oh, it's the last time

When I was young, and going to concerts on a regular basis, I used to think I would never tire of them. I couldn't imagine ever being too old to quit wanting to go.

In my later years, I've accepted that growing older does mean I don't go to that many concerts any more. But I don't think I'm done going, even if it's just to once again see Bruce Springsteen (36 times so far), Sleater-Kinney (17 times), or Pink (catching up at 6 times).

But this virus ... I have barely been out of my house for the last seven months. Concerts seem like the worst possible place to go right now. And I feel like it's not going to end. I'm like religious folks who despair of attending services during the pandemic.

I bought a ticket to the Billie Eilish livestream concert in ten days ... $30, cheap for a concert! That appears to be the closest I'm going to get to the concert experience for the foreseeable future.

I saw New Order once, back in 1985. They were far and away my all-time favorite synth-pop band. And "Temptation" was far and away my favorite of their songs ... I even wrote a short story about it, once. And my concert, they played "Ceremony", of course they played "Blue Monday", they even played "Sister Ray".

They didn't play "Temptation".

So I spent a lot of time hanging out on YouTube, watching dozens of videos of New Order performing "Temptation" live. When I do it now, it's as if I watching the last concert of all time.

Up, down, turn around
Please don't let me hit the ground
Tonight I think I'll walk alone
I'll find my soul as I go home