Tin Roof. Rusted.

Posted on by Matt Wardlaw

“You’re pretty sentimental aren’t you,” she asked me via text message. Well, yeah….you read the blog, right?

That’s what I was thinking, with so many sentimental memories connected to songs, albums, places, and people, I guess like pretty much everyone else in the world. Although I can tell you that I’ve met plenty that aren’t sentimental at all, so those people do exist. I’m sad for them, because what would life be without those good thoughts that come to mind when you hear a particular song, smell a particular smell, or pass a certain local landmark?

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And this is why I had to go see The B-52’s when I found out that they were playing in Chattanooga on Thursday night. “Sentimental” doesn’t even begin to explain the feelings and memories that I have attached to this band. Thanks to Brian, who snagged the ultimate “good friend” award being willing to drop me off and pick me up in Chattanooga (25 miles each way from our hotel,) I was able to go to the show.

I bypassed the admission charge and walked right in to the Riverbend Festival, the annual Chattanooga event playing host to the B’s on this particular evening. I figure it’s good karma paying me back for the amount of shows that I could have easily scored tickets to, but instead ended up paying. Not today, and any dollar I can save during a potential money-draining trip like Bonnaroo is welcome.

The B’s were playing on the Coca-Cola stage, a floating waterfront stage not unlike Cleveland’s Nautica Stage, but a heck of a lot larger in size, and highly elevated from the crowd by comparison. I got there just in time to see the band soundcheck “Private Idaho” and “Pump” – with the full band no less, no roadie rock here. It was very cool to see a band like The B-52’s still taking something seriously like soundcheck after all of these years, not just blowing it off or letting their band do it. The seating in the venue is all relatively far removed from the stage, so I made the decision that I would just chill on the lawn and enjoy the beautiful night.

This afternoon and evening in Chattanooga will perfectly illustrate exactly how much of a music freak I am, if you haven’t already picked up on this from reading the blog. I ultimately invested 10 hours of the day to see a 90 minute performance from the B-52’s. I spent the early part of the afternoon chilling out and finishing up the Joe Vitale book while listening to various playlists on my Ipod. About 7 hours later, it was finally time for The B-52’s to take the stage, opening with “Pump,” the opening track on their latest album Funplex that has served as the show opener throughout this tour.

I knew going in that it would be the same exact setlist that I saw last year at the House of Blues show, and I was perfectly okay with that. Bummed a bit, because I knew that I STILL would not get to hear my beloved “Deadbeat Club,” but okay with getting to see The B-52’s one more time before they (hopefully) go back into the studio to work on another new studio album. I can hope and dream on that one, as well as Funplex has been well received by fans and critics alike. I’d also be alright with another summer tour next year, and perhaps a setlist shuffle that would finally give me “Deadbeat,” and perhaps a track or two off the Good Stuff disc.

Surprisingly, even though there were no bands playing before the B’s, the band ended up playing a “festival” setlist that while it clocked in about as long as the HOB show last year, still trimmed out a couple of tracks – “Channel Z” (dammit!) and “Juliet of the Spirits” (dammit! dammit!) from Funplex. The Funplex material was tightened up considerably after a solid year’s worth of touring, and the harmonizing voices of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson are still dreamy floating fun to the max. “Good Stuff,” as the album title once said, for sure. And ah, Fred. What a crazy nut.

After the band wrapped things up with “Planet Claire” and “Rock Lobster,” I enjoyed the waning moments of the evening, watching the lightning in the distance, hoping that I could avoid getting rained on during the hour that I still had to wait before Brian would be back from Bonnaroo. The rain gods were apparently on my side, and I finished day one of Bonnaroo (oops, was I supposed to go there?) dry and musically content.

Now, about that Bonnaroo thing – It’s officially “day one” for me now as I head into Friday’s slate of music with a schedule that includes David Byrne, Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Bela Fleck, and quite a few others that I am looking forward to seeing. Byrne is on stage at the same time as the Beastie Boys, so I imagine that my compadres and I will part ways on that one, because I know they are stokin’ to see the Beasties again.

Speaking of compadres, my pal Brian is covering Bonnaroo for Blogcritics, and you can check out his daily coverage here.

Onward!

31 Comments on “Tin Roof. Rusted.”

  2. So glad you were able to see them play AND that you’re having fun on your trip. You deserve it!

    Crossing my fingers you’re able to stay cool and dry today…

    It’s the 12th BTW… I think ya may squeak through under 5,000… maybe.

  3. It sounds like you’re having a great time! That Brian guy sounds pretty alright. 🙂

  4. Hey – Sounds like you are having a blast!

    One question: how do you define “roadie rock”? I’ve never heard that phrase before, but like it.

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