Tonight I’m going to see Blondie at the Lincoln Park Zoo for the 30th anniversary Parallel Lines tour. It’s funny, because of course it doesn’t seem like 30 years, or maybe it does.

Whenever I see a Blondie show the crowd is always very eclectic. Soccer moms, former prom queens, older former punks and new wavers shoving their bellies into their black jeans and young 20 somethings hipsters and punks sporting the same styles that are now readily available at H&M and Target. It used to be work trying to find skinny jeans and vintage shirts and ties. I think this is a testament to the timeless music the band created. Debbie is still rocking, still putting out new music and still hits the nightclubs in NYC and hangs out with her gaggle of drag queens and outsiders. She looks amazing for a ‘woman of a certain age’ and has a great attitude about most everything.  Most who know me know she was a hige influence on me and,  I adore her and the fact that I am willing to stand in a zoo with a bunch of other strangers on a lawn with a 60% chance of rain speaks volumes.

 

This is a picture of me and Debbie. The was the third time I had met her. It was in Batavia, IL right after a gig she did with The Jazz Passengers, during small break she had after the release of Blondie’s comeback album, ‘No Exit’. She must have been exhausted but she came onstage afterwards to meet the small cluster of Debheads waiting for her.

 

Me: Hi Debbie, what a great show. You must be really busy.

Debbie: Yeah, but these are great bunch of guys.

Me: I’m not sure if you remember me, I gave you a videotape of a show I wrote. I’m David…

Debbie: I do remember you. You write the plays in Chicago.

Me: Yeah…I write the plays…

 

Filed under: My Way Of Life