This Weekend

Hey gang-
Kat's parents (my in-laws) are hitting DC today so we'll be doing a lot with them tomorrow and Sunday. Most probable destination: Dupont Circle Farmers Market on Sunday. Steve won't be coming (he has something silly to do, like work or study or whatever), but we'll find plenty to keep us occupied.
Odds are good Kat will want to hit Tysons Galleria for some marathon shopping, in which case... I'll stay home and write!
later!

Field Report on Bruce in NJ, by Paul Skeen

Hey folks,
Paul Skeen, one of my oldest and best friends, saw Bruce's rehearsal show in Asbury Park. He also had a bit of extra luck when it came to the Boss, as his email describes...

I have very interesting Bruce story for you. Tuesday night my friend Rich asked if I could go with him to the Tuesday rehearsal show in Asbury.

Having seen the show the night before and the $100 price , I thanked him but said I'd have to hold off. The next day I asked if he was able to get rid of the ticket. He said he had,in a way.

He traded that ticket for 2 tickets to the Friday rehearsal show at the Meadowlands. His wife would then be able to get to see the show. Well, on Thursday his wife discovered she would not be able to go. He offered me the ticket for free.

Hmmm.

Free Bruce Ticket/the Arena was not charging for parking/3500 people in a 20,000 seat Arena.

I'm not an idiot.

The difference between Monday's show and Friday's was unbelievable. The sound was much improved, the band was tighter . The only thing they need to fix is a couple song transitions, which I know they will. The feeling of being in a 20,000 seat arena that only had about 3000-3500 people was surreal.

About 10 minutes before they came out they allowed everyone to go to the floor. We opted to move over a section and down about 7 or 8 rows. They only sold the side sections on the lower level for reserved seating and not that many general admission tickets.

To say the least, you are going to see a great show.

Here's the setlist:

• Radio Nowhere
• Ties That Bind
• Lonesome Day
• Gypsy Biker
• Magic
• Candy's Room
• She's the One
• Livin' in the Future
• Promised Land
• Town Called Heartache- Duet w/Patti
• Reason To Believe
• Darlington County
• Born in the USA
• Devils Arcade
• The Rising
• Last to Die
• Long Walk Home
• Badlands
• Waitin' on a Sunny Day
• Thundercrack
• Born to Run
• American Land w/ Larry Eagle & Lisa Lowell from Seeger Sessions Band

I have to say this. "Reason to Believe" was one of the best songs I've ever seen him do. I really hope you get it at your show.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Bruce show, Paul. Being the longtime fan you are, your opinion carries a lot of weight with me and Kat. Hope we'll see you and Belinda soon!

National Book Festival: Dining With Authors

Absolutely fantastic time -- we spent Saturday evening having dinner with three authors featured at the National Book Festival in Washington DC. Here's a pic of Kat and me with Holly Black (who's really one of the nicest people around):

Check out my review of Holly's new book in this month's SFRevu.

later!

What am I reading now? And can I stop reading yet?

Well, finished reading/reviewing FATAL REVENANT by Stephen R. Donaldson and read THE UNNATURAL INQUIRER by Simon R. Green (lots of "R" middle names in what I'm seeing, huh?), which isn't due until January. And read BLOODLINE by F. Paul Wilson for review (have to write that one soon, even though Paul doesn't have an "R" initial).

For some reason, September was a very heavy review month for me. I was signed up for about seven or eight books and thought about taking on one or two more just 'cause (like Tony diTerlizzi and Holly Black's new Spiderwick book). Upshot: no writing time for Drew lately. Not for my own stuff, anyway.

That's why I'm basically passing on new things for November's SFRevu. Probably in December or January I'll pick up again but for right now...

National Book Festival This Weekend

If you're in the DC area, check out the 2007 National Book Festival this Saturday on the National Mall. There used to be a separate science fiction and fantasy section, but it's been merged into a larger meta-fiction category.

However, WSFA is hosting three of the Festival's star authors (Terry Pratchett, Harry Turtledove and Holly Black) for dinner that evening. Kat and I are going and it should be a very interesting, entertaining night.