What's the Best Gig You've Been to on the Fourth of July?

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Chips Ahoy.



Stuck Between Stations.

OK I went to The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth yesterday to catch The Hold Steady on their first gig in the UK, and the lead singer mentioned it was the fourth of July, which obviously being an imperialist colonialist Englander I was unaware of.

I had only heard a few of their songs and a mate of mine who was a big fan had a spare ticket knocking about so I thought what the hell, haven't seen a live band in years.

Review: bloody excellent 9/10.

Btw the gigs claims to fame is they get a lot of starting out bands their, my mother for example missed seeing the Beatles there before they were famous, and The Who apparently also played there, plus a load of modern bands who were not that famous but went on to be.

No ones mentioned this glorious affirmation of independence from the ruthless English Empire at all, so let's have some fourth of July stories.

 

[jtbell]

My most memorable Fourths had to do with cycling, back when I was into bicycle touring.

When I was a graduate student at Michigan, the local bike club's tradition on the Fourth was to ride about 25 miles to a small town to take part in their Fourth of July parade. That is, we rode as part of the parade instead of just watching it. Then we pigged out on hot dogs and hamburgers and rode the 25 miles back home somewhat slower than the outbound trip.

My first job was in the Albany NY area, where the bike club's Fourth of July trip was to the Saratoga Battlefield (where your General Burgoyne got thrashed by us rebels). We circled the park's scenic drive (nice views overlooking the Hudson River) and listened to someone recite the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Evo]

My most memorable Fourths had to do with cycling, back when I was into bicycle touring.

When I was a graduate student at Michigan, the local bike club's tradition on the Fourth was to ride about 25 miles to a small town to take part in their Fourth of July parade. That is, we rode as part of the parade instead of just watching it. Then we pigged out on hot dogs and hamburgers and rode the 25 miles back home somewhat slower than the outbound trip.

My first job was in the Albany NY area, where the bike club's Fourth of July trip was to the Saratoga Battlefield (where your General Burgoyne got thrashed by us rebels). We circled the park's scenic drive (nice views overlooking the Hudson River) and listened to someone recite the Declaration of Independence.

Small world, I lived in Ballston Spa outside of Saratoga Springs for several years.

 

[jtbell]

I lived in Ballston Spa

I actually lived right down the road in Schenectady. I taught at Union College a couple of years, in a sabbatical-replacement position. I remember Ballston Spa as being in a valley, which made for a long climb out of town when passing through on a bicycle.

 

[arunma]

Bleh. This fourth of July I spent most of the day in the lab preparing photomultiplier tubes for use in a Cherenkov telescope. And to think this is only my first year of grad school!

But grieve not for me, I did ultimately have time to watch the fireworks...barely.

 

[Chi Meson]

Hauled my solar panels to the roof before the rain started soaking everyone's fireworks. That's me in the middle.

 

[Danger]

Being a Canuk, I pay no attention whatsoever to July 4th. July 1st is what matters (Yeah, Canada Day!).
The one (and only) thing that I miss from being back east is the Freedom Festival. At midnight on July 1st, the two borders (Ambassador Bridge and the tunnel) between Windsor and Detroit were totally opened until midnight of July 5th. You could walk, bike, or swim back and forth with no Customs, Immigration, or anything else. There was something like 8 blocks along Riverside Drive in Windsor, and about the same river frontage in Detroit, blocked off to vehicular traffic (except motorcycles), and everyone just strolled back and forth.
Every night, a barge full of fireworks let loose in the middle of the Detroit River (the border is in the middle of the river), paid for by both Windsor and Detroit on a per-capita basis.
<sigh> If only Hypatia had strolled over to my side back then... :!)

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

I knew about July 1st as it was mentioned in a paper I read, 4th of July, when was that though? Never heard it until about 9pm that evening, very strange.

 

[hypatia]

Ahahahah Danger, I did stroll over durring that wonderful event. It was so much fun back then, of course I drank a lot more beer then too. The Freedom Fest still goes on and the fireworks are still the best bang for your buck.

When I was a young mother, I took all my sisters kids to the fireworks. Spending most of the time herding them together, until one excaped, just as the fireworks started. I started screaming his name, and I could here faintly "Hay Aunt Patty" I looked everywhere, then I looked up. He had climbed to the top of a high voltage power line.The show was put on hold, while the Firemen rescued him. I think I got my first gray hair that night.

 

[Astronuc]

We had rain and thunderstorms, but the one town where we usually go had the fireworks display anyway. My son wanted to go, so we did. We stood in the rain, which was light, and watch the lightning.

Then we watched the fireworks in the rain, standing in under an oak tree. The rain turned into a pretty good downpour during the last third of the show and we were pretty soaked at the end.

My son said, "Thanks, Dad. I don't think too many dads would do this. Stand out in the rain to watch fireworks."

Well - that's what dads are for.

 

[Danger]

Ahahahah Danger, I did stroll over durring that wonderful event. It was so much fun back then, of course I drank a lot more beer then too. I think I got my first gray hair that night.

Well, nuts! I didn't see you.
That is just too funny about the nephew (in retrospect; I can see that you'd be a tad worried at the time).
I just figured that with all of that 'Homeland Security' crap, the Fest would have been shut down. Nice to see that some things can overcome stupidity.