OASIS Live at the Murat Theater, Indianapolis, IN

Several things will remain etched in my memories after watching Oasis at the Murat Theater. Firstly, the fact that I got within inches of Noel, Zak, Andy and Gem and feet of Liam and got their (except Liam's) autographs. Secondly, the sheer on-stage professionalism of this band of bad Brit boys in delivering a top quality live performance. Finally, the realization that I was far from being one of their biggest fans, which is what I have always thought myself to be...But first, here's a run through what the afternoon, evening and night of March 23 was like...

I drove from West Lafayette to Indy and reached the Murat around 2 pm. There were about 6 people there before me including 2 guys from Lithuania! The number gradually swelled to about 15: the amazing thing as I got talking with these folks was how passionate they were about Oasis...almost all of them had seen them at least 5 times (this was my first). And there we were, fans in the cold, waiting to catch a glimpse of the Gallaghers and their band mates.


One of the fans there spotted Oasis's guitar tech, Jason Rhoads and walked up to him and asked him when the band was to arrive: "3 to 4 pm" was the answer. So we waited. And sure enough, at around 3:45 pm, a big silver colored bus rolled over to the entrance way where the 15 of us were huddled, cameras and Sharpies in hand. Oasis had arrived!!!

Noel was the first to get down and willingly signed autographs, though he seemed to be doing it like it was a ritual for him (which it must be), barely looking at any of us. He didn't seem to be feeling too good and I read elsewhere that he may have been ill. He certainly wasn't the outrageously funny guy I have seen on DVD so many times. But that was fine: Noel gave us what we were standing there for: an opportunity to see him up close and get him to sign our merchandise: an eternal confirmation of the fact that "I met Noel Gallagher" and perhaps the only thing that he will ever uniquely pass to me from him...And so, after seeing Noel on TV for the first time in 1998 in Pune on MTV India, I had seen him in person. I completely subscribe to the "celebrities are only human" belief and there are very few people and bands I would want to meet this way. Noel and Oasis are one of them.


Next came out Andy, Zak and Gem...Zak and Gem were especially nice, with Gem even posing with some folks for photos. And here was the part I liked: just as Zak stepped out and we surrounded him, a scrawny guy very surreptitiously slid behind Zak and straight into the door. LIAM! He had given us the slip...and though I did not get to meet him or get his autograph, in a strange way, I enjoyed that moment thoroughly!!!



After that it was time to head back home and grab some grub before the gig! Adi and me arrived at Murat at 6:45 pm and parked on the street for free. We were thankfully let into the lobby where we waited a bit. As we were waiting I recognized some folks from the Oasis website forum...that was strange, meeting cloudburst2000 and unionjack8! We introduced ourselves and spoke about a ton of things. unionjack8 has named his son Liam, has an Oasis tattoo and has already seen them more times than you can count on one hand! And hates country music...Ah, rock'n'roll fans! After that we got in, waited some more. Security let us take in cameras incidentally. No problem. Digital, film, disposable whatever...some guy even took in a minidisc camera to make his own movie!!! You gotta give Oasis credit for not insisting on these rules of restriction. Thanks guys!!!

The opening act, the Redwalls, got into things at about 8:10pm with one of their better songs called Falling Down. Overall these guys were intriguing: I know they were a lot better than they came across and have some pretty clever songs. De Nova, their 2nd album has some really good songs in addition to Falling Down: Thank You, the brilliant Front Page and the wonderful harmonies on Hung Up on The Way I'm Feeling, which reminded me of Autumn Shade II by the Vines. But these songs are not exactly the kind of material you can play to an audience wanting to hear Oasis play Supersonic and Acquiesce...and they didn't. As a result they sounded like a bunch of kids with great sound thanks to the fantastic acoustics of the Murat, but little else. In short, these guys are good, they just need to work on their live act: for starters, I think they should drop the keyboard player: when 3 guys are singing, I want to hear their harmonies, not have a keyboard competing with their vocals. Anyway, enough of the opening act. I just like to support the underdogs a lot more than most people.


It took about 15 minutes to get the stage reorganized for THE band of the day. Then, to the recorded track FITB off SOTSOG (non-Oasis fans, please bear with the acronyms for the songs and albums, I am too weary to type them out!), out walked the Gallaghers, Zak, Gem and Andy. There was Oasis, in flesh and blood, on stage. Some 5 years ago I had seen them play Wembley on TV and wondered when I could see them live myself. And this was the day.


What can I say? They played 19 tracks, mostly off their first 2 albums, DM and WTS(MG)? and the latest one: DBTT, which they were promoting in their 2004 and 2005 North American tours. And when you consider that Masterplan and Acquiesce were B-sides for singles that went into these albums, the only song outside these 3 albums that they played was Songbird from HC. Nothing else off BHN, HC or SOTSOG (FITB was a recorded track, they didn't PLAY it) combined. But I guess that's me being picky: a band's catalogue of songs is just a collection of songs. They ended with My Generation. Oasis dig the Beatles and the Who. Little wonder I dig Oasis, eh?

The crowd was loud and singing along to every word...I had no clue there were so many fans of Oasis. Now, the Murat holds 2500 I've been told. That is by no means a large crowd. But I'm willing to bet that by itself separated the true fans from the folks who were wondering what to do on a Thursday evening and found out that the band that wrote Wonderwall was at the Murat. Fantastic crowd, my only crib being that not many folks were pogo-ing, no one around me at all. The guy in front of me did it occasionally and I would pogo with him, but for the most time I was just moving on the spot...Oasis have to be fantastic for pogo-ing. Acquiesce, Supersonic, Cigs and Alcohol, Rock'n'Roll Star are all written for pogo-ing.

Anyway, my final word is this. This was the best show of any kind that I have ever witnessed. I left, my ears ringing, my throat hoarse and this strange mix of elation and sadness. Tonight's show reminded me why I loved Oasis when I first heard them. And why I kept following them loyally as they released albums that were not as good as their first 2. These guys are a no-nonsense rock'n'roll band with a unique chemistry that no band can ever try to achieve since it involves not trying at all. Oasis don't try to make great music, they just do. They don't try to be one of the greatest rock'n'roll bands of all time, they just are. Their songs are in-your-face not because they shove them out there, but because they draw you in.

Rock'n'Roll has for me, as for many more, been more than just a form of music. It has, at varying times and degrees, been a hobby, an obsession, an occupation, a dream. And as we drift through our daily routines and jobs in the quest of finding security one way or another, bands like Oasis Keep The Dream Alive for the rest of us who are less talented or less lucky or most likely of all, less brave. They put it on the line, walk it. They get drunk, get high, tour day in and out for months at a time, living out of buses, hotels and airplanes. They live the rock'n'roll life, and all of us who can't, feel a little less of the need to.


SETLIST (March 23, 2006) at Murat Theater, Indianapolis
Turn Up The Sun
Lyla
Bring It On Down
Morning Glory
Cigs & Alcohol
The Importance of Being Idle
The Masterplan
Songbird
A Bell Will Ring
Acquiesce
Live Forever
Mucky Fingers
Wonderwall
Champagne Supernova
Rock n Roll Star

Encore:
Supersonic
The Meaning of Soul
Don't Look Back In Anger
My Generation

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL

Adi and Dhruv visit Lincoln's town! Springfield is like that: the minute you get off the interstate, all you see are signs pointing to Lincoln this and Lincoln that...and why not! It is impressive how Springfield has maintained such an incredible tribute to America's tallest President (6f 4"). We (the two of us and Pune buddy Nagraj, who is working on his PhD at UIUC) drove from Urbana and entered Springfield, parked and got into the Abraham Lincoln Predidential Library and Museum around 2pm. In the next 3 hours or so, we took in two gripping documentaries (Lincoln's Eyes and Ghosts in the Library) that had the best special effects we had ever seen. Holographic 3D tricks-of-light, smoke, fake fire, shaking chairs, screens of varying depths...wow! Imagine all this for a President's museum. And as we walked through the chronlogical recreation of Abe's life from his time as a kid in Pigeon Creek, IN to his assasination at the Ford Theater on Good Friday, 1865 while watching "Our American Cousin" and a recreation of a tomb...fantastic portrayal of an embattled personality.

Two days later, the History Channel premiered it's 3 hour Lincoln documentary focusing on the mental battle he fought at almost every stage of his life. What was remarkable to me was the fact that he did so much at such a late age and was quite a late bloomer in many ways. Granted, it was the 19th century, but I think there's a moral for all of us who think that our directions in life are set and all we have to do is walk down them...Lincoln was almost 40 when he had given up on his political ambitions. But in the next 5 years he would resolve to take it up: slavery gave him an agenda, he did the rest. Inspiring stuff. And oh yes, that's the two of us in front of Abe's Springfield home.

University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

And yes, after returning to Urbana, Nagraj gave us a quick tour of the campus (UIUC). It was dark, cold and windy so better pictures and more meaningful experiences must wait for another day. Till then this crummy picture of the Alma Mater and the two of us should suffice as proof of our visit!

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

A second visit for a game at Conseco, another blowout. The Pacers routed the Nets last time we went to watch them. This time it was the Sonics. And we were minus J.O. and J.T. As I have always believed, Freddie Jones showed he is capable of a lot more than he normally gets the chance to demonstrate. With more responsibility on his shoulders than usual, he made 26 as the Pacers got 115 points and kept the high scoring Sonics down to 96. The crowd attendance was a lot lower (14000) than normal, but I enjoyed this game a lot more than I did the one against the Nets. $10 may well be worth it for a distant ticket to a game. Adi's mum also managed to grab a freebie: a free Haircut at Great Clips! Go Pacers indeed!

Devon Ave, Chicago, IL

A Chicago trip without Devon Avenue is like...umm. Quite okay actually, when you think about it. After all, who wants to fight unruly traffic, horrendous parking opportunities and a host of desis just to buy some Desi stuff (that you get at your local Asian store anyway) or eat a dosa...we did. 2 cars, 6 of us. But what made it worth it was the largest dosa we have eaten (well...we shared of course). The Royal Family Dosa at the Mysore Restaurant was worth writing home (or on the web) about, hence this blog entry. Feast your eyes on what we dug into (along with Mysore coffee) on New Year's Day in Chicago...There was also a sign on the road reading "We Sell Used Police Cars". It happens only in India may not be true after all. Atleast not as long there is Devon Avenue. Some of India's strangest yet identifying (and sometimes endearing) idiosyncracies are embodied on Devon Ave. Worth a trip for any desi...assuming you don't mind spending 20 minutes searching for a parking spot!

Navy Pier, Chicago, IL

$22 for parking on a weekend. Repeat: $22 for parking on a weekend. I have probably paid half of that for parking in all of the last 7 months that I have been driving in the US!

Was it worth it? Contrary to my expectations, it may have been. Here is what we saw and did at Navy Pier (all this in addition to all the stuff you see at your average big city mall): we witnessed a clown playing electric guitar on a stage, strolled through a huge 100-exhibit Stained glass museum, walked around in the dreamlandish Winterfest, built a sweet little boxer at Build-a-Bear workshop (ahem...another $22) and walked through the rainforest-like deck onto the Ferris wheel and the dock for cruise ships.

A great day. 22 bucks is still too steep. You wouldn't know it by the crowds though and that, I guess, makes it justified.

Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette, IL

We visited the Baha'i House of Worship is located on New Year's Eve. That wasn't why we visited it of course. We were spending the weekend at Usha Deo's place in Chicago and she took us to this wonderful place. Located in a very luxurious community and close to the Northwestern campus, the approach feels like a drive through any posh suburb of a major city, like Geist in Indianapolis. And it seems all rich people wish to live next to a large water body!

The House of Worship (HOW) was wonderful. Since I had seen the one in Delhi, I knew what to expect. A dome like structure made of white. Whereas the one in Delhi was fairly smooth, much like the Sydney Harbor dome, this HOW had intricate paneling on the exterior. The interior was much smaller than that in Delhi, but equally peaceful, barring the noisy mediterranean family.

Below are two pics: one taken in Delhi in March 2000 with a Kodak film camera. The next one was on our trip to Chicago on the eve of 2006. Technology, people, places...Time changes everything.

Purdue Village, West Lafayette, IN

The sun came out today and we rushed outside and dusted clean the good ol' grill and made ourselves some veggie burgers, potatoes and Tilapia fish fillets! Now that's a wonderful Indiana winter day in December!!!

Elliot Music Hall, Purdue University, IN

Graduation! Satish received his Ph.D. degree in a leather bound folder, complete with a $45 rented gown and we were there to cheer him on! I was assigned the task of video camera man, so the picture above is really from last year's graduation in Dec 2004 when Harshal Patwardhan graduated. Incidentally, Harshal and Sujay Malve were also present. The Bhate/Bapat representation consisted of Adi, Dhruv and Ranjana!


The most exciting thing for me was sitting inches from the organ player and see him do his thing. I was not aware that the organ player uses his feet to hammer out bass notes. That must be one difficult instrument to play! Wow!

Serious Snow! West Lafayette, IN

Photograph from inside our apartment (behind a window) at 5pm!