Rockin' in Dnepropetrovsk...

Thought I travel a lot, I don't get out much - which is probably the understatement of the millennium - but last night's outing to what appeared to be a sports arena to see Deep Purple was excellent.

I really didn't know what to expect. My ticket said I was in row 8, which took my mind back to a famous Joe Cocker concert during my college years when I managed the good fortune to score a seat in row three (or perhaps it was misfortune, as my seat was right in front of the speakers and I became acquainted with what in acoustics is called the "threshold of pain").

I needn't have worried about last night, because "row 8" was very nearly at the back of the hall. Most of the crowd stood before the stage in an area about the size of a hockey rink. Here's a shot from my vantage point:



As you can see, the house was very nearly full, with a curious mix of young and... the rest of us. The band had the crowd eating out of its hand, and did a very nice encore. I had hoped to hear Woman From Tokyo, but you can't have everything. The group's rendition of Smoke on the Water was great!

Afterward, I followed my colleagues for a walk part of the way back to the hotel, then a taxi ride that made us happy we didn't try to walk all the way back home. We then hit a place a couple of blocks from the hotel called Пузата Хата (my Ukrainian is non-existent, but cognate words render this as "plump hut," or a little place where you can stuff yourself). I had a satisfying meal and a half liter of beer for about 20 hryvnia ($5 or so).

When we got back to the hotel, guess who was there, surrounded by a small group of dedicated fans? Yes, you guessed it: the band members. The two guitarists were kind enough to autograph my ticket, and were surprised to meet someone who "came all the way from Colorado to catch the show."

Sleep was sparse this past night. I woke at 3:30 am and tossed for a little over three hours. We'll be picked up in about 80 minutes. Time for another quick walk around the block and breakfast!

Cheers...