Other live shows

I was unpleasantly surprised this morning to see that I had posted the preparedness letter to this blog, not the preparedness blog. I felt so ahead of the game to have written it Wednesday night, and then review and send it Thursday morning, instead of writing, reviewing, and sending all late Thursday night, but I am not at my highest functioning level in the mornings. It makes me wonder if my review missed anything. Anyway, on to today’s topic.

I did not have an official task for this one, probably because the issue came up after I had made the list.

Basically, I know many people in bands. Because we are connected through Facebook, I get invitations to see them play, but it usually doesn’t work out. One real problem for the non-driver, is that these events often happen later at night, without easy access to public transportation. Even when you know people in the band, it may not be wise for a lone (I don’t think I’m naïve, but if I was, would I know?) female to hang out in bars and then walk to a bus stop and hang out there.

Sure, I can invite friends who drive, and the bands would really like me to get extra people out there, but I always feel guilty and awkward asking people who will need to drive me, like the ulterior motive would negate the fact that I think they will appreciate it, and that I want to spend time with them, and those other things. I’ve grown a lot but I still have issues.

The other thing is just the dearth of free time on my calendar. It’s amazing how many events collide with each other. I’m double-booked for tomorrow night actually. Initially, I got dates mixed up, and thought Mike’s show was the same night as Mel’s karaoke fundraiser, which was workable, but it is really the same night as Pauli’s 80’s party, which I think is impossible. And then I missed Mel’s thing anyway, because after errands, Branden and Kehaulani’s reception, and taking Mom out to dinner for her anniversary (we have a twisted sense of humor in my family) I was running out of steam, and then the rain created transportation complications, and someone said something that made me feel crappy, and I was just done. I lay down and cried for a while, and then I wrote, and lashed out at someone, and it probably would have been better if I had been out singing, but it just didn’t happen.

Anyway, before I get too far off track, there were bands that I wanted to see, and sometimes I can close, but really the only show I made it too was the Lost Creek Gangsters when they played the Cider Mill. And sure I love Eli, and it was a fun show, but I really feel like I can do better than that.

So I was thinking that around January, and it wasn’t exactly a resolution, but it was the start of the year, and even though the next few months were going to be really busy, and I would not be up to going out for a while, before the end of the year I was going to make a point of seeing LCG again, plus seeing Toque Libre, Lindsey Pool, and Nate Botsford. Four local bands did not seem unreasonable with an entire year ahead, even if I was taking the first three months off the table.

Well, I have not been to any shows this year, which has been filled with poverty, exhaustion, and attempts at overachievement, but also the list of people I would like to see keeps growing.

Even if a rocker takes time off, so you can’t find any word of them, they always seem to end up in another band. I could not find any dates for Cornbred, or that other band that he played in, but now Darin Joye is in Celilo. There were no signs of Mike Johnson that I could see for a long time, but now he is in two bands: The Flurries and Stone in Love. Mel Ortiz was playing in Detention Room, but they might be breaking up, but Patrick Riggs’ wife has a band too, the 13th Soul. If I was a really good friend, I would be linking to web sites for everyone, but there’s this thing called Google.

On the plus side I have decided that Botsford is not really a priority, because I think I figured out that the reason Jim was always inviting people to Nate’s performances is because they were happening at Jim’s café. I should look into that. Still, it’s a lot of bands.

Another plus is that it gives me hope that other people will turn up too. I would love to get a line on Andrew Diamond of Movement, and John Sabol and Kurt Landre from Something She Said. (There are no plans for a No Socks reunion, incidentally.) Also, any time I make it should be a positive. Seeing live local music is usually a good time, and it doesn’t tend to cost very much, unlike regular concerts, which do not always give you more bang for your buck (more on that tomorrow).

I suppose all I really need is a new club and coffeehouse buddy, kind of like a new concert buddy. The easiest thing might be to have a boyfriend with a car, and then going to the shows could count as dates. It could hamper my ability to flirt with the band, but it’s not like that ever ends up anywhere anyway, so that would not be a reason to avoid it.

I think we are going to end up exploring that whole relationship thing again, but not tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a lot more music.


27 minutes walking outside
Wall sits
Acts 16 – Acts 24