https://twitter.com/cpcbestline/status/1680056911566360577?s=20
Amphitheater season is upon us. Last night the tough guys in the picture in the above Tweet transformed the place into the West Hollywood Bowl — maybe.
The Indian, motorcycle cop, construction worker et al. have been trotting out this wild business of the all-male-revue entertainment shtick for six decades now. It’s old, but for many in the appreciative audience, it never gets old.
After the interval it was funk/R&B/crossover legends Kool & The Gang, also around for many, many years now. Now there is an act with some undeniable musicality & musicianship. The trombonist, alto saxophonist, tenor saxophonist & trumpeter were blowing for their blessed lives out there; their lungs had to be approximately the size of twin mattresses to produce such a loud & true & unwavering sound. Leakproof embouchures & rapid-fire articulation; no throwaway notes for any of those guys.
A nice thing about the show in general was that the amplification did not overpower the listening experience. A lot of times at these funk-soul-disco revivals at the amphitheater, it’s too much about the bass; you know, the kind of bass you can feel sometimes when a car with a max-volume, souped-up sound system pulls up next to you at a traffic light. Nope, not last night. The lower frequencies were clean & distinct, no muddle, no messy puddle of distortion, rumble or excess vibration.
Finally, for us, amphitheater season is always the sign of Saratoga & Del Mar also going on, sneaking a peak at late-arriving race results while strolling along the concourse among the rest of the citizens, in short sleeves beneath the twinkling twilight, people-watching and just being aware of how the rest of the world gets excited for their Friday night of music & dancing & drinking & eating & general good times. We observe the scenes and saunter between their preliminary movements toward an anticipated joy. It is easy to fall in love with the experience; the energy & vibes are far removed from traffic, the rat race, the workaday world. We all want to belong.
P.S. Yes, when the famous song called the ‘Go West’ was performed, we, as True Gooners unashamed of our affiliation, had no option but to substitute the words in the chorus like this:
One-nil to The Arsenal,
One-nil to The Arsenal,
One-nil to The Arsenal,
One-nil to The Arsenal…
The mopes in the boxes alongside were nonplussed; maybe they were hapless Chelsea supporters.
BestLine Racing Society Recap:
Earlier it was Canterbury, DelPark, Evangeline, Gulf, Saratoga (swamp drained for today, anyway) & Woodbine.
At Shakopee, Minn., Race 2 had #3 Miss Carmen Cibo (.301 Win Prob / 2.32-1 Fair Odds / 2.99-1 Premium Odds) entering the winner’s circle at $19.80.
Race 5 at Stanton, Del., went to #2 Carroll Girl (.261 / 2.83 / 3.60) at $13.40. In the finale, #2 Really Good (.283 / 2.53 / 3.24) was at least good enough at $9.60.
In the opener at Etobicoke Int’l, #5 Silent Miracle (.237 / 3.22 / 4.91) came true at $14.60. Then in the ninth there, #3 Canadiansweetheart (.148 / 5.76 / 8.46) won it for Pam Anderson at $23.30.
BestLine Racing Society Nightcap:
Chas. Town this time.
Strongshots
Race 6
#1 Duncan Idaho (.318 / 2.14 / 2.77)
Longshots
Race 2
#2 Crafty Windsor Cat (.422 / 1.37 / 1.84)
#6 Our Great Notion (.163 / 5.13 / 7.59)
#1 Iheartrainacomn (.147 / 5.80 / 8.52)
Race 3
#5 Bashdaflash (.223 / 3.48 / 4.38)
#1 Great Googlymoogly (.175 / 4.71 / 7.00)
#6 Personal Finance (.155 / 5.45 / 8.03)
#2 The Clown (.149 / 5.71 / 8.40)
