Live 8

Okay, so we didn't have Coldplay, U2, Madonna or Paul McCartney (unless you watched them online - ah, the marvels of technology), but Philly's Live 8 bash was still kind of fun. I wasn't too excited about the acts, but I figured "How many times do a quarter of a million people take over Center City Philadelphia?" Being a local had its advantages though, since I could come and go at will. We ended up spending about two hours at the concert, taking our time to meander through the crowds to various points down the Parkway. It really was a huge mass of people, but I was surprised at how well-behaved everyone was - this is the city that booed Santa after all. In our two hours, we got to see (well, at least on the Jumbotrons) Toby Keith (yuck! but introduced by the E-A-G-L-E-S!), Dave Matthews Band (started slow, but got rolling pretty nicely), Alicia Keys (wait, is she done already?), and Linkin' Park and Jay-Z (not a big fan, but they did a rocking set). And oh shucks, I missed the Def Leppard reunion! It ended up being about what I expected, and I'm glad I took the time to make an appearance, but I'm also glad I didn't devote my whole day to sweating shoulder-to-shoulder with 250,000 people. Sorry I don't have photos to share, but I'm sure some could be found online. The Fourth of July will be more fun, with Elton John, Rufus Wainwright, Patti LaBelle and The Philly Pops. Hopefully I be able to see for that one. Stay tuned!