Go BOOM!

I hope that all of you have a safe and happy 4th of July celebration.

Here in Seattle, Mother Nature doesn't fail to disappoint the general public and meterologists by lulling us into a false sense of security with hot, sunny weather the week before the 4th, and cloudy, rainy weather on the holiday. It's an ongoing joke that it just isn't the 4th of July in Seattle without a little rain.

But more disappointing than the rain was the 4th of Jul-Ivar's show over at Elliott Bay (I didn't actually go to any of the shows, as I hate loud noises (i.e. fireworks), and large crowds. I actually watched the show from the comfort of my own couch with pajamas on). The show, broadcasted on KOMO TV channel 4, was lackluster in any event. I had a co-worker who told me that a few years ago, she was finally able to get the day after the holiday off of work and she and her hubby went to the show, and after a few years of excellent displays, she told me that the show sucked. I was wondering how a fireworks show can "suck," I mean it's all exploding balls of pretty colors. But watching the 4th of Jul-Ivar's, I can honestly say that yes, a fireworks display can suck. It looks like there was only one barge that carried fireworks, the music selection was old and lousy, and there was nothing new or exciting about the fireworks that went off (when they did go off that is. There was way too much of a gap in between bursts).

Way better was the show going on over at Lake Union's Gas Works Park. Officially called the WaMu Family 4th Show, this show had a lot going for it. From an eclectic music selection, mixing traditional orchestral songs like "Beethoven's Symphony No. 9," with some more recent and random selections like "Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones. This show utilized three barges, each loaded to the gills with an excellent assortment of fireworks, from the golden weeping willow effect of the "Triumphant Storm" fireworks, to the angelic and ghostly "UFO" fireworks that seemed to just slowly and lazily rise up from the water, only go less than 100 feet high, and slowly drift off and disintegrate before us. Even the coverage by the KING 5 news team was hipper, even with the old stodgy standbys of Dennis Bounds and Lori Matsukawa. They had John Curley form "Evening Magazine", and Bender of KISS 106.1's morning show "Jackie & Bender," doing some odd stuff, like arm wrestling with the North American arm wrestling champ (that and it was fun calling them "Curley Bender," sounds like some kinda new mixed cocktail drink). It made poor Dan Lewis and Kathi Goertzen, as much as I love them, look like they were hosting a geriatrics parade.

Anyway, the folks putting on these shows always say next year will be bigger and better, so I'm looking forward to what WaMu will offer next year and hope that the Ivar's show will improve. Of course, I'll be at home on the couch with a bowl of ice cream in hand. The rest of you can fight the crowds.