Kakahead

We love music, and we also have a passion for concerts. My lovely girlfriend and I grew up during the 60s, so one can imagine the influence the music of those days had on our adolescence. When our paths first crossed we were both 17, skinny like stick people and quickly smitten with each other. She was a bra burning peace marcher from the Detroit burbs, I was a transplanted Long Island kid turned country boy. Both of us loved music and embraced the philosophies of equality, peace, and responsible stewardship of our Dear Mother Nature.

One of the best compliments she gave me in those days, was, “you know Ken, you could easily be a hippie.” Me, the short haired kid who had never taken a mind altering substance or even used 4-letter naughty bits in conversation, a hippie? I was flattered. We got married while I was in the Air Force, and from our home base in Tampa, Florida we ventured to concerts too numerous to mention here.

Fast forward 39 years: here we are now, skinny like log people (in other words, not quite so skinny). I have long hair (on the sides anyway… a bit sparse on top) and wear peace sign t-shirts. I’m really really done with mind altering substances; but a 4 year stint in the Air Force has indelibly sprinkled my speech with several 4-letter naughty bits. They are especially audible when I’m stressed.

Since my job got much bigger I seem to be sprinkling a bit more than usual lately…

Anyway, we still love music and love going to concerts. This past October I stumbled upon a notice that Lady Gaga was coming to our area. We actually managed to get in on the pre-sale thanks to a friend who forwarded me an e-mail with a special code. The normal sale date came and the show was sold out in minutes. Of course our seats were in the nosebleed section, but we didn’t care. We bring binoculars!

I called my aunt for her birthday this past Sunday and mentioned we were going to see Lady Gaga. She had no clue who that was, so she paused and asked with her strong Brooklyn accent, “oh… is that a strip teaser?”

“Well kinda,” I replied, “she doesn’t wear a lot of clothes.”

We had seen a few interviews and couldn’t help but like this Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta who calls herself Lady Gaga. Very down to earth, very much the activist for equality. Definitely an “in-your-face” performance style, yet after seeing her perform it’s obvious to both of us that she’s a very capable musician.

So yeah, we went Gaga this past Tuesday. It was a blast. Sort of a cross between Alice Cooper and Madonna. My lovely bride enjoyed it more than me, but we both had fun. Watching the crowd before the show was almost as much fun as the concert. Even though she’s raking in the bucks, this Lady is definitely aware of the folly of all things commercial. Reminds me of another favorite band of ours: Queen.

One of my favorite anecdotes about Lady Gaga is how she got her stage name. Producer Rob Fusari would sing Queen’s “Radio Gaga” every time she came into the studio. He texted her “Radio Gaga” and apparently the autocorrect feature on his handheld changed “Radio” to “Lady.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Or is it “Radio?”