She came from Planet Claire...I knew she came from
there. She drove a Plymouth Satellite, a faster than
the speed of light....Planet Claire has pink air, all
the trees are red. No one ever dies there, no one has a
head...Some say she's from Mars, or one of the seven
stars that shine after 3:30 in the morning...WELL SHE
ISN'T!...She came from Planet Claire...She came from
Planet Claire...She came from Planet Claaaaire!
Planet Claire - The B-52's
My throat would be sore for a day, and my ears
ringing for yet another day more, but it was well
worth it.
We walked out to the fresh, brisk early springtime
night air and breathed deeply. We were young and in
our prime.
We were B-52 fanatics that had just attended their
3rd live concert in Providence.
The first was at the historic Ocean State Theater on
Weybossett Street. By the late 70's/early 80's, the
theater was in quite a state of disrepair, but was
trying to fund much needed restoration by becoming a
venue for bands playing to moderate-sized audiences.
That night I remember I was with Paul Douglas and his
friend Melanie? (forget her name...heavy set, kinda
reminded me a little of Lisa). (I think even Michael
P. was with us but not sure....Michael P. and gang
(Jerry Cote and Michelle) had definately gone
together right around this time to see Diana Ross,
though.)
I remember I wore one of my ultra-thin satin ties
around my neck, and another around my head. (Thin,
flashy headbands were the New Wave rage) I also wore
the genuine 50's mohair cardigan (perfect design for
the New Wave retro look...black and yellow
checkerboard. My hair was spiked with Tenex gel (for
a change I used Tenex as something other than anal
lube...LOL)
The second concert we attended (this time just Paul
D. and I) was at the long-since closed venue on North
Main Street. I don't remember the name of it, but it
wasn't a theater, it was more of an open space bar.
Here it was definately standing room only. They had
beer but being underage we couldn't have any (we
drank before going to the concert anyway though).
The 3rd, and last time I'd see the B-52's live until
seeing them at the Mardi Gras festivities at
Universal Studios sometime in the 2000's, was this
night, during their "Mesopotamia" tour, at the
Providence Civic Center.
I'm not sure if it was this concert or not, but
during one of them, I had bought a tour t-shirt in
the lobby on the way out and draped it over my right
sholder walking on the sidewalk towards our vehicle.
This bitch ran up from behind me, grabbed it off my
sholder and ran away...I ran after her and caught up
with her, but she had stuffed the t-shirt in her
blouse while running...I even saw her do it...so when
I caught up to her she started screaming that she
didn't take anything. What was I gonna do...reach
into her blouse and pull it out? There were some
burly-looking straight boys in the crowd itching to
defend some "pussy virtue".
More I think about it, I think this incident actually
happened a couple years later when I went with
Bouchard to a ZZ Top concert during their "Legs" tour.
Ya, Diana Ross, B-52's and ZZ Top...I had quite the
ecclectic music tastes in the 80's.
It was ZZ Top where my t-shirt was stolen, cause I
now remember wearing that Mesopotamia T-Shirt and
getting very pissed less than a year later when it
got ruined by moth holes. That's what you get for
having a basement bedroom.
One of the more memorable quotes from my mom came
outta her mouth during one of these B-52 evenings. I
was getting all done up for the concert and my my
said "Is that the band that plays that fag music?".
She wasn't trying to be out right derogertory, that's
what she called gay, and, until then, I really hadn't
seen it. At the time, I didn't really know why I
seemed to feel a kindred spirit with the B-52's but
now I see, they spoke to my budding "alternate" side.
My loose friendship with Paul D. was totally based on
our mutual affection for the band and their music,
but little did I know, at the time, that while I felt
certaing strange rumblings of lust for him, that he,
was in fact, also gay. Hell, in these early years, I
wasn't even sure if I was.
Another memorable comment, stated with such love and
devotion, I'm sure, was also on one of these
nights...
I had just gotten done with the ritual "spraying of
the cologne" (POLO RALPH LAUREN) and as I said my
goodnights on my way out she said with her nose all
a'wrinkled, "You smell like a French whore!"
Ah, mother....she could tell it like it was. :)
there. She drove a Plymouth Satellite, a faster than
the speed of light....Planet Claire has pink air, all
the trees are red. No one ever dies there, no one has a
head...Some say she's from Mars, or one of the seven
stars that shine after 3:30 in the morning...WELL SHE
ISN'T!...She came from Planet Claire...She came from
Planet Claire...She came from Planet Claaaaire!
Planet Claire - The B-52's
My throat would be sore for a day, and my ears
ringing for yet another day more, but it was well
worth it.
We walked out to the fresh, brisk early springtime
night air and breathed deeply. We were young and in
our prime.
We were B-52 fanatics that had just attended their
3rd live concert in Providence.
The first was at the historic Ocean State Theater on
Weybossett Street. By the late 70's/early 80's, the
theater was in quite a state of disrepair, but was
trying to fund much needed restoration by becoming a
venue for bands playing to moderate-sized audiences.
That night I remember I was with Paul Douglas and his
friend Melanie? (forget her name...heavy set, kinda
reminded me a little of Lisa). (I think even Michael
P. was with us but not sure....Michael P. and gang
(Jerry Cote and Michelle) had definately gone
together right around this time to see Diana Ross,
though.)
I remember I wore one of my ultra-thin satin ties
around my neck, and another around my head. (Thin,
flashy headbands were the New Wave rage) I also wore
the genuine 50's mohair cardigan (perfect design for
the New Wave retro look...black and yellow
checkerboard. My hair was spiked with Tenex gel (for
a change I used Tenex as something other than anal
lube...LOL)
The second concert we attended (this time just Paul
D. and I) was at the long-since closed venue on North
Main Street. I don't remember the name of it, but it
wasn't a theater, it was more of an open space bar.
Here it was definately standing room only. They had
beer but being underage we couldn't have any (we
drank before going to the concert anyway though).
The 3rd, and last time I'd see the B-52's live until
seeing them at the Mardi Gras festivities at
Universal Studios sometime in the 2000's, was this
night, during their "Mesopotamia" tour, at the
Providence Civic Center.
I'm not sure if it was this concert or not, but
during one of them, I had bought a tour t-shirt in
the lobby on the way out and draped it over my right
sholder walking on the sidewalk towards our vehicle.
This bitch ran up from behind me, grabbed it off my
sholder and ran away...I ran after her and caught up
with her, but she had stuffed the t-shirt in her
blouse while running...I even saw her do it...so when
I caught up to her she started screaming that she
didn't take anything. What was I gonna do...reach
into her blouse and pull it out? There were some
burly-looking straight boys in the crowd itching to
defend some "pussy virtue".
More I think about it, I think this incident actually
happened a couple years later when I went with
Bouchard to a ZZ Top concert during their "Legs" tour.
Ya, Diana Ross, B-52's and ZZ Top...I had quite the
ecclectic music tastes in the 80's.
It was ZZ Top where my t-shirt was stolen, cause I
now remember wearing that Mesopotamia T-Shirt and
getting very pissed less than a year later when it
got ruined by moth holes. That's what you get for
having a basement bedroom.
One of the more memorable quotes from my mom came
outta her mouth during one of these B-52 evenings. I
was getting all done up for the concert and my my
said "Is that the band that plays that fag music?".
She wasn't trying to be out right derogertory, that's
what she called gay, and, until then, I really hadn't
seen it. At the time, I didn't really know why I
seemed to feel a kindred spirit with the B-52's but
now I see, they spoke to my budding "alternate" side.
My loose friendship with Paul D. was totally based on
our mutual affection for the band and their music,
but little did I know, at the time, that while I felt
certaing strange rumblings of lust for him, that he,
was in fact, also gay. Hell, in these early years, I
wasn't even sure if I was.
Another memorable comment, stated with such love and
devotion, I'm sure, was also on one of these
nights...
I had just gotten done with the ritual "spraying of
the cologne" (POLO RALPH LAUREN) and as I said my
goodnights on my way out she said with her nose all
a'wrinkled, "You smell like a French whore!"
Ah, mother....she could tell it like it was. :)