We Got the Passes

Jailer got backstage passes for the Go-Gos concert so I booked a flight on United Shuttle to join him and Craig6z in Reno for an overnight stay at the Reno Hilton. Hunnybear hadn’t driven my white Pontiac convertible for some time so she climbed into the driver’s seat and whisked me to LAX. It took eight minutes flat to get from the apartment to the airport and another eight minutes to get to the United terminal. I kissed Hunnybear goodbye and went through secret security to the Red Carpet Club where I picked up a couple of biscotti for the trip. The line at the Red Carpet Club to check in was long so I went to the secret Premier Executive checkin desk on the way to the Shuttle Terminal, which should be called Terminal 8 but is just called part of Terminal 7. I saw the guy in front of me use a coveted Time-Verified Upgrade for the short flight to Reno. I mean he spent something worth maybe $150 if he used it cross-country on this piddly little flight. It made me cringe.

I was really getting the hang of this Shuttle flying because I then went to Starbucks for a decaf to drink with the biscotti. With a little effort you could make do-it-yourself premium service. We boarded on time and I settled into seat 1C. Service was friendly and efficient on this one-hour flight but we had a bit of a queue to take off so we left about fifteen minutes late. My seat opponent was a retired United flight engineer who pointed out geographical landmarks along the way. He said the word from the pilot’s union was that the outlook was good for ending the labor troubles soon.

We landed as we took off, fifteen minutes late. I wheeled past the slot machines to door D and caught the free shuttle to the Reno Hilton. It was the nicest casino in Reno, about the quality of Harrah’s or Bally’s on the Vegas Strip. Of course in Reno they hit soft 17, which gave the house an extra half a percent advantage. I wheeled past a long line over to the VIP/Crystal Club/Casino Guest/HHonors checkin. I blew the dust off my HHonors gold card and asked if any upgrades were available. As has almost invariably been my experience at Hiltons, the clerk said I was in luck and that he had something nice for me. It was a large room on the 16th floor (bottom half of the hotel) with a view of the airport. As has almost invariably been my experience at Hiltons, I failed to see any difference between the “upgraded” room and any other room in the hotel.

I said not a word but went straight down to play Pai Gow Poker. My luck was running like fat juicy trout this trip as I could do no wrong and quickly built up a nice cushion of winnings by the time Craig6z and Jailer arrived. I played a little Three-Card Poker, a new game that was fun but had a high house advantage especially considering how many hands they can get in in an hour. I went upstairs to www.thewizardofodds.com to learn how to play. It was easy. Bet with a Queen-6-4 or higher, fold otherwise. I hit a straight and a flush and left ahead by a bit.

I met the boys in the lobby, ascertained that their room was exactly the same as mine but four floor higher, and looked for someplace to get a bite. We settled on Chevy’s, a mediocre Mexican restaurant chain right in the hotel lobby. I ordered fajitas but they brought four chicken satays on a bed of sliced zucchini. I complained about paying $11.95 for four strips of chicken and the waitress offered to bring more chicken for another $3-$4. I declined.

The boys and I went over to Jailer’s friend’s art gallery, Richardson Gallery, and looked at a huge selection of high-quality art by contemporary artists. Craig6z and I were astonished that such a place could be in Reno, Nevada. Jailer wanted a more in-depth look so Craig6z and I wandered over to the Atlantis casino and played a bit. Craig6z got hoovered at everything but the trout were still running for me. I hit Five of a Kind at Deuces Wild and cashed out ahead $70. I even won $13 at Monopoly.

We went back and changed for the show. It was a triple bill of Eighties bands: The Psychedelic Furs, The B-52s, and the Go-Gos. The venue was the “Reno Hilton Amphitheater,” actually a bunch of bleachers set up in the parking lot. The Furs opened at seven o’clock straight up and played a passionate 40-minute set to the sparse crowd, concluding with hits “Pretty in Pink” and “Heaven.” It took 30 minutes to change for the next band but then the B-52s came on an performed a brilliant set of all their best songs, beginning with “Private Idaho” and saving hits “Love Shack” and “Rock Lobster” for the end along with a personal favorite, “Planet Claire.” The band had aged gracefully and still looked like they were having fun weaving their offbeat lyrics with the distinctive voices of the three lead singers. It was worth coming just for them.

We all awaited the entrance of the Go-Gos, whom we had backstage passes to see. They opened with hit “Vacation” and played energetically through an hour of songs that most people weren’t too familiar with until they concluded with their other two hits, “We’ve Got the Beat” and “Islands of Seals”—I mean, “Our Lips Are Sealed.” Funny how, if you mishear the lyrics to a song the first time you hear it, it sticks with you.

After an upbeat but unfamiliar encore we headed backstage. They kept us waiting for ten minutes but we finally got to meet the band. The experience was kind of like running into the 37-year-old woman who used to be the 17-year-old girl in high school that you had a crush on but never gave you the time of day. She was generous and kind with her time now, but the intensity just wasn’t there. All three bands put on good shows, but the distracted crowd of 4000 watching these once-popular groups sobered me to just how fleeting fame is.

The show ran much longer than I had thought so the reservations I had made at the Reno Hilton’s steakhouse (called “The Steak House”) were dead and buried. The only place open at the Hilton was that rat-trap Chevy’s so we climbed into Craig6z’s Audi and headed to the Peppermill where we had a fine dinner although there was no chance to get it comped. I had a Joe’s Special ($5.99) which was good although not up to Grande Luxe Café standards. We headed back to the Hilton and Jailer and I played Pai Gow Poker into the wee hours. I won even more before going up to my upgraded room and crashing.


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[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 07-31-2000).]