best pop songwriters and producers in recent history. Fortunately, The Cars delivered nicely, so I didn’t have to keep telling myself that on the way home.
In place of the departed bassist, the band largely made due with a pre-recorded bass track. But on a few numbers, Greg Hawkes assumed responsibilities with Ben’s old bass. As the set list went, they did shy away from songs that Ben sang lead on, with Just What I Needed and Lets Go as the only notable exceptions. Some other personal highlights included Let The Good Times Roll, You Might Think, You’re All I’ve Got Tonight, Since You’re Gone, and the delightful new Sad Song. A great show enjoyed in great company made for a great evening.
From there, Rachel and I crashed the tail end of her sister’s barbecue, and the three of us spent the next day together wandering around the city. We took a leisurely walk around the old Waterworks and the park by the river, eventually breaking so that I could make the vegetarian duo watch me eat the most unhealthy meat product I could possibly find. Then after a brief furlough at Johnny Rocket’s for milkshakes, we met up with another local friend (who was also in the middle of a birthday) and went to Buffalo Billiards for a few quick rounds of shuffle board. Good times and a few drinks were had by all.
A short bus ride later, we were back in the New York, ready to resume our normal lives of avoiding eye contact with people who want money.
-TC