What's so funny about a crazy heartbreak beat?

I mentioned this previously, but for those who aren't completely immersed in Oracle OpenWorld 2008 - and last I checked, billions of you fit into this category - there's gonna be a little concert tonight on Treasure Island.

From Oracle:

Once you arrive on Treasure Island, get ready to rock to some of today's hottest international concert performers, in an unforgettable outdoor setting. Joining us from around the globe for the Oracle OpenWorld 2008 Appreciation Event are (drum roll please):

Elvis Costello: A master of weaving many musical genres, including pub rock, punk rock, and new wave, this consummate performer has dedicated fans on every continent.

Seal: A singer-songwriter from England of Nigerian and Afro-Caribbean ancestry, Seal smoothly delivers rhythm and blues, soul, funk, house, and dance.

UB40: This reggae band has featured the same eight members since 1978 and boasts more than 50 singles that have connected with fans in the U.K and beyond.

Alan Jackson: Balancing the global lineup is Alan Jackson, a country western sensation from the United States. This award-winning singer-songwriter blends honky-tonk with mainstream country sounds.

The Psychedelic Furs: From the late 1970s into the 90s, the Psychedelic Furs earned tremendous respect from critics and fans alike for their music's mix of punk rock, poetic lyricism, and seductive rhythmic hooks.

The Gin Blossoms: An alternative rock band formed in 1987, the band today is considered to have a wide influence on modern rock, due to its consolidation of melodic rock, folk, and country elements.

Although I have attended three Oracle OpenWorld conferences in the past, I have never been to the Appreciation event. I left early in 2005 and 2006, and I managed to lose my wristband in 2007.

Perhaps the person who found my 2007 wristband sold it on Craigslist:

Elvis Costello, Seal, UB40, The Psychedelic Furs etc - $200 (financial district)

Ouch.

It turns out that in 2006 (when I couldn't attend), I gave my wristband away to someone at Oracle to whom I owed a favor. You see, the Appreciation event is for Oracle customers, not Oracle employees, and this person had a friend who really wanted to see Elton John.

A noted music blog, the Business Technology Blog at the Wall Street Journal, has commented on tonight's concert:

[Larry] Ellison and the company he founded, Oracle, are hosting their annual OpenWorld conference here this week. More than 40,000 techies will descend on the city, disrupting traffic for everyone else. Tech conferences are odd gatherings to begin with: Thousands of men – and attendees are almost always men – attend a few technical sessions, get a high-quality bag for free, and get to hear a popular band that no one knew was still touring. It’s kind of like a watered-down Vegas for the tech set....

And there’s non-threatening music for every taste: Elvis Costello, Seal, UB40, Alan Jackson, the Psychedelic Furs, and the Gin Blossoms are all set to play.

Well, to put all of us watered-down techies in the mood, here's a video: