Heather Toshiko

Ok, so the Regeneration Tour 2008 was awesome. No, seriously, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and I’d go back and see it again if I could. This was a once in a lifetime line up, Flock of Seagulls, ABC, Belinda Carslile and Human League. Dead or Alive cancelled on all of the North American stops because the lead singer got mascara in his eye. Anyway, let me paint you a picture.

Saratoga, California. This is a place where a quaint little town sits at the foothills of a beautiful mountain winery. Dot com millionaires buy unpretentious ranch style houses on streets with mature trees and Prius’ scattered along the curb. All the guys in the bagel shop wear IT-Casual polo shits and jawbones, with pony tails and nerd-chic glasses. Basically, it’s a haven for the guys who never made it past pledge week, but now hire the frat president to mow their lawns.

The Inn at Saratoga is a quiet little hotel built into a hillside. There’s no pool, but a delightful terrace where you can enjoy complimentary wine and cheese in the evenings, and breakfast in the morning. My fifth floor room, the Earl Banks Suite (what can I say, the lady at the front desk liked me and thus hooked me up with an upgrade) was like most hotel rooms, with a wet bar and a patio overlooking a tree covered hill and a small creek. Only one floor below me, a set of double doors led to the main artery in the town and provided my traveling companion and me with several dinner options, although most were some variation on Italian cuisine. Since we were starving from the long road trip, we chose a nearby restaurant with patio seating and a full bar. The weather was perfect, so we sat outside and started with white wine. Fast forward about an hour plus. I’ve had an amazing chicken picatta and tasted my first cous cous. We’ve polished off our white wine and a bottle of chianti and are contemplating stumbling back to the hotel. After a quick discussion with the very well informed bus boy, we gleaned the pertinent information for our foray to the concert the following day, and head back to the hotel with full tummies and a buzz.

Day two. For some reason, I woke up with the roosters and couldn’t get back to sleep. My roll-dog was still snoozing, so I quietly slipped out and headed to the local bagel shack where I got the best freshly made scallion/cucumber cream cheese ever! I got our bagels, and brought them back to the room where I sat on the terrace and read the local paper while I gobbled down my asiago bagel and green tea. Such a peaceful breakfast. Just me and all the birds drinking at the creek. It was around the time that I started on my second bagel half that I realized how very much I needed a few quiet days away from life.

So, because God has a sense of humor, I had a yucky allergic reaction to something (I’m still not sure what) and ended up in the urgent care that afternoon. Fortunately, I was in and out within half an hour, with a script for some steroid cream. Kudos to my FNG for being such a good sport about it.

Late that afternoon, it was time to head up to the concert venue. A 10 minute trip up the twisty one lane road, and we arrived at the Saratoga Mountain Winery. We had dinner reservations for a three-course meal on a terrace overlooking the Silicon Valley. Dinner was lovely, and that’s when I stopped drinking the wine and started on the old standby: Malibu and Diet Coke. After about two, I realized that I needed doubles poured in big kid cups, and I took my concerns to the bartender. She hooked me up, and I carried my glass right up to our front row seats in the venue. Ahhhh, it’s good to be the king.

FoS was onstage first. The lead singer no longer has his trademark coif, but now wears a baseball cap likely hiding a receding or nonexistent hairline. Still, he managed to belt out the old favorites, and left the stage to loud cheers and applause. I quickly bolted to the bathroom lest I miss ABC and the glorious Martin Fry enter the stage.

Unfortunately, the line at the bathroom hampered me a bit, and by the time I walked back into the venue, Martin et al were onstage. God he looked amazing! A white suit with a rhinestone fleur de lis on the back, black dress shirt and snazzy black square toed patent leather shoes easily made up for the crows feet. In a word, yummy! He did all of my favorite ABC hits and I was on my feet for When Smokey Sings. ABC rocked. Really.

Another trip to the bathroom, and another double Malibu later, and Belinda Carslile was on the stage. She looked freakin fabulous. I know she’s had work done, but she is a gorgeous as when she was in her 20’s and she still has the command presence to fill the stage with her tiny person. Her voice is as unique and talented as it has ever been and the crowd was on their feet throughout her performance.

Final bathroom trip and Malibu in hand, I made it to my seat in time to see the Human League hotties bolt onto the stage. Strangely, they have far fewer recognizable hits than the other bands, but their performance made me realize why they were the final act. They are an amazing stage presence and their vocals have not deteriorated with age. I had completely forgotten about their hit “Mirror Man” and yet I cannot get it out of my head now. Quite an impressive performance from an old school band that probably hasn’t done a live show in 20 years.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the performances, the venue and the trip. If I could have stayed for another week, drank more wine and spent more time exploring the little hamlet of Saratoga I surely would have. FNG and I have decided to see as many performances as reasonably possible at this venue in the future. I am ready to go see Margaret Cho in the near future. Friends, if you have the opportunity or the inkling, I highly recommend the Saratoga Mountain Winery as a unique and cozy venue to see a show. It’s so totally worth the drive!