Homeless advocate Perry Farrell discusses wealth redistribution.

It was 6:45 in the evening, overcast. A couple of sprinkles nicked me while I was on the ferry from Coronado to the Convention Center, but it wasn’t a bad way to travel, and just $9 for a one-way ticket. Still, I was wondering how the night was going to go; I had gotten only two hours of sleep in the past 24, and had spent two of my waking hours on a tarmac in Las Vegas.

From the ferry, I walked over to Petco Park. Not for a Padres game — they were in Miami — but for the Jane’s Addiction/Love and Rockets show. As I walked around the stadium to the Gallagher Square entrance on J Street, I could hear Love and Rockets playing “Kundalini Express.” That brought me all the way back to 1986: sitting in my friend Jason Vick’s bedroom, listening to that song. Come to think of it, Vick was the guy who introduced me to Jane’s Addiction two years later with “Standing in the Shower Thinking.”

This was my first visit to Gallagher Square since its multi-million dollar transformation. After entering, the first thing I passed was the newly renovated kid’s play area. The slides and structures still looked shiny and brand new. I walked past the merch booth without much more than a glance, then entered the Square proper. My first stop was at a beer and water stand. Bought a 25-ounce can of Pacifico and a 12-ounce water bottle for $25.76. There was lawn seating — well, turf seating — and there was the Tony Gwynn Terrace Viewing Deck if you wanted to get an above-ground view of the stage. But that area appeared crowded.

As I walked, I heard someone call “Gabe!” I looked around and didn’t see anyone I knew. Then I heard it again: “Gabe!” It was Neal, my buddy from the local Dead scene. He was sitting on a cement slab next to the walkway heading to the stage area. I decided to grab the slab next to him, do some people watching, and drink the liquids I had purchased. Love and Rockets was performing “Haunted When the Minutes Drag.” But the minutes have not dragged. It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in Jason Vick’s room listening to this song, and now I’m 52. Judging by the appearance of my fellow concertgoers, I’d say I’m not the only one who felt that way. Teddy from Winstons came up to Neal and me to say hi and to let us know that Stephen Perkins, the drummer from Jane’s Addiction, has played in the bar a couple times before. Then local drummer Ed Fletcher came to chat with us a bit. Right after he wandered off, Milo and his girlfriend Monica spotted us and stopped to say hello. A regular Winstons congregation.

I moved closer to the stage to watch Love and Rockets finish out their set. I was able to move about freely, even though the floor area around the stage was packed — I didn’t have to deal with any “You Shall Not Pass” people. Daniel Ash and David J were still rocking at the ripe old age of 67. Whenever I hear the word “goth,” they are always the first people who come to mind. Is it because they were members of Bauhaus? But they had long since lightened their disposition with songs like “So Alive” and their version of “Ball of Confusion”.

Jane’s Addiction boasted their original line up: vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery. They started off their set with “Kettle Whistle,” a song written by Perry Farell and Eric Avery in 1985. But it wasn’t released until 1997 with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

Have you ever attended a concert and been disappointed because the band didn’t play any of the songs you were hoping to hear? I have. But not that night. I have mentioned those big songs from Love and Rockets. Jane’s Addiction didn’t let their longtime fans down either; they played “Pigs in Zen,” “Jane Says,” and “Mountain Song,” Perry Farrell’s high-pitched, haunting voice in tow. He also addressed the homeless situation in San Diego in a feisty manner, saying, “I noticed a lot of homeless people here in Downtown. Give some change or a dollar or something if you walk by a homeless person. Motherfucking rich people run this place! Motherfucking rich people are running this place into the ground!” He was drinking from a big bottle of something, and it wasn’t water.

The band closed with “Stop!” and “Been Caught Stealing” from Ritual de lo Habitual. They finished by 10, and I was able to catch the last ferry home at 10:25.