The Second Annual Summer Concert Series

Eddie Vedder

In just more than four months of marriage, I've realized many things. Here are five quick lessons: Sometimes just say "yes" even if you mean "no." Don't argue about $4 soap. She'll never like golf as much as I do. No matter how stupid I think E! is, it will be on sometimes. And, it's okay to be wrong.

Above all else, though, I've realized it's really, really important to have things in common. (I often wondered about this when I was younger. Is it really important to like many of the same things? Yes, young Mike, yes it is.)

And, fortunately, Bridget and I have one very important thing in common: Musical taste. (In case you were curious, a study actually found that music predicts sexual attraction.) Having the same taste in tunes makes it much easier to be on long drives together, hang out in the same room, and spend money on concerts.

During the summer we fell in love, last summer, in fact, we went to 10 different live shows:

1. Paul Simon
2. Eddie Vedder
3. Joe Purdy
4. Florence and the Machine
5. James Taylor
6. The Damnwells
7. Bon Iver
8. Led Zeppelin 2
9. Ben Harper
10. Explosions in the Sky

Bridget liked Bon Iver the most; I chose Eddie Vedder.

The Head and the Heart

This summer, music continues to be a huge part of our relationship. We've already seen Joe Purdy, The Head and the Heart, and Josh Ritter and Brandi Carlile. The setlist continues this summer and fall:

• The Lumineers
• Bon Iver
• Ben Harper

And even though some of the shows won't be fantastic (Ben Harper was lousy last summer, for example), it's much, much more enjoyable watching them with someone you love. Awww...