Show of the Year...yeah, you heard me...

To quote Wonderderf, I was totally rocked from head to toe. I thought I had been to a rock show before, but I was so very wrong. It was a looming wall of flashbulbs schronized behind the band. It was costume changes. It was falsettos and six minute guitar solos. It was The Darkness and it was BEAUTIFUL. A few highlights (and lowlights which ended up becoming highlights) and words of advice:

1. DO NOT order the mushroom burger at Bo's - it will hate you and almost kill you.

2. For a sold out show at Clutch Cargo, I was surprisingly comfortable - in the sense that I didn't pass out or was made to look at sweaty back all night.

3. We almost sacrificed a 12-year old kid from the balcony. We called out for his blood after he rained down on us a sanitary napkin (unused, for the record) and other strange pieces of trash.

4. We were behind the two more unbelievably male males I've every seen up close. The phrase "boo-yah" was used as a real exclamation and lots of fist-hits and back slaps were witnessed. Chris pointed out that these gestures very well may have been homosexual tendencies. But later on we became their friends (see #3 and #5).

5. We all rallies the troops around us to throw down the opening band - WHO WERE FUCKING TERRIBLE - avoid The Wildhearts at all costs! Metal in the cheesiest, out-of-print textbook-cliche sort of way.

6. Ron's golden moments of the night: in describing the opening band: "they sound like the bad rock music you'd hear in a Doritos commercial." And in describing the second of Justin Hawkin's costumes: "Rockosaurus."

7. While we're on the subject of Justin's costumes, they were as follows: black, studded leather pants with no shirt; neon and silver tiger-print jumpsuit with feathers running up the spine (see #6); and my personal favorite hot pink and white striped jumpsuit.

8. Justin had us all in the palm of his hand. We didn't even have to try; we were instantly putty. So much clapping. Oh Lord, so much clapping.

9. Two thumbs up for the Darkness.

10. I almost had a love seizure when Justin decided to climb on top of a bodyguard's shoulders as he was carried through the crowd WHILE playing his guitar solo. I get weak just thinking about it.

And, needless to say, the hip Detroit posse I went with made the night all worth while. To Chris, Matt, Gary, Ron and Albert: to those about to rock, I salute you. We are a kareoke trainwreck ready to take over the world!

Tomorrow: Death Cab for Cutie/Ben Kweller - more good times with more great rock and roll friends! Until later, have a pleasant today.