The Irrevocable Shackles of Matrimony
This weekend, the Mountain of Love, K. Steeze, and your humble narrator descended upon Saint Louis, far-famed as "the mighty city by the mighty Mississippi" and home to the longest-enduring under-50 couple I know, The Guy and his bride-to-be The Gal, for a magnificent one-two punch of a weekend: Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake in concert - together! - and the Mountain's bachelor party. Money's tight right now, but our tickets to this greatest of all rock shows were bought and paid for months ago. Besides that, I have but one brother and Wilsons mate for life; so, this was my one and only chance to throw my one and only brother a bachelor party, though of course the weekend's festivities would not have sufficed as traditional bachelor party fodder, with beer consumed in only moderate quantities and nary an exposed, silicon-inflated bosom to be found.

The next several weeks will be chockablock with preparations for the evacuation from Texas, but I shall endeavour to find time to fully describe the glory of Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake appearing on the same stage on the same night and absolutely rocking our arses. Though fully aware of the event's itinerary, in the interval between the end of LTJ's The Price is Right-themed extravaganza and the advent of RBF's masterful set (it's an inside joke!) I turned to my fellows and marveled at our good fortune. On any other night, following the conclusion of Less Than Jake's encore we would have retired to our conveyance and counted ourselves blessed to have been party to such a rock spectacle. But on this peerless evening we had still ahead of us the splendor of the Reel Big Fish and their brilliant live performance. What a time to be alive!

Beyond the show, fellowship monopolized the remainder of our time. We toured a few of The Guy's favorite eateries and the awesome Gateway Arch, made goodly use of his Wii and fought our way through a bloody game of RISK, but all of this was a sideshow to simply spending time one with another. The always enigmatic Professor was sorely missed, but all in attendance basked in the glow of the magnificence that is Blue Tree Whacking. I don't think any man among us every forgets how lucky he is to have such friends, but by Jove it feels grand to be reminded anyway!

Ricky Fitness
I am still tremendously fat, but in the pit I could feel the benefit of the long months of toil in my apartment complex's meager fitness center. I have not jumped so high for so long in an age! Every time I thought my legs had given the last measure of devotion I would find myself leaping vertically to the rhythm of another song. Again and again I spat in the face of gravity, again and again my legs felt more like springs than oversized ham hocks. Huzzah! Twenty-eight may sound too old to still love the choas and violence of the mosh pit, but as long as my legs hold out there in the tumult you shall find me, skanking and bouncing alongside youths half my age.

My thanks to the Mountain of Love for reigniting my love of exercise, thus permitting me to reap the present benefits.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Ben Folds, "Zak and Sara" from Rockin' the Suburbs (T.L.A.M.)

Sonntag, 12 August
Reel Big Fish, "I'm Her Man" from Monkeys For Nothin' and the Chimps For Free (T.L.A.M.)

Samstag, 11 August
Less Than Jake, "The Ghosts of You and Me" from Anthem (T.L.A.M.)

Freitag, 10 August
Reel Big Fish, "Everybody's Drunk" from Monkeys For Nothin' and the Chimps For Free (T.L.A.M.)

Donnerstag, 9 August
Less Than Jake, "Danny Says" from Hello Rockview (T.L.A.M.)