Blondie @Brooklyn Museum, Oct. 29th

(I'm watching the Yankees hold a tenuous lead in the top of the 8th, so I'm gonna keep this short.)

This evening, I had an invitation to preview the wonderful new photograph exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum -- Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present. I got there a little later than I had meant to, arriving at 6pm when the after-work crowd was spilling in, so I headed straight up to the exhibit and saw what I could, knowing that I'll be returning a few more times to fully absorb this great collection of both iconic and rare photographs. In case you weren't able to tell, I love seeing live music and snapping the occasional good shot during these gigs with a simple point-and-shoot, so being able to see images of artists including Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Björk and Bruce Springsteen really resonated with me.

Unfortunately, the exhibit got pretty packed pretty quickly as expected, so I ditched it and filled up on some free food at the reception before Julie showed up. What could be more rock 'n roll than soft pretzels, hot dogs and Brooklyn lager? =)

Once Julie came, we took advantage of the open bar and then got on the floor for Blondie, one of the many bands featured in the exhibit and who was performing live for the reception. The crowd was an interesting mix of young and old (and boy, some of those older folks are awfully pushy!) -- Julie commented it felt like we were on a cruise ship seeing some washed up band. And maybe Blondie are past their prime, but they can still give a good time.

For their short 40 minute set, the band pulled out a good number of their own classics, as well as a great cover of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Debbie Harry came out looking like an older Italian bombshell vampire sporting brunette tresses (not so blonde) and a mask for Halloween, and though she started a bit flat, she warmed up after a while, especially during "Rapture," strutting her stuff. For 64, she's still got it, and she's older than my Mom!

All in all, a great night, and I highly recommend people sign up for memberships, even though admission is usually pay-whatever-you-wish, since a membership allows you entrance to events like this. And I definitely can't wait to go back and check out the exhibit at my own pace.

Here are some more of my pics on my Flickr.

(Okay, not that short, but yay, the Yankees won! 3-1!)