First, the not-so-great. I saw U2 at Carver Hawkeye in Iowa City on 
Black Tuesday 1989. Really looked forward to it and what did I get. A 
show that I could have replicated by spinning the records. What a 
disappointment!

Now the good. Saw the Eurythmics twice, the first on a date, 
reluctantly. Dave Stewart blew me away. Going to see Super Furry Animals 
this Saturday at the Metro. I never miss those guys when they blow 
through town, always an inventive show on a shoe string budget. Not pop, 
but jazz singer Kurt Elling is not to be missed. If there is a better 
showman today I've not heard of him. Lastly, in my college days at Iowa 
I used to hit Gabe's Oasis whenever The Swinging Teens played. A loud, 
fast, and really exuberant punk band who were playing for the sheer joy 
of it. Ah, the slam dancing days.

Joe Jackson is always fun because you never know what he's going to do 
up there. I saw him on the Big World tour and he stopped a few bars into 
a really slowed down Stepping Out to berate the talkers before starting 
over. Great show, though. Then, of course, there was the Night and Day 
II tour. I must remember to stay away from rock and roll with Roman 
numerals in the title.

Bill