Tim Stopulos

I usually like to post the highlights of the shows, but in this case, there's one that stands so far above the rest, that it doesn't seem right to file it along with any other moments from the night. Of course, I'm talking about "Separate Ways", written by Journey, interpreted by Tim Stopulos and a section of the Lucky's crowd. It was thrilling, nay, blood-tingling. The only other song that could even be mentioned is "Changes" by Tupac Shakur, during which one of the audience members had an out-of-body experience of sorts, began channeling the late 2pac, causing the rest of us (myself included) to stand back and watch in awe as he wailed.

Both performances are as unforgettable as they were musical, and all of those who bore witness were, well, lucky.

I always wonder how people get into this kind of thing. He obviously spent a long, long time perfecting this skill and there's no way he gets the appreciation that more conventional musicians with similar skill get. So I'll put this up here as a little tribute:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1802127

Awesome crowd last night at Lucky's. Just a fun-loving group of homies. I mean, these people had a serious, long-distance, loving relationship with fun. And I think last night was the two year anniversary.

Highlights from Lucky's 02.08.08 (almost too many to choose)

1) Toto - Africa, Impromptu
2) DancingNanciesWarehouseLouisLouis
3) Semi-Charmed Life into Let 'er Cry.
4) Tenacious D and 80's Medleys

Peace,

Tim

So I just got back from Park City, Utah a few days ago and thought I'd relay a little bit of the happenings. The story most worthy of being told is "The Tale of the NBA Hitchhikers".

Late in our first morning in Utah, my friend Brian Triplett and I were stranded in a mountain cabin without a car or anything to do. We were dying to get to Park City, where Sundance was happening and where some friends of ours were hanging out before they had to leave town. However, Park City was a solid 50 some miles away, and as I made quite clear earlier, we were carless.

But we had a will. And some sleds.

So, knowing it was mostly downhill into the next town (which we figured to be a couple miles away), and knowing mountains are notorious for having a healthy amount of snow, we grabbed the sleds and started sliding down the mountain.

It was going great. For the first quarter-mile.

After that, the snowy hills gave into plowed roads, and we were stuck. With a little ways to go.















Figuring we could reach the next town by foot, we started walking, and hoped to catch a cab in town to Park City. So we walked down a seemingly abandoned road.

We didn't make it too much farther before a car (the only one we had seen all day) drove up from behind us. In a desperate effort to make faster progress, we waved him down. And he did not seem pleased by the prospect of picking up hitchhikers (in the same way we weren't pleased by the prospect of being them). But he stopped, heard us out and obliged to take us to the next town.

And thank God he did. The next town was 16 miles down the road.






Me, Shadow and Brian







We gave him our stories, which he was obviously not excited to hear. But after a while, he warmed up to us. He told us his name was Steve and that he has a cabin near ours where he stays with Shadow, his Golden Retriever. Upon hearing we were from Iowa, he asked if we knew Bobby Hanson, who was a close friend of his. Turns out Bobby played for the Utah Jazz at the same time he played for the Portland Trailblazers.

Naturally, we bombarded him with questions about life in the NBA. Are you kidding - you played in the NBA? Did you play with Clyde? Did you know MJ pretty well? Yes, yes and yes - he comes into town pretty often to play golf.

And so we hitched a ride with a profession basketball player.

Best of all, he liked us so much he took us all the way to Park City (an hour out of his way).

All so Brian could end the night like this.
















After which, we had to hitchhike back. At 2:30 in the morning. But that's another story for another day.