What a day. How often is it that you get to meet one of your heros? Today was all happenstance. If you believe in fate, great, but I don't. Anyways, I was at work when I received a text from Shavawn (who has known me since she was 4 years old), sent me a text saying that Erin Mckeown was in town tonight.
My first response was mixed but ultimately ended up in... Noooooo!!! And she told me when and where she was playing. Next response was: Shit! I HAVE to go! I have missed her shows before and have been sad, but as okay as I could be about it really, but for some reason I thought to myself that I would be insanely unhappy if I didn't catch her show tonight. Probably partially due to the fact that I missed her last show by accident.
So I get out of work a little early and hop a bus to The Triple Door. This was my first experience there and nothing like how I imagined. I grab a ticket as the ticket teller informed me that the show was already 20 minutes through. I didn't care, I wanted in anyways. As I get led through the mini-labyrinth, I am shown to my "seat". It's all seating! Poor Erin. Knowing her performance style, I'm sure she thought the venue a little stiff. She has a tendency to be very engaging with the crowd which is hard when everyone is sitting down. Well, I was the last one into the show and got (in my opinion) a pretty prime spot. Their spiced apple martini's are excellent (so excellent I had two! -And I don't like vodka most of the time) and they have delicious looking food (wasn't hungry so I didn't get any).
I was front left (from viwer's perpective) and I could see her very clearly (except when she played the piano... she was hidden by a wall.. booo... ), I was right next to the stairs for the stage. She plays through and nearly finishes the first set when she mutters something about an Anniversary. Whaaa?! Ahah! It was the anniversary of her first, and my favorite, album: Distillation. - not only did I happen upon this concert, but I happened upon one of fifteen concerts for this tour. Yikes! She played the whole album of distillation and a couple of new songs. Took a break, came back and did a couple more newer songs, and did the "lightning round" where we got to choose songs for her to play. So much fun and so awesome.
Well, the show was phenomenal, of course. And then I stood in line, which was apparently her autograph line, so I moved over to the buy merch line. As I waited to buy a poster, this little boy came up and asked for her autograph. I spend too much time analyzing people, and it was easy to see that with everyone she was just going through the ropes. (this does not make one less of a person or less cool by any means, she was very personable... you try and have a bunch of people randomly say ridiculous and predictable things to you every show). So I tried to formulate a conversation that would force her to be interested and sincere...
I waited in line for my turn, and she went through the ropes until she looked up at me after she signed my poster (#71 out of 100 hand screen printed posters for this tour), and I said something like "You know, you are my musical hero. It wasn't until I read some bio about you or something of the sort, that I even heard about ethnomusicology".
And suddenly sincerity and life came to her eyes. I was last in the line for a little bit which bought me some time:
EM- Where are you studying?
Me - at Seattle Central and hopefully moving to UW since there are only like 6 colleges that offer it as a major at the moment. But I am also studying physics so that has a factor in it too.
EM- Wow that's great! There are definitely a small number of colleges that offer that as a major. You know, when I studied ethnomusicology - you know, usually people pick one culture to focus on, and it's all about cultural study and everything, but I decided to study American music. And you might think that that's not very cultural, but it's all about the impact on society-
Me - right, the music's impact on society and how it affected music all over. America is a culture too, and just because we already live here is no reason to think less of someone who chooses a culture they grew up in as their focus in ethnomusicology. Either way, you are studying a culture and it's music, and how it affected other cultures and their music as well.
EM- (big smile) Right! Well I am so happy I could be an inspiration for you, and I really appreciate your support. Thanks for this conversation and supporting my music!
Me- Thank you so much, have a fantastic evening!
So the last of the conversation was boring, but it was part of the conversation no less. A line began to build so I cut it short. But man, what an opportunity. And all of this happened because of I happened to get a text from Shavawn who happened to see it in the Stranger and immediately thought of me!
Though the conversation isn't all that amazing, the opportunity to connect with my hero (I've seen her shows but never met her and talked to her, nor have I ever gotten her autograph before tonight) on a personal level. I am still reeling. If you ever want to see me at my most simple, innocent - child-like happiness... give me the opportunity to go to one of her concerts. She is a phenomenal music artist and performer. SO talented! Alright, I am drifting to sleep.
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