TWENTY TEN: To new beginnings, new music, new loves and new friends. This hybrid happened for me last Thursday in West Hollywood at the Troubadour. Not one who normally comes in with expectations, I was definitely anticipating an intimate evening with Alberta Cross for a few months as I waited patiently for their tour across the pond to sail back into the US. Until then, I found myself reinserting their latest album Broken Side of Time back into the car stereo after others got old, quick. I already decided it’s one of my favorite albums of 2009 since it never fails to rock my soul from start to finish. I’ll admit though, it’s often hard for me to get past track #1 without playing that one song over again or becoming nauseous with inspiration. (Track #1: Song Three Blues). With all of this said, I still had no idea what I was about to embrace until I actually got the full Alberta Cross experience – from their music and their company. In between a sunset in Hollywood and a sunrise in Marina del Rey, my Alberta Cross experience went from 5 stars in my iTunes to “Great Live” to “Holy shit…I’m cooking them breakfast right now.”
PRE-GAME / GAME-TIME: The journey started as soon as I got off work when I rushed home, changed into my purple stompin’ boots (my good luck boots), yellow tights and a beanie that my mom rocked back in the 70’s. I already transformed some friends into Alberta Cross fans, including my roommate Cassie who was equally excited for the show. Whipped us up a quick dinner, made us the ultimate swill of a cocktail and off we went in my temporary “Rent-A-Wreck” Kia Spectra. We got our keys, IDs, wallets, phones…and the Red Bull. (I had recently learned that the band likes Red Bull, so I brought along a case for them, just enough for the green room and the road.)
[NOT OUR FAVORITE] BOX OFFICE EMPLOYEE: BUT – As it turns out, I had a ticket reserved on the guest list from some nice folks I met from Red Light Management, but I had already purchased tickets weeks ago… so I was all set and happy supporting the band… and also, they were only $14. The door man laughed when I tried to walk in with a case of Red Bull, but he said he’d promise to bring it to the band… (and later we saw that he certainly did, with immense affability…thanks, dude!) On to the next mission: get as close to the stage as possible.
Mission definitely accomplished: I could have grabbed one of the unused guitars if I wanted…
After each song, Petter or someone on stage would say, “thank you” …which is not surprising for a performing artist, but what is rare is that I kept finding myself riffing right back, “No, thank YOU.” (Thank YOU Alberta Cross for great music!) After a sing-along/huddle session by Cassie and me and some randoms during “Old Man Chicago,” we stuck around to see what the ‘after’ plans were for our friends there as well as some new people. Somehow I landed myself in a conversation with someone about the taping Alberta Cross did earlier in the day on Fuel TV (to air in early February). Then I met the singer, Petter Ericson Stakee. I complimented the show, asked him about his Troubadour experience and in a clearly-from-England and obviously stirring voice, his remark was,
“Wicked. It’s the fuckin’ Troubadour, man. A lot of my heroes have played here. It was wicked.” – Petter
Wicked indeed, with lack of better words, and this is just the beginning, folks…
“Oh, they were millions, and we were just one
It’s just a heart for mine, having his own fun
Leave us a friend, it’s living life, it’s lonely
Leave us a friend, it’s just living life before me, now, yeah”(Old Man Chicago – The huddle & sway song)
After some weird groupies faded away, a few of us real fans and some members of the band wanted to continue celebrating during their only night in LA for a while. But late-night establishments close up shop pretty early around here (unlike New York) so, well, the shindig ended up at my and Cassie’s place in Marina del Rey. Who was there: Me, Cassie, three girls who were chill and funny but we fail to remember their names, Santa Barbara’s astute Austin Beede (the drummer), and hailing from England the sweet Mr. Alec Higgins (keys) and the witty one-and-only Terry Wolfers (bass).
Night in a nutshell: trip to the Liquor Store for cheap booze, 10-20 vinyl evaluations, a few cocktails, my scrambled eggs at 4am, a sunrise over the Marina Harbor from a “No-Trespassing” peninsula that only troopers Austin and I were able to last the night to witness, a few exchanges of war stories and misc. activities. 
Their next stop: Santa Barbara. I had no problem taking these boys to Union Station to catch a train. I wouldn’t have discovered 102-year-old Philippe’s where we had lunch. The birth place of the French dipped sandwich conjured up childhood memories of Elementary School and Grandma’s chicken noodles. I felt like I was living in another time and I was really happy, slap happy, but happy.
Even more excited for Alberta Cross and their journey. Look out for them in 2010, and when they put on a good show in your town and say “thank you” after a song -or for the eggs, the cocktails, the sunrise, the ride, or whatever- remember to say, “No, thank YOU Alberta Cross, for the great music and the company.”
PS – Here are some tips before you try to become their next great local host:
- If you bring Red Bull to the show, bring a few cans of Guinness, too, at least for Petter.
- If you ever make Terry a cocktail, leave out the ice cubes.
- Terry also likes green tea a lot better than flavored tea. And he has GREAT hair.
- Keep away mangos or anything flavored with mango, Austin’s allergic.
- Organic Vodka leads to massive hangovers.
