I feel fine enough I guess, considering everything's a mess.

Long post - it's been a long day.

There are a few bands I will see whenever possible, whenever they come around, no matter what the cost, or the venue (though I DO hate assigned seating*), or the timing**. One is the Violent Femmes.*** Another is They Might Be Giants, because you just never know what they're going to do. A third is the Barenaked Ladies. Unlike the previous two I also listen to the Ladies' albums on a regular basis. So they are a special breed of "must-sees."

Tonight's show was absolutely needed because I had the most wretched morning at work.**** I was in a horrible mood right before the show, and I had a terrible time finding parking (which SO did not help my mood - however, now I have a good cheap parking lot to recommend!) but once I got in my seat I knew I was in for a good time.

I got there right as they opened. Well, right as the local elementary school choir opened. These cute little kids from a local choir that they'd recruited sang several holiday songs... and part of the way through, the band came out to play and sing in the background. And then the kids left and the band sang really good and/or really fun songs. Some holiday related, some not. And the crowd was SO into it. And I was SO into it. And then Steven Page did a fabulous opera-like version of some Christmas song that I can't remember right now (man, that guy can belt out a song - I will never forget his voice during their improv version of "Memories" a few years ago). And they jovially bantered a lot between songs. And they encouraged cameras and videotaping. And they did a lot of re-enactments of random 80s songs/videos. And someone threw a stuffed monkey onstage during "If I Had A Million Dollars" and Steve stuffed it in his pants and poked the monkey head out through the zipper of his jeans and the band cracked up.

I wish I could entertain people like they do. Or even like they entertain themselves.

_______________
* Tonight's show featured someone nearby who smelled like pee or maybe it was patchouli (I can never tell the difference), and two gals right next to me who talked the whole time. After several "Oh My God SHUT THE FUCK UP" conversations in my head, I managed to kindly ask them to lower their voices if they insisted on talking through the whole show. Turns out the kind, non-abrasive request worked. WHO KNEW?!

** I have the unpaid job day-long meeting this Saturday, and I have a lot to do in prep for it. I hope I can get it all done Thursday evening. Lord knows there is a lot to do.

*** (I think I need Roman numerals to keep up with all these footnotes...) I will never forget a local radio show at a stadium that I went to about ten years ago, where the entire balcony decided to form a "train" and dance up and down the balcony aisles throughtout the Femmes set. And at no other time during the other bands in the show. It was really energizing. Damn, I am getting old.

**** At approximately 10:16am I was THIS close to just outright quitting right then and there. Teeth and eye benefits be damned.