“Seize the opportunity by the beard, for it is bald behind.” – Bulgarian Proverb
I am very grateful and honored for the many different hats I wear. This past week it seems like I wore a different hat every day and sometimes multiple hat changes throughout the day. I just want to share last week’s incredible situations while wearing some of those hats.
Let’s start by working backward.
Sunday 2/27 – Subway Fresh Fit 500 – NASCAR @ Phoenix International Raceway
This Adventure I had the accompaniment of C. McD and I must honestly admit when I first thought of going to see a live NASCAR race, C. McD was not the first person to come to mind. However, McD turned into the perfect travel companion for this adventure, minus his child-size bladder and regular need for food. C. McD was perfect because he taught me something about being press and he understood what it takes to make the most of the access we were granted. It wasn’t hanging out, it was work. This was second nature for him. I believe C. McD and I both share an autodidact theme in our personalities and that makes experiences like this so much more memorable when you are discovering a whole new world firsthand. I can’t think of a better way of learning about something, Total Immersion.
The race this weekend was the NASCAR cherry for each of us. Now I can say after seeing the race from the inside out and seeing the millions of elements that make up one event. I have a new respect for this sport. Yes, I said respect and sport. I know in the past I have ragged on this form of racing because it seems repetitive. I can tell you after a full day at the track and in the pits, it is anything but repetitive.
When the race started we were in the trenches watching the teams prepare for any possible scenario. Things were normal and running smoothly until we saw last week’s Daytona 500 winner, twenty-year-old Trevor Bayne crash in front of us. The next thing to change the climate of the race was the large 13 car collision on lap 67, At this time I remember seeing the first team tear down their trackside “forward operating base.” I am sure they have a different name for what that thing is, but that is the best way of describing it. Every car and team have a large, wheeled, transformable, toolbox. This thing converts with padded chairs, shade, flat screens, Direct TV, tools, power, and anything you could possibly need to race a car at the highest level of performance.
The race went really quick, before you know it, we are down to 40 laps to go and things start changing behind the scenes. You first notice some of the pit crews shutting down and all the camera crews claiming their territory in the winner’s circle, victory lane, and trackside. We witnessed the final laps and went into the post-race celebration where champagne was sprayed, congratulations were awarded and pictures were taken of the winning team in the hats of every possible sponsor.
This was more than just a race for McD and myself. I am sure it meant a little something special to Jeff Gordon as well. This race for him was important because he finally broke his double-digit losing streak. It was also the last race ever on the current race track. About two hours after crossing the finish line Jeff Gordon was taken to a waiting hydraulic excavator and he made the first scoop out of the asphalt he just crossed. That was an end to an era. This track will be repaved and I can’t wait to go back and see the improvements in November.
Saturday 2/26 – Busdriver / Dark Time Sunshine presented by the Dune Sea Crew
This show made up for the horrendous chilling night prior. It was pretty cold outside but that did not prevent a solid performance from all that took the stage this night. Busdriver used a couple of different mics. One was running through an FX pedal and two small samplers producing the fresh foundation for his lyrical assault. He just set up and went to work. It was nice to see just a couple of pieces of hardware with knobs, faders, and switches and not another mac on stage. Tonight, I came to the conclusion I am truly in a minority. As someone that creates multimedia and not on a mac. Yep, that’s right, I am a PC. Probably 7 out of 10 people are using macs for audio, hell probably closer to 9/10.
Dark Time Sunshine was sick. They demonstrated a smooth and successful performance with unique and original sounds performed through Ableton Live on what looked like an MPC (couldn’t tell from my location and I was too into the music to go look) The production was quality and they had a groove going. A few minutes was given to a white boy from Dallas that can rap pretty fast. He said he is playing SXSW, so I’ll look him up there and see what else he does.
I really enjoyed the energy of Kamikaze Democracy. That was a nice surprise to the evening. I was wondering why there were amps and a drum set on stage at a hip hop show, but they proved to be a good addition to the night. All original and passionate, I will be watching for them in the future.
Aside from the music, it was good to see street art happening live in a supportive environment. This form of art has a bad wrap and it is justified because the majority of the time it is seen, it is a result of an illegal situation. An artist can really make something amazing with any instrument, that same instrument in the hands of a vandal will be detrimental.
Friday 2/25 – Dwight Yoakam Live
No Commit. 🙁
Thurs 2/24 – Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting.
This isn’t really a ticketed event like the rest of the week was. It is however an opportunity to represent the City of Yuma and try to express our thoughts and desires in the community. That can be hard to do when your colleagues dominate the meeting and try to shut out other members. The city lost even more of that charm we used to have. I understand the reasons behind the actions, I just believe the actions were crass and undiplomatic. I don’t want to sound like a pansy-ass politician but there is such a thing as civility and respect for the public, staff, and other officials. So the long story short. The city lost more ground and may lose some votes because of the can of worms that was opened thanks to (redacted).
Wed 2/23 – Yuma County Lincoln Day Dinner with US Senator and Republican Whip Jon Kyl.
The Lincoln Day Dinner is a Republican tradition held every February. Hats off to this year’s chairman and committee for doing an outstanding job pulling this event together.
US Senator Jon Kyl was our guest speaker and with him recently making the announcement of retirement in 2013, we were all very curious to hear his reasons and thoughts behind that decision. Basically, he would like to continue to be effective and useful, and sometimes that happens best when you are not so far in front of the public.
I also appreciate the fact he can give straightforward answers to the questions posed by any audience. The fact-based updates from Washington give us a small look into the enormous problems that are being deliberated at the capitol.