While in California, I went to the HEAD meeting (High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society) in San Francisco.
Good fun, more on details later as I assimilate (even Phil couldn't properly live-blog the meeting - those F-18s are bloody loud).
And I missed Billy! Again.
See, Billy Bragg was playing the bluegrass festival in the Park on saturday, for free! (and, yes, I am jealous of the Pharmboy, and not ashamed to admit it).
I knew, vaguely there was a "bluegrass" festival in the Park, if I had known Elvis Costello was playing I might have made a push to go, but I didn't get to the Chronicle because of the meeting, and I found out Billy was playing when someone on the bus down at the Cannery told me he was playing (again), right that minute!
Aargh!
We were stuck in Air Show traffic from hell. Took two hours to get away from the waterfront, at which point the munchkins needed dinner bad (turns out Taditch Grill is surprisingly good with kids, and food is still excellent).
So I missed Billy. But got a good luck at the rear end of some F-18s.
What really grates is that Billy was playing in DC during AbSciCon earlier this year, and I also found out about it too late. You'd think I'd learn, but nooooo....
Still: to the group of Stanford undergrads who, for some bizarre reason that I suspect is vaguely related to mild hazing intended to build group cohesion in frosh, got The Entire Bus to sing several verses of "The Wheels On the Bus" - you made a little boys day.
Not only did he get to go for a long bus ride on a real tram bus, but all the grownups sang the Wheels on the Bus to him, while he did it.
Much better than being photographed with naked mermaids while wearing a silly hat.
If anyone has the video (and I know you were taping), then YouTube it and send me the URL, or just send it over directly.
Nice that you and Phil both made it. The place seemed to be full of Con-X supporters. Interesting that Roger Blandford avoided mentioning "dark energy." I got some good shots of the F/A-18's over San Francisco; one is on Tuesday's blog.
My guess, Steinn, is that you wouldn't have been as tongue-tied as I and would have had more substantive things to speak about with Billy. I just came from a conference where I spoke with four Nobelists and a new Lasker award winner, but talking with Billy was the highlight of my year.
Speaking of being there and missing him, I then learned that Ian MacLagan (Faces, Blokes) was in Raleigh that night and I missed him - so don't feel so bad!