IPlanning a Last-Minute Trip to Los Angeles
The trip actually revolved around my enjoyment of Pearl Jam and wanting to meet more fans and possibly get some more friends out of it since not many I know share that interest. In March when they announced their tour, the original plan was to see two shows on the East (Albany and Philadelphia). I thought that would be sufficient. But it wasn’t especially after going to the second Meadowlands show.
So a few weeks later, I posted on the messageboard that I was considering a trip out to LA to see their concert on July 9. After a week of mentally debating it, I went with my gut and decided to go for it. Once the exchange of addresses was done, it was time to look for a flight and hotel.
Booking my own flight was a new experience, but I was able to get one on Delta and then it was time to find a hotel. Intially I looked at hostels but didn’t feel comfortable with the setup of them. I went with a hotel that was near the venue. But after not feeling comfortable with the location, I moved my base to Culver City.
Before I knew it, July 7 had arrived and it was time to go. Not knowing about airport procedures and the length of checking in, I arrived three hours early for a 9 am flight. So that made me the first one in the boarding gate.
Upon settling into Los Angeles, it was time to figure out a way to get to Dodger Stadium. I originally planned to get to LAX and take one of those flyaway buses, which are like express buses. But I discovered that the 439 bus can get me sort of there. It took me to Union Station where I could transfer to another bus. But all I had to do was find Cesar Chavez blvd.
But I didn’t find it so I ended up walking to Dodger Stadium after a short cab ride up Chavez. Boy it was hilly. But it was a breathtaking view of the San Gabriel Mountains and I managed to get there in time for batting practice.
It was during batting practice that I realized what a trip the Pacific Time Zone was. While it was 5:40 pm in LA, the ballgames involving the New York Teams were on their way to ending because it was almost nine back home.
I don’t make much efforts to get baseballs anymore since I have three. But I did try to get one from Derek Lowe, by yelling out “Hey, Derek, I was there when you beat the Yankees in Game 7″. But he was engrossed in a chat with Mark Hendrickson.
As for the game, Giants-Dodgers is always big and this was an especially good game in their longtime rivalry. The Dodgers won 9-8 as Nomar Garciaparra hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. If you think fans in New York, hate Barry Bonds, it’s much more so in LA. Even the little kids yell, “Barry Sucks”.
My impressions of Dodger Stadium are positive. For a place that’s older than Shea Stadium it’s very clean. The seat I sat in was behind the plate and all the way up, affording me a cheap price (six dollars).
As for eating, the Dodger Dog is tasty. But it’s a bit thin, which means it doesn’t fill you up, which might the idea by management to get you to spend more money at their concessions.
The second day was a chance to meet with my friend who had just moved out there for a job. He showed me around West Hollywood, the Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills. It looked exactly how I had seen it on 90210 with the exception of the high bushes around the really big mansions.
But while it was cool to see a good friend, Sunday was the big day. Excited about the concert, I did my pregame warmups with a walk/run/bike on the beaches of Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica. In Marina Del Rey, I watched the surfers get their big waves. In Venice, I watched the World Cup classic come to an end and in Santa Monica, I rode a bike up from Venice and to the pier and back.
After a while at these beaches, it was time to get ready. For each show, I wore the same shirt, a red shirt with the Canadian Tour. I’m like a ballplayer with these routines, I had worn it to the previous three shows.
I was hoping to go the planned fundraiser for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation that had been taking place before most shows. But instead went to a grassroots tailgate planned by some on the messageboard, where I met people from Palo Alto, Burbank, Ontario, Las Vegas and Sacramento and Kansas City.
Before we knew it, 6:30 had arrived and it was time to head into the Fourm. While not in much use anymore, the Fourm once was the “Fablous Fourm” due to the exploits of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. The show itself was great, my seats were good. They were in the back but slightly raised up, which was good.
It started off with a solo version of “Porch”, which is a hard-rocking song off “Ten” that also starts off with some slowed down guitar riffs before getting loud. The set contained stuff from the new album and when they peformed “Big Wave” it meant I had heard all 13 tracks off the album in concert.
The scuttlebutt was that it was a greatest hits show. But for me it was worth the money and 3,000 miles. While I would not live in LA, I’d certainly go out to the area often. Having your favorite band and a ballgame just makes it a fun vacation.
