Real Heroes Don't Let You Down--Part 3* (*Scroll down for Parts 1 & 2):

Everyday for the last month, I submitted an entry to Iridium’s Facebook Jeff Beck Ticket giveaway. That’s all they’d give you--one vote per day; and like a Muslim called to prayer I submitted mine every morning. Hell, I enlisted girls I hadn’t spoken to in years to submit entries.

“Hello.”

“Yeah Wendy? Its me, Lodo.”

“Lodo? Where do I know that from? ...From M____’s party?”

“Yeah, listen. You know how Jeff Bec...”

“Oh my God--you have got to be kidding me!” (-click-)

About (2) weeks ago, Facebook finally had their drawing. They had a link on computer where you could find out if you’d won; and when I clicked it and saw the golden ticket below I pretty much lost my shit.


"Wheww hewww!" I screamed out my apartment window as I waved my freshly-printed email at the street below. “I’m in beotch!--got that?” I screamed as I pointed to an old Chinese delivery guy on his bike. He returned a warm, toothless smile and pedaled on his way.

Not my proudest moment--I’ll admit, but you can’t count on anybody to know how to act. Not on me when I’m drunk and certainly not Iridium.

Cause on more sober and careful examination of the email I realized that in fact, I hadn’t won. Or at least, hadn’t won entry to the show. What I won was an invite to “...the after-party for the band and guests..” As long as I brought “official, picture I.D.”


Hmmm.

But this is how life works isn’t it reader? Two steps forward and one step back. And the harder you want something, the more life fuck’s with you. It’s some kind of law of physics.

So not only hadn’t I won reservations, but now I had to go back to Iridium and beg ‘em again; for less than what was rightfully mine to begin with. But life makes you earn everything.

To: ____ of IridiumJazzClub.com
From: LodoGrdzk@yahoo.com

As you probably already realize, Lodo Grdzak is a psudonym I use on the internet and social network sites like Facebook. For a variety of reasons I can’t use my real name or personal information, so this issue of “official, picture I.D.” may be a problem.

To: Lodo Grdzak@yahoo.com
From: _____ of IridiumJazzClub.com

Sorry my friend. No I.D., no entry. We’ve got some serious security in place.

Oh fuck me up the ass.

But again reader, I don’t quit. Not on stuff that matters to me. Sure, there've been a few posts where I dropped the ball mid-stream, but 9 out of 10 times I get the shit done.
And besides, I know how these NY clubs work.

So rather than bail, I instead uploaded all my pics of me with the legendary jazz people I’ve met: Dave Holland; Mulgrew Miller; Dr. Lonnie Smith; Joe Zawinul. Shameless name-dropping I know, but I posted ‘em all up on my Facebook page. Then I wrote back to Iridium.

To: ______ of IridiumJazzClub.com.
From: LodoGrdzak@yahoo.com

I don’t have picture I.D., but if you go to my Facebook page you’ll see a bunch of photos of me. I’ll be damned if there’s (2) Lodo Grdzak’s!

At which point I patiently waited,...until.

To LodoGrdzak@yahoo.com
From: _____ of IridiumJazzClub.com

Just messing with you. Bring your invite and you’re in!



* NOTE: Word on the street (yes, I'm talking to you Willie) is that it's time to wrap this up. Concluding post at week's end. And thanks for reading!!!