New York City 2012

As you may have noticed from my post about Chicago in November (here), I am a fan of Guns N’ Roses. Say what you will about the pros and cons of the band as it stands today, there was a time when I never thought I would have the chance to see any lineup of Gn’R play the music that enjoy. I see them every chance I get. And, having seen them a few times already, in Las Vegas in 2001, Jacksonville, Florida in 2006, Chicago in 2011, and, now, New York City in 2012, I know these guys are good and that I’ll enjoy the show.

I also like to travel, and I’ve been able to combine those two joys of mine to see Guns play in some pretty cool places. Vacation days were meant for me to make quick trips to see Gn’R. I had never been to NYC, and I was looking for an excuse. Guns N’ Roses provided just the push I needed to finally make the trip up to the Big Apple.

Gn’R announced a series of club dates in NYC, stripped down performances in small venues, in late January just a few days ahead of the actual performances. Despite a number of good reasons not to buy a ticket (i.e., no money, work/school obligations) I stalked Ticketmaster and got my ticket on a Thursday afternoon. The concert was that Sunday night.

Knowing that the Gn’R boys never take the stage until around midnight and that they typically play for three hours, I made the brilliant decision to fly up Sunday morning, wander Manhattan all day, see the concert, wander Manhattan in the early morning, and catch the first flight back home on Monday morning. That’s exactly what I did. It was amazing.

I flew out early Sunday morning and was at Laguardia by 10 AM. That gave me all day to play in Manhattan.

My first stop was the concert venue. I wanted to scope out where to be later that night. Terminal 5 is located on 56^th street in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m not sure why they call it that because it was about 25 degrees F when I was there, but I guess Hell’s Kitchen sounds tough.

I then wandered my way to the Museum of Modern Art on 53^rd. I have a thing for modern art, and this is one of the best art museums in the world. I had to check it out. Guns N’ Roses and MOMA in one day? Yes, I am a very cultured dude.

They have some stunning pieces in there, including a giant Monet, a couple by van Gogh, and one from my personal favorite artist, Mark Rothko.

van Gogh - Starry Night

Rothko - #10

An enormous Monet - Lily Pads (I think?)

After perusing the collection for a while, I worked my way down Park and 5^th Avenues to the World Trade Center site. You know you’re getting close to the spot when suddenly the skyline opens up and you can see blue sky instead of a canyon of concrete, steel, and glass. Even though they are rebuilding down there and signs of progress are everywhere, you can’t help but be a little unnerved. All those images from CNN came flooding from the corners of my brain where I tried to repress them. It was wild to think that so much trouble in the world was centered on this spot.

Way too much open space for Manhattan.

I then walked 70 blocks up Broadway back to Terminal 5, stopping off for dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square like all the rest of the tourists. My excuse was that I was looking for Gn’R memorabilia on the wall (found Duff’s bass guitar), but I was really just being a touristy tool. Why not?

Times Square - loud and boisterous

After dinner was the concert. Small venue, not many people, I’m twenty feet from the stage. Stuck behind some guys who were not only tall but who decided to take off their hats and wave them over their heads as soon as the house lights went down. I guess they were trying to attract the band’s attention, but they only succeeded in blocking my excellent view of the stage and pissing me off. I finally found a spot where I could see the band perform (I knew they were there; I could hear them just fine), but it took a few songs to maneuver into a good concert-watching spot.

After settling down a bit, I was able to enjoy the show. The guys in the band are pros. They can play, they know how to perform, and they put on one hell of a show. They ripped off a set of 25 songs and took their final bow at about 2:30 AM. I left Terminal 5 with a pleasant ringing in my ears and feeling pretty good about life in general.

The final bow. Time to wander the streets of Manhattan!

I still had seven hours to kill in NYC before my flight home. Back to Times Square! Unfortunately, despite an hours worth of wandering about, the only place I could find open was a McDonalds. Well, I did walk past a few strip joints, but I had a feeling from the look of the places that the girls dancing inside at 4 AM on a Monday morning probably weren’t worth the price of admission. I got a hot chocolate and hung out with the homeless guys in the McD’s for a while. See, I told you I am cultured. By 4:30 I realized I wasn’t going to have any luck finding something fun to do, headed back to Laguardia, and dozed in the terminal until my flight home.

Goodbye Laguardia. I'll be back!

I spent roughly 23 hours in NYC and loved every minute of it. That quick trip reaffirmed my love for big cities. I know I’ll have to make my way back to New York City soon for a longer visit. I don’t even need Guns N’ Roses in town to draw me back. I just need a few days of free time, a few more dollars in my pocket, and perhaps a few friends to come with me on a grand adventure.