February 15, 2006

Duran Duran at the Olympics

I decided to hop over to the medals plaza tonight to get some Olympic fever. In the press center and at the events I've been to, there hasn't been much buzz. But the plaza is in the middle of town, in the Piazza Castello, which, as you've probably seen on TV, is gorgeous and happening.

Plus, Duran Duran was playing. No way I was going to miss that.

So I jump on Bus 5, thinking it would be a smooth 30 minute ride over there, and that I'd arrive right on time at 8 p.m. Turns out everyone else had the same idea, and we got stuck in the mother of all bus traffic jams. I was cursing under my breath, thinking I'd miss my chance to see Simon LeBon and John Taylor sing "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Turns out, the traffic jam was the best thing that's happened to me in the eight days since I arrived in Italy.

As I'm running from the bus stop to the Piazza at about 8:15, I have to stop to go through mag 'n bag. Fine. Hurry, people, hurry! I get through the metal detector and turn to my left to grab my things off the conveyor belt. I look behind me and think, "That guy looks familiar." I look down at the credential hanging off his neck, and it says "John Taylor." Right behind him is his friend, "Simon LeBon."

Of course I was too dumstruck to say or do anything a good journalist would, like ask a question about how they felt about performing at the Olympics. Instead, I called my friend Susan, who had earlier asked me to give Simon a kiss for her if I happened to run into him. Sorry, Susan -- but I did see him!

I stayed for several songs, including "Ordinary World" and "Planet Earth."

And, of course, "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Courtesy Mercury News