Tonight Nadine and I went to see David Byrne play at the Tower Theater.

Most of the music I’ve listened to over the past several years doesn’t translate into a live environment very well. So, I haven’t been to a show or concert in a while. The Talking Heads are one of Nadine’s all-time favorite bands, and seeing David Byrne is probably the next best thing to a reunion show. They’ve rubbed off on me. I think Byrne is a very thoughtful and talented guy, and I enjoy reading about his weird life and inebriated bicycle excursions.

So, off to Upper Darby. I’ve been to the Tower once before, and I knew the place was set up like a real theater. With reserved seating, a balcony, and soft lighting. A step above the Trocadero. I wasn’t prepared to slide through puddles of spilled beer and deal with swarms of drunken, selfish jerks.

Yes, the show was filled with assholes. Drunk assholes: mostly baby-boomers reliving their youth with entitled middle-age attitude, but also straight up frat boys. Everyone was loaded on $10.25 plastic cups of Lager and mixed drinks that must’ve been exorbitantly expensive. I drink a lot of beer too, but these jackasses were falling down trashed and it was barely 8 in the evening.

The worst part about the concert was how some of these jerks decided they were going to stand through the entire fucking show, even during slow-tempo songs that were the exact opposite of dance music. They remained on their feet and awkwardly swayed back and forth, oblivious to everyone else in their row who had taken a seat. They refused polite (and not-so-polite) appeals to common sense: just sit during songs you can’t dance to.

Anyway, this embarrassing behavior meant that anyone behind them had to stand to see anything, and a chain reaction rippled back through the entire audience. I’m very tall so it wasn’t a big deal for me. But it was frustrating for Nadine and other shorter people, or for anyone who didn’t feel like standing for 2 hours straight.

Byrne and his band, background singers, and dancers put on a great show. David’s voice is perfect and his energy was unwavering, even over 2 hours of back-to-back songs. The band played most of the new Eno/Byrne record (which the drunks tolerated) and several Talking Heads favorites from the Eno era (which the drunks loved). Nadine and I were skeptical of the dancers at first, but the production never strayed into corniness.

Byrne is all over the place on this tour, so you should see the show if you have an opportunity. Just hope that your fellow audience members aren’t selfish dirtbags.

This December I’m visiting Thailand for a little over 3 weeks. I’m very excited.

But let me preface my first-ever blog post to say that I am SO over

• the beach,
• riding in minivans with weak-ass air conditioning while my kneecaps excavate the seatback in front of me, and
• being one of a million tourists concentrated in one place.

Sure, Thailand’s beaches are the best in the world. But, after a few days of “chilling out,” I quickly remember that I am not a “chilled out” person. I need to be doing something. Also, while minivans are often the easiest and most direct way for tourists to navigate the country, they are not made for tall people. Like me. (These vans are often a giant rip-off and inferior to Thailand’s government-regulated buses, but that’s another blog post.) Finally, while I enjoy English-language conversation when I’m traveling alone, too many tourists in one spot gets old real fast.

I study Thai at home in Philadelphia and I need practice speaking and listening the language. I’ve been to Thailand many times before and have visited much of the country. I need to go to new places. Also, I love riding my bike and think it’s a great way to get around.

So, on this trip I’m doing something different. I’m riding my bike through central Thailand and into the northern part of the country. I hope to start in Ayutthaya — about 1.5 hours north of Bangkok — and finish my journey in Chiang Mai. Thanks to the internet miracle of Google Maps, I can show you where I planning to stop off along the way:

Take a look. But remember: this is all a plan. None of these oh-so-carefully placed blue Googlearrows may have any meaning come December. Here’s why. (Edit: You may have to reload to see the blue pins. Google Maps is miraculous, but not so consistent.)

I’m not bringing a bike from home, but buying one in Bangkok. Will Probike have a bike big enough for a 6′2″ guy with long legs in stock? Who knows? Will I get horrible tendonitis in both knees and be forced to abandon my trip? Maybe so. That’s what happened on my ill-conceived first attempt at bicycle touring in Southeast Asia (and yet another blog post).

My real goal for this trip is to talk Thai as much as I can. Somehow, on the bus, on the train, in cities, at hotels — I don’t get as much practice as I’d like. A bicycle, I think, will be a real conversation piece. It’s something to talk about. Look at that ridiculous white guy riding a BICYCLE when he could be in an air conditioned car, bus, or train. Or…at the beach!

So, if the bike tour works — great. If not, I’m not going to worry about it. I’m sure I’ll have an an amazing trip either way.