Rantis

4
At long last (ed note – come on, has it really been that long?), Dekan Ringwald has done the seemingly impossible. After earlier flubs at what I maintain is the single coolest guitar solo done in a Ringwalds tune, he’s finally nailed the classic Adrian Vandenberg guitar solo to the wall and claimed it as his hunting trophy. For that, I can only offer the highest of praise.
The night got off to a slow start, what with it being a Wednesday and all. Still, I’ve seen much smaller turnouts at the Continental for much bigger names (at least nationally). Item of note at the early stage: was this just a one-shot deal that the bar had RC Cola that they were giving away for free, or was I just some lucky beneficiary in the right time and place to take advantage of that cola bounty? Also, I could not help but notice the pizza brought in for dining purposes that seemed about the size of Lukenbach. I had to take a sample just for the hell of it. Not the greatest pizza, but I can now say I’ve had a slice of a (guessing here) 48 inch pizza.
12
Ringwald madness, I’ll be short on outside of the Dekans flirtation with metal greatness. Slightly condensed set and much as I love to hype the talent and beauty of the two female Ringwalds, I think this night really belongs to Karaoke Ken. Ken managed to do his usual entertaining version of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Authority Song,” but in this case, we had weeknight Ken doing said song in a suit & tie. It was a moment of irony I may never live to see outdone. For better or worse, his pants did not fall down at the end of the song … but it was nip and tuck there for a few verses. Between that, Dekan’s guitar solo, and a return of Rebecca to do a karaoke version of “Love Shack,” I can’t complain about a mere $7 cover charge. Besides, it went to a good cause.
5
Brief moments to admire from the Jennifer & Carrie Fan Clubs: Jennifer’s ability to unsheathe a rainbow belt at the beginning of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and put the aforementioned belt on DURING the song is a spectacle that only Ken could find a way to top. Reminds us … we now know what the show needs more of: Jen spanking Sam. Gotta love that. The Carrie Ringwald Fan Club, meanwhile, could not help but take pity on an overworked Carrie lugging around heavy equipment after breaking down the stage setup. Good God, get this woman a road crew!
One benefit of the lighter crowd early on in the evening was the chance to put a few names to faces and um … what’s that word, again? … socialize. So yeah, I rubbed elbows, so to speak, with Ken and got to make proper introductions with Gene. I was planning on dwelling on the genius that is Gene for this review, but Dekan pretty much dictated where the glory needed to be directed for this round. Another benefit … “Big James” managed to get the 4th high score on the Burgertime machine. Next time anyone’s back there on that thing, check to see if “POO” is still on there.
Afterwards, we ambled on over to the Big Top to inspect one of the other bands making the scene. Light Rock Express, I’ve gotta admit, was pretty damned enjoyable. Sam Ringwald was handling rhythm guitar duties and many of the familiar faces were in attendance … including Big James’ future wife and probably no less than a dozen women that will likely have a restraining order on me within a month or so.
According to sources, Thursday night is a Beatles cover band at the same locale … if the work schedule accomodates, I may have to contemplate that one. No Ringwalds on the 15th and the 22nd is a conflict with a certain social gathering that is way beyond optional. I think I’ve got enough quality Ringwaldian entertainment to bide me over till the 29th.