Hot in the City

Tonight Uwe and I went to see Billy Idol in concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. It was fun but 20 years too late.

When I was 11 years old I would choreograph entire dance routines in my bedroom to Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" album. I loved every single song on that album and listened to it over and over again until I memorized all the words. I had Billy Idol posters and magazine cutouts covering the walls next to my bed and I would give good night kisses to each Billy pic before going to bed each night. Billy Idol was the epitome of cool in the 80's.

Tonight I didn't care for his new stuff and I didn't understand why he was singing other people's hits such as Elvis, The Doors, and The Who. And what's up with the guitar solos with no Billy on the stage? Maybe he doesn't have enough of his own material?

I think it sums it up best when Uwe wanted to get a drink and said, "I'll leave if the next song isn't one of his hits. Oh it's a guitar solo...i'm outta here."

But when he did sing his old stuff...it was a lot of fun. It was nostalgic and the whole crowd would sing along. He sang "White Wedding", "Eyes without a face", "Dancing with myself", and of course "Rebel Yell".

When he came back for his encore he performed "Hot in the City". If you know the song it goes, "Hot in the city. Hot in the city tonight." Since he was playing in LA he changed it to "Hot in the city. Hot in LA tonight." Billy made that face he's famous for, the crooken sneer, shaking his blond spiky head punk style while telling us in his British accent that he wrote the song while in LA for the first time. The 11 year old girl inside me was smiling and giddy with excitement as the 31 year old wife and mother mouthed the words to the song.

When I got home Astrid was sleeping soundly in her bassinet. (Thanks again for babysitting Christa!) I wonder what music she will grow up listening to.