Generally we do date days, but tonight Peter planned something extra special.

First out to dinner at Louis Benton.  I had bought into the Groupon deal that was recently offered, for basically, a half price dinner and it was about to be put to good use.  We used to love this place.  Actually, I think the last time we were here was with Ned and Erin, September 2006, before an Eric Clapton concert….  So it’s been a while.  I was so glad that we went with a discounted price, because they have seriously gone downhill…….. There appeared to be only two servers for the entire place and when you have a sold out concert, among other things, going on downtown, there should have been better planning on management’s part….  Of course, we may just be bigger food snobs, than in the past.  Always a possibility…..

When you are heading to the Van Andel Arena, Louis Benton used to be *the* place to eat. They offer free valet parking, for the evening.  Parking in downtown Grand Rapids, in the icy, snowy, winter, then walking to your event, is not fun.  Our event is a block away.  So yay for that!

When you stick around Michigan, in the winter, you have to get out of the house and have some fun, anything, anything at all.  That’s what I *think* Peter was aiming for when we arrived at our event.  Row 4, front and center, Kid Rock.  You heard me, right, Kid Rock.

Well, after all, he is a Michigan boy….. through and through.  And this is our economy we’re talking about…

We like music, all kinds of music.  Maybe adding Kid Rock to our ledger of front and center concerts didn’t surprise you, but maybe it did…..

Personally, I think Kid Rock’s new Seger-styled shtick fits him to a tee – better than his white-trash Detroit rapper guise of old, when he sometimes seemed to try too hard to deliver what he thought the music industry and fans wanted.

“All Summer Long”

It was 1989, my thoughts were short my hair was long
Caught somewhere between a boy and man
She was seventeen and she was far from in-between
It was summertime in Northern Michigan
Ahh Ahh Ahh
Ahh Ahh Ahh

Splashing through the sand bar
Talking by the campfire
It’s the simple things in life, like when and where
We didn’t have no internet
But man I never will forget
The way the moonlight shined upon her hair………..

He acknowledged and led cheers for several veterans, of the Vietnam War, who were given free tickets to the show, lots of cheers for their reunion group, finally able to get together with the help of Kid Rock.

The warm up band, Jamey Johnson, was really good, too.  …if you like country twang.  I guess I like, some, country twang….  This guy is an award winner for a reason….

Boy could he rock that sax and she hit every note.  It was especially fun to be so close to the action.

Well, until the action got hot.  And this was just about the time Peter thought we should leave.  The heat from all the fire and explosions was hot, very, very hot and the hearing damage from the explosions lives on.  Fear of a catastrophe and stampede was creeping into our minds…….

It was a very interesting night to say the least.  I was just glad we were not the oldest people there.  I’d do it again, maybe brandishing ear plugs……..