Sparkly shirt!
2011 was a big year in the amazing continuing career of Chuck Berry. After a scary collapse in Chicago, he returned to his monthly post at Blueberry Hill, saw his statue installed in the Loop and got a feature in the January 2012 Esquire.
Last week, Jamie Lees explained why you shouldn't wait to see Berry play. Several of you agreed with her, including commenter Maria, who has our comment of the day.
My boyfriend and I went to see him last year for this very reason. We drove from Buffalo to NYC (6 1/2 hours) and waited seven hours at the bar at BB Kings hoping that would get the bartenders to give us a word-in for good seats. It worked: we sat right in front of Chuck :). This was the night before the so-called collapse gig. At our show, he dropped his pick and knelt down to get it and couldn't get up. The bassist, after what seemed an eternity, offered a hand and lifted him up. Still, I would have paid the same or more to just be in the room with that man and know that he put on his sparkly shirt to share the night with strangers. There's no one cooler and never will be.
