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The Concerts: 2003

In retrospect, 2003 would have to be considered a down year after the palindromic delights of 2002. I mean, what else is there to accomplish after meeting David Bowie? Driving to New York state to see David Bowie, I suppose. While I don't want to poo-poo the whole year, consider the following shows:

Interpol / Calla [St. Andrew’s Hall 1.11]
Ladytron / Simian [St. Andrew’s Hall 2.25]
Idlewild [Magic Stick 4.24]
The Faint / Schneider TM [Majestic Theater 5.15]
Adult. / Magas [Magic Stick 5.17]
Dave Gahan / Kenna [Majestic Theater 8.2]
Electric Six / Junior Senior [Michigan State University 8.11]
David Bowie [The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY 8.19]
The Dandy Warhols [The Metro, Chicago 9.6]
Fischerspooner / Kenna [Majestic Theater 10.4]

See? Not a lot of shows, and what shows there were weren't exactly life changers. But as always, there were some goodies here and there:

-- Finally seeing the release of New Sacred Cow (an absolutely wonderful debut from Kenna, who was later profiled in Blink by noted New Yorker author Malcolm Gladwell; promos circulated pre-internet for two years until the proper '03 release), and having Kenna kick my ass in bowling at the Majestic Lanes in Detroit before the Dave Gahan show

-- Making the long-ass drive through Canada to get to Poughkeepsie (only 90 minutes from NYC) in New York for a small-club Bowie show, arriving just in time to watch him work the crowd in the parking lot

-- Finding the joy in the double feature of E6 and the late and lamented Junior Senior, a one-two punch if there ever was, highlighted by my first dose of E6 leader Dick Valentine (and his mid-song breakdown during "Improper Dancing" into an a capella verse from "The Rose")

-- Gutting it through one of the worst shows I can recall seeing in the meandering ploddings of The Dandy Warhols, who clearly weren't interested in being anywhere, let alone Chicago

And that's that. I started my sixth year at NCMC and my second year at Record World, while beginning a Master's in General Humanities degree program through Central Michigan University. So I suppose that all that combined busy busy helped keep concert attendance low. '04 offered a first (Coachella!) and a last (Bowie!), and that's where I'll pick up next time.

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