Rancid in Barcelona

First, if you aren't interested in extreme details of the Rancid concert, feel free to stop reading (although thank you for still registering as a hit on my page).  Second, I apologize sincerely for the poor quality of the picture, but that's the best I could do last night.

When my brother first let me know that Rancid was coming to Barcelona while I was here, I didn't think too much of it.  My always pessimistic self thought it'd be hard to get to from Granollers, expensive, uncomfortable and possibly unsafe, and not the same seeing them after all of these years.  As I thought more about, though, I realized two things... 1) my musical listening life started just as Rancid started and 2) Rancid is arguably the most celebrated American punk band in history.  People will argue the Ramones but I don't agree; the Ramones may have been a pioneer but Rancid is a categorical force; constantly evolving without ever straying too far from where they started, creating a record label and countless side projects, ushering in the whole wave of Epitaph and Hellcat records (culminating in interest from MADONNA at one point in the 1990s!), serving as the foundation and gateway for my love of punk music, and most importantly still rocking the same today as they did when I saw them in 1996.  My time frame bias is certainly inherent to my argument, but I really do think they're THE American punk band.  And with that, I decided I must have a ticket!

Anyway, I arrived to Razzmatazz (the concert hall) a bit earlier than scheduled "doors open" time.  I am sure this will shock everyone who's ever been to a concert but they opened the doors later than planned!  I know, that never happens.  Anyway, while waiting, I took in the scenery and realized that the young kids (minus their lack of hygiene, piercings, tattoos, beers, cigarettes, and joints) were me from 15 years ago.  Sure, I was a middle class kid from the suburbs but I still LOVED seeing any punk concert I possibly could, and so did these people.  Throw in the old school t-shirts from the likes of Operation Ivy, the Business, the Addicts, and others, and it was like a flashback to Graffiti in Oakland.  Eventually, the doors opened and I entered for the first time in five years (when I saw the Street Dogs and Bouncing Souls in Chapel Hill).  The club itself was very similar to Avalon in Boston (which is maybe closed).  They host concerts "early" in the night and then turn into a dance club later.  Overall, it was nice with huge bars on each side and an upper balcony to watch from (although I chose ground level)

Whether in Spain, North Carolina, or Pittsburgh, the concerts are the same.  The opening band (Gas Drummers) were actually good but had an audience of 15 mostly standing and watching.  The next band, Klasse Kriminale, grew the audience to "crowded but not packed", and then Rancid made it so no one could move.  Good veteran move by the late arrivers here, they didn't miss too much really.

When Rancid took the stage, the crowd went rightfully crazy and "Radio" began (here is a link to the set list for the concert http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/rancid-13d6898d.html).  For those that have seen Rancid, you know it's ALL music when they start... in this case, they played 31 songs in 90 minutes or so, only breaking for a few words maybe five or six times (including Tim's gem of "This song is about being rejected, and it's called... Rejected!).  The set list was heavy on "And Out Come The Wolves" songs, which is understandable because a) it's the best album they've made and b) it's the most popular as well (the Barcelona fans seemed to know most every song, but they definitely had every word down from this album).  They mixed in enough songs from every album to satisfy any particular person's needs, and they even made sure to feature Matt Freeman (who looked EXACTLY like Paul Goydos the golfer) on a couple. 

Switching to appearances... Tim wore his customary hat and sported a "new to me" beard, Lars had a perfectly shaved head, and Brett Reed inexplicably had shoulder length hair and jumped on his drums periodically through the night.  In my memory, he was always the most calm so this was a bit jarring, but eventually I just assumed he'd changed over the past 15 years.  Aside from him, the three others had their typical stage presences (Tim spinning, Freeman doing very little, and Lars moving around and working the crowd a lot).

A few other notes..
- During "Red Hot Moon", they had a random girl from the audience perform the "rap" part and she absolutely killed it.  Never before have I seen such a performance from a random person; she earned the loud cheers she got when she finished (and she didn't linger on stage too long like so many others would... all around great effort by whomever she was).
- Lars playing "Wars End" alone is always great, and last night was no different.
- I was somewhat surprised they only played two songs from their newest album... poor marketing decision there.
- The crowd was overall very well-behaved.  I saw two minor fights but none of the "one guy decides to start running into people who aren't interested in having him run into them" move that is too frequent for my taste.
- The merchandise selection was shockingly bad... basically just album covers on the fronts of t-shirts.
- My personal favorite songs last night were "Olympic, WA", "Rejected", "Old Friend", "St. Mary", and "Journey to the End".

Suffice it to say, the concert was fantastic.  Rancid sounds as good live as any band I can think of... the music doesn't sound "produced" but it is also not the inaudible muddle of guitar and screaming that can happen a lot given the type of music and the venue.  Even Tim Armstrong, who has more wear on him than should be allowed for someone his age, nailed every big moment all night.  I don't know that this was the best concert I've seen, just because there are too many variables that go into that, but it certainly is my most memorable.  After not going for so long, it felt so good to be back again.  Not only did the live music sound so much better, but it brought back countless memories of growing up and seeing whatever lousy punk or ska bands would roll into Pittsburgh on a Tuesday night for $6.  And for all of those experiences, I have Rancid to thank.

Quick Update

Over the past week and a half, there hasn't been a lot going on for me outside of work.  Still, I've had a few interesting experiences that I can share:

Pitch and Putt Tournament - Fortunately for me, the schedulers for the annual pitch-and-putt competition between Grifols Maintenance, Grifols Engineering, and Grifols Holding chose a date when I could play (as part of the Engineering team).  After a warm up round the week before, which I mentioned in my last blog, I was ready to tackle the course again and improve on my mediocre effort.  I ended up scoring better by three or four shots, which was good enough to lead my team but not good enough for us to win.  Still, it was a wonderful effort followed by an even better dinner with traditional Spanish tapas to start, grilled duck breast for my main course, and fresh cheese with honey (the cheese was almost a cream more than cheese, but a solid consistency if that makes sense!) to finish.  The eleven other players were all very nice; I was challenged to speak more Spanish (which I am improving on with each day) and joined in on and was on the receiving end of many jokes through the afternoon and evening.  All in all, it was a successful day, even if we didn't win!

Movies in Barcelona - This past weekend, I went to the movie theater to see the newest Batman release.  Luckily for me, there  is a theater here that shows movies in their original language with Spanish subtitles so I was able to enjoy the movie in the "American" fashion rather than being confused for the full 165 minutes!  The movie theater was EXACTLY like one in America, except that stadium seating did not exist.  The concession stand, the general layout, everything else reminded me of Anywhere, USA in much the same way that the bowling alley did.  And in case you're wondering, I loved the movie and think it was the best of the three in this set (and I'll take Jessica to see it when she visits!).

Rancid Concert - I'll cover the concert in detail in my next post (for people interested in that type of thing) but to summarize... I was able to get a ticket to see Rancid on their 20th anniversary tour in Barcelona.  The concert venue, Razzmatazz, was located in an industrial area of the city, very similar to the area in Pittsburgh that had Metropol (at least back in the mid to late 1990s).  The crowd was typical, and I immediately realized that I'd "grown up" some from the last time I saw them play in 1996.  If I wasn't one of the oldest 10% of the people there, I'd be shocked.  Most kids seemed to be in their early 20s, and dressed in the standard legitimate t-shirts you'd expect (Operation Ivy, the Ramones, the Business, etc.).  Inside the concert hall, it was like a carbon copy of the United States with the setup and the poor sound quality!  Rancid, one of my favorite bands, was amazing and the other two groups were good as well.  The whole concert experience was a perfect reminder of my youth (which makes me sound and feel extremely old just typing it) and the enjoyment I had in every concert I attended.  When I get back to Raleigh, I am going to make a point to go more often to Cat's Cradle.

That's about it for the past 10 days.  Jessica arrives in less than two weeks, and our vacation is set.  Our new plan is for a 5 day trip to France followed by a few days at the Costa Brava in northern Spain, both of which will be perfect with the two of us here together!

Pitch and Putt in Spain

This week, I played pitch and putt after work with a few co-workers.  Unlike a standard golf course, a pitch and putt course is comprised solely on par 3s, in this case ranging from 40-120 meters (45 - 135 yards).  In addition to the short distances, the course has very small greens making for a challenging round of golf. 

My rust showed, as I shot +12 for the 18 holes.  I started slow (+7 after the first six) and then had a tough finish (+5 over my last 5 holes) so the in-between was actually quite good.  I found the course somewhat tough... the holes are short but require precise distance control because of the small greens and the slopes leading up to the putting surface.  I repeatedly hit my wedge long, leading to numerous difficult up-and-downs that would have been hard even in my midseason form.

We'll play again Tuesday, and I feel better prepared now that I've seen the course.  Pitch and putt is cool because our whole round (which was not particularly fast) lasted 2.5 hours and acts as a great social outing.  Very few golf balls are lost and your short game is tested a great deal.  I'm looking forward to my next round... my goal is +4 (which should help my team win the company tournament).

This afternoon, I went into Barcelona for lunch and to watch the British Open.  I found MariscCo (http://www.mariscco.com/) online and tried it on my own.  The concept of the restaurant is simple (and pictured on my Instagram @DKMiller327); there is a counter of fresh, raw seafood when you walk in and you simple select what you want and how much before taking your seat.  The host gives you the choice of cooking method and then the chef prepares whatever you've chosen and sends it out.

For lunch, I chose the octopus (cooked with paprika) and shrimp (which was prepared in olive oil and garlic).  After taking my seat, the octopus arrived almost immediately.  It was cooked perfectly; very tender, and salty, just the way I like it.  It was served on a plate with olive oil, allowing the paprika to turn almost into a sauce that then coated each bite of octopus and made for even more flavor and spiciness!  I thought the octopus was as good as, if not better than, the other efforts I've had here at Divinus and Cala Sila.  The portion was plentiful (a full tentacle) but only 7 euros which seems like a deal to me!

The shrimp, of which I ordered three, came after, and was even better than the octopus!  I successfully ate each of the heads and then peeled the bodies, letting them sit in the oil to soak in some of the flavor.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the shrimp heads are absolutely delicious!  They have a much stronger taste than the mild body, but it is not offputting at all, instead just a magnified shrimpy flavor.  The bodies of these shrimp were bursting with flavor too... the salty, garlicky oil and the sweetness of the shrimp themselves both stood out and made me savor each bite.  The oil was so good that I actually asked for bread to dip through it, gathering both the garlic and the "leftover" shrimpiness with each piece.

I am not sure if MariscCo is well regarded, a tourist place, or something in between, but I was really impressed.  The service was great, but that was clearly secondary to the fresh seafood that carried huge flavors.  While I enjoy trying new places, I am seriously considering returning tomorrow to sample some of their other options (including large langostines and crab).  This is the first place I've seen offering such a variety of choices, and the chance to SEE them before selecting.  Even if I don't go back tomorrow, I'm definitely taking Jessica when she comes back to Barcelona next month!

Spanish Summer Dinner

Twice a year, the engineering group I work for in Grifols has a dinner together.  Fortunately, they scheduled the summer outing when I was back so I got to take in a typical Spanish celebration.  The event started at 4 PM and lasted (for me) until 3 AM as I was tired from the night before.  Others, though, went to a disco after and finally made it home more around 8 AM.  Even with a full night's rest, I am confident I could not have been in this group!

Before the actual dinner, many of the engineers met at the beach for an afternoon of swimming and sand futbol.  This was my first chance to go in the Mediterranean and I enjoyed it thoroughly; the waves were quite big and excellent for wading (the water was deep also) while the water itself was cool and salty.  It provided the perfect counterpoint to the heat of the afternoon.  After a quick swim, we played a game of 4-on-4 sand soccer.  In theory, I understand soccer and its strategy, but execution is a whole other matter.  After flailing around for 45 minutes or so, my team somehow led 5-4 and we called it a match.  Another quick swim followed, and then it was time for pre-dinner drinks.

First, I took a "shower" in the beach shower, which was fine except when a woman explained I couldn't use soap (as it was illegal somehow).  Luckily I was mostly done, but my swim trunks were full of suds with no hope of rinsing.  Only a minor problem, though, and it was time for the beach bar.  A group of 12-14 of us hung out for an hour or so and enjoyed what were probably the best mojitos I've ever had.  The mint was very fresh and the amount of sugar (which was more than I'm used to) gave the overall flavor the right amount of sweetness.  These were the perfect cap to a day at the beach.

The dinner was great as well... I had duck confit (always amazing) for my main course, and the following were served as starters (grades next to the dish):
- Ham on crunchy bread rubbed with tomato - A+
- Steamed shrimp - A+
- Fried baby squid - A
- Cod fritters - B+
- Mussels marinara - N/A
- Fideua - B
As is typical here in Spain, the appetizers were the major presence of the meal, and filled me enough that I didn't need my duck (which I of course ate anyway).  At the end of the dinner, I had to give a quick speech.  Everyone else struggled to fill their four-minute requirement but I powered through, hitting my stride just as the MC told me it was time to wrap up.  Even with an audience that doesn't capture every joke I make, I can still talk more than most anyone else!

The night ended at another beach dance bar, where I took it easy on the cocktails as I was the driver for the night.  The bar itself was cool, and the variety of music matched what I expected... a mix of dance music I knew and Spanish dance music that I'd expect to hear.  The crowd grew and grew as the night passed, probably hitting a peak around 2:30 AM or so.  I believe everything closed at 5 AM, but it's incredible to me just how much energy the Spaniards have to stay up drinking and dancing!

Overall, the experience of the dinner was fantastic.  The food, drinks, and company all made it such a unique and authentic "Spanish" fiesta.  These are the pieces of culture I've very much enjoyed experiencing while living here, and the things I'll miss when I head back to America.

Raleigh Restaurant Reviews

For the past two weeks, I was home in Clayton with Jessica marking the halfway point of my Spanish assignment.  It was great to be back in my own house with Jessica and Berkley spending time together and enjoying the life we have built over the past three years.  During my time home, we decided to try a few new restaurants as well as one of our favorites.  I've written up quick reviews below (and more pictures can be found on Instagram @DKMiller327).

Oro

Our first dinner out was at Oro (http://ororaleigh.com/), a new restaurant opened by chef and owner of the Mint, which has recently closed.  Oro serves small plates rather than typical meals, and has many choices for vegetarians and vegans in addition to offering many "typical" southern dishes with modern presentations.  I liked the set-up of the restaurant; the downstairs had several tables and a bar area while the upstairs had additional tables overlooking the floor below.  It feels more like a bar or club than a restaurant, which matches the type of food they serve I think.

We chose five dishes for our meal, and they were brought out over a period of an hour or so (one small issue... I think our waitress forgot to enter the last three choices so there was a large gap after the first two before we got the rest).  Everything we ordered was good, although the shrimp and grits, the corn, and the vegetarian spring rolls were not exceptional.  I'd certainly have them again, as they still had good flavor and slight twists on the standard versions (for instance, the corn was served with miso-spiced butter), but I would probably rather try something else.

On the other hand, the pork belly and BBQ chicken flatbread pizza were fantastic and certainly something I'd recommend to anyone trying Oro.  The pork belly, served as five large pieces in a sweet sauce, was both tender (in the fatty part) and crispy on the edges, which is the perfect way to prepare it.  I could have eaten twice as much, even if the serving they gave was more than enough for two people!  The flatbread was equally good... very fresh with thin, crispy bread and just the right amount of sauce, chicken, and cheese.  For our next visit, I think we'll sample a different variety of flatbread (as they have four I believe) but the BBQ chicken is certainly worth ordering.

Overall, I think Oro is worth a trip for anyone in Raleigh looking for a new, trendy place to eat before going out.  For two people, you can get away with three dishes and be full for the rest of the night.  I also would recommend ordering from the specialty cocktail list, and maybe Jessica can suggest her favorite since I forget what it was right now!

Beasley's

Jessica and I had been to Beasley's (http://www.ac-restaurants.com/beasleys/) once before for dinner with friends, but we wanted to try their new brunch menu and went on Saturday morning.  The restaurant fills up relatively quickly for brunch, although not as fast as Poole's Diner, but I'd recommend arriving at the opening time (11:30 AM) anyway.  One of the great benefits of eating brunch at Beasley's is the chance to order from either their brunch or dinner menu; this gives you MANY great options and allows you to have either a proper breakfast or lunch, or both if you're very hungry! 

I chose the biscuits with pork shoulder gravy, as I miss this dish living in Spain and know that Poole's Diner serves a great version.  In my opinion, Beasley's was even better as it came with two larger biscuits (cut diagonally into triangles for presentation I assume) and pork gravy that was filled with much more sausage.  Although the portion seemed made for two people at least, I finished the whole thing with ease!  I don't think I've had better biscuits and gravy anywhere, including Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville which had been the leader in the clubhouse before Beasley's (with Poole's a close second).

To go with my meal, I tried their American Trio cocktail, which was more of a sipping drink than a true beverage for brunch.  Still, it has great flavor and was perfect once the ice in the drink melted a bit... the orange peel and the three liquors (which escape me right now) were a great match and refreshing for the morning.

If I'm looking for good brunch in Raleigh and want the traditional southern style, I think I'll go with Beasley's rather than Poole's Diner.  While both are exceptionally good, the larger menu and slight smaller crowds (which will probably change with time unfortunately!) make Beasley's more convenient and appealing my various tastes for the day.  I already cannot wait to return when I'm back in North Carolina... this will certainly be one of my first stops!

Market

For our final dinner before I returned to Spain, Jessica and I went to Market Restaurant (http://www.eatatmarket.com/) on Blount Street.  I had been once before on a food tour and knew they specialized in fresh, local ingredients with selections for vegetarians and vegans.  The atmosphere is just as you'd like... very "indie" and somewhat casual with a small bar in the front and an open kitchen on the right allowing the diners to see the food being prepared.

Jessica and I took our seats at the bar (all of the tables were full on a Saturday night, so this was the quickest option and also allowed better view of the chef preparing the dishes) and started with their crack fries.  These fries are amazing; a huge pile is served sprinkled with cheese, green onions, and truffle oil.  They are the right amount of crispy without losing the potato taste and texture inside.  We (and by "we" I mostly mean "me") finished these fries with NO PROBLEM whatsoever, somewhat embarrassing as the couple next to us received theirs first and weren't even halfway done when I polished off our last one!

For dinner, Jessica had the grilled avocado salad (which she loved) and I tried one of their specials for the night, lamb tagine served with creamy grits.  The lamb was served tender, having been braised in a type of tomato sauce with onions.  The flavor was milder than a lamb chop, which I appreciated as sometimes the "lamb" flavor can come across a bit strong, and was complimented perfectly with the tomato flavors and the creamy grits (I didn't expect it, but I'd say these were some of the best-prepared grits I've ever had).  With each bite, I tried to get a little taste of everything because they were paired so well together.  I stopped JUST short of licking my bowl clean, but needless to say, the dish was excellent.  For dessert, we went next door to the local chocolate store and Jessica had a great peach push-up.

Market Restaurant is the perfect example of a local, no-frills restaurant serving great food in a great atmosphere (I've heard they're moving actually, which may help with space as it can be very crowded).  More than anywhere else in Raleigh, I'd say I look forward to returning to Market most to try something new for dinner, as well as getting more crack fries to start!  I really enjoyed watching the chefs work also, seeing the way they time the finish of dishes as well as the methods and organization they use in the kitchen to make sure everything is prepared properly and moved through the kitchen.

My time home in Raleigh was too short, but I enjoyed every minute with Jessica and Berkley, as well as my family and friends.  The food in North Carolina is SO different from that here in Spain, but both are amazing in their own ways.  I am fortunate enough to have the chance to taste amazing seafood and ham here in Barcelona, but cannot wait to return to Clayton for more of the southern dining I've grown to love.

Restaurant Reviews Are Coming

I have just returned to Spain this week so things are a bit hectic, but be on the lookout for my restaurant reviews this weekend from my trip back to North Carolina.  Jessica and I (along with my family) took full advantage of my time home to sample some new places as well as some old favorites!