As the day wore on the crowds grew and included Kentucky Derby fans who ended their parties and spilled onto the streets to enjoy another culture entirely. Proms were also happening that night – Fulton’s was in the Convention Center – and promers promenaded about.
While Truth and Salvage Company blasted southern rock from the stage, shots were a theme of the day, with tequila shots you might expect being merged with whiskey shots and even saki shots supplied by Shonos. I bought a delicious Mexican Coke from Steamboat which fit with the theme, though I have to admit that’s pretty much a Saturday thing for me. Don’t tell me Mexican Cokes aren’t better.
People watching was, as always, one of the best parts of the day. The leis really added to the festive vibe and the great pictures. I found a few people with the sombreros and I had a hard time finding many people with the mustaches, but I finally found the little tyke pictured at the top of this post. I ran into the drummer from King Super and the Excellents who cuts quite the figure when he’s all dudded up.
The main musical attraction of the day was the aforementioned King Super and the Excellents. They were preceded on the stage by fire performers, which I missed, introduced by a manic wrestler and joined by a hooper before the night ended. They opened with “Tequila,” which seemed like an inspired choice given the day, but in what must be a concert first anywhere, they segued directly from that into their Pink Floyd “Wall” suite. That’s quite a range and it illustrates their versatility.
I know many people must love those guys because of the on-stage craziness, but that’s never been a big thing for me. These guys, however, have the chops to be crazy and still be legit. It’s going to be fun to see what happens for them in the future.
As I walked away from the show I ran into the one thing I had not encountered all day: A genuine, beautiful, ginormous Derby Hat. Thankfully the lady graciously allowed me to take her photograph – after freshening her make up, naturally.
