HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
New Year’s Eve. Exciting and fun, and perhaps not cathartic but still pretty satisfying. A night of mood swings and battle like any other, maybe, and I came out of it okay, but unsure if it’s a signal that 2006 is any better than its predecessor.
It started off with a trip to the mall and feeling like a rock star. I had a mission, one that has not been satisfied. I finally got my camera back, and I’d sworn to the Gods of Sony that I would get a case to protect it. I went to the mall, strode mightily to where I thought the camera store was, strode mightily to the Information placard, got turned around (mightily) around one of the look-alike department stores, strode around in circles thinking “I can’t go to Suncoast till AFTER I finish my mission!” and then finally arrived at my destination. (Mightily?)
I got a case. There was much deliberation. I wanted something that wouldn’t come off my belt too easily, and would protect the camera without being too big. I eventually went with the one suggested by the guy behind the counter. The thing that hadn’t occurred to me is that I also wanted something that wouldn’t look too much like a “fanny pack” and in this I unthinkingly failed. I should’ve spent some time staring at Sharif’s loaded and stylishly adorned waist before shopping, and chosen something in leather with slimmer lines.
It’ll do for being an American in Mexico , but I think it’s just not Rock Star enough. Unfortunately, I’m rather hit or miss with my own personal style, often giving up once I see there’s nothing leather and adorned in flames. This is a failing.
So, task completed, I stop in at Suncoast to look for / at toys, and the guy behind the counter gives me a look of recognition and then does that thing which I Love… “Aren’t you… aren’t you the guitarist for ilyAIMY ?”
David had seen us the previous week at Java Mamma’s and Loved our music and unfortunately couldn’t make it down for New Year’s Eve, but really wanted to. He wanted to find me a cool toy in his shop (“it’s cool that you shop here!”) but he’d sold the last plush face-hugger earlier today, and that was really all I was interested in.
He said something that made my week. When I told him “thanks, you’ve totally made me feel like a rockstar today” he replied “you ARE a rockstar!”.
Hee.
Feed my ego.
In any case, from there I dropped in on the knit shop, said goodbye to Mara, and headed South to 2006 and whatever it might hold.
Arriving at the gig 2 hours early isn’t so strange for me, and I had a good time sitting around and sitting with the equally prematurely-timed Tim (of Might Could). We sat around, set up, sat around, pushed some furniture around. A nice, relaxed set-up and sound check. I think that the night’s sound was some of the best the College Perk has ever had (if I do say so myself) – though perhaps also one of the louder nights they’ve ever had… I properly rob bed the acoustics.
The show went well – and almost without a hitch. I talked well (with one exception which wiped out any rockstar cool that was earlier acquired) and Heather talked well and we jammed well and Dan Zimmerman played bass with us for a tune or two. Might Could kicked us off in true Might Could style – i.e. with guitar work that stuns my fingers into show-offyness. Dan Zimmerman ‘s set was just beautiful – with Sharif backing him up on piano, his music is doubly powerful. He writes simply but intensely and he shoved some moodiness into me. When he plays I think too much.
We played with a ferocity that almost made up for our lack of Rowan. We missed him, but we were playing to a room of friends and it was just really, really good. DJ Killian pointed out that the room was mostly owned by us, and that we should ditch the original plan of having us quit at 11.30 or so and letting him play us into the New Year… instead… we played till we broke too many strings to continue and then I got to count us down.
At first I was really nervous being the MC, but I ended up having a really, really good time, and afterwards, when it occurred to me that I’d “dropped the ball” (in a good way) at the Perk, it actually made me feel pretty special. Like. REALLY special!
From there we had a couple of good hours. Hung out, flirted, smacked some people around. There were some good dresses and appreciative glances, shots of something that I never DID identify (sweet and with whipped cream on top though, I was okay with that), great music. A little too much back-slapping from people bigger than me in embraces too manly to be pleasant, and as the night progressed, maybe there were a couple of people drunker than I would’ve liked to see them.
However, Sharif falling asleep somewhere around 1.30am meant that Dan sat in on bass for much of our last set and we got to jam back and forth. I was sloppy but we play off each other really well, and had a fucking awesome time.
Dan’s second set was a lot of fun, and he got Heather and I got our groove on behind him, dancing up a storm.
Yes.
Danced.
Someone has a video, apparently.
Sigh – now if only the whole night could’ve been all about that.
First off – my moment of real embarrassment happened after I got close to one of the women I’d been teasing from the stage and realized that it wasn’t actually someone I knew. I went up to apologize because I had been teasing her a little more than I should’ve, and then was mortified when I realized that it really was NOT the person I thought it was. She bought a CD, but really sort of kept her distance for the rest of the night.
Eep.
Second off, I KNOW I’ll hear about how my stance on alcohol is too strict and that I’m a terrible person, but I saw some people acting like first-class idiots and beyond last night. Nothing college-crazy – no-one lit themselves on fire or tried to navigate Route 1 with their underwear on their head. No fights broke out or anything, but some people were simply not their normal charming selves at all, and no matter how much you say “ohhh, I’m soooo drunk” – it doesn’t make it any cuter, nor make it any more fun for the people taking care of you.
Erf. I guess, last night I really, really saw a huge difference between people drinking and people getting drunk, and it wasn’t an atmosphere that really felt good at Perk. A lot of spilled drinks and puddles of beer. A lot of people muzzily apologizing to me and standing far, far too close.
Afterwards the Perk was a quiet place, with people sleeping in various darkened nooks and crannies. Sharif and Joanne curled together on one couch. I’m obviously not yet USED to having my camera back, because I didn’t take a photograph of the cutest damned couple I know… sigh…
And so I’m at my mom’s house now, having a little panic attack about flying out to San Diego tomorrow. We’ve packed, we’ve shopped for last-minute items (someone out there will someday get lucky enough to get to see my new AC/DC BOXERS!!!). We’ve copied all of our passports and VISA card numbers and drivers licenses and have multiple copies in our luggage and in this place and that. We’ve called to make sure I can carry my guitar on the plane, though I’m a little frustrated with that – one woman said “oh, it’ll be fine! Just make sure that guitar fits these dimensions” (which it did) and another woman said “oh no, you HAVE to check it” which is just about unacceptable. In the latter case, I’ll be glad to have a beater guitar, and I’ll avoid sitting near the baggage door, so I don’t have to watch it getting flung onto the conveyer.
I’m freaking out a bit about not being in control of my destiny for the next couple of weeks. I went to bed quite early, to get a nap before the flight this morning, and woke up disoriented (I thought it was like, 1 in the morning or so, 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but it turned out to be 8.58pm ) with cramping shoulders and spine and tensed legs. I felt heavy and frightened and terrified, and I’m realizing I’m actually getting pretty panicked about even getting on the plane… it’s absurd, I mean, I used to fly from Baltimore to LAX three or four times a year, no problem. Now I’m genuinely freaking out about it.
Sean and I on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t manage to get my New Year’s kiss, much to my lament, not that there weren’t a couple of offers… but… but not Sean… he’s nice and all… but… er… no. He reminds me of my brother!
Talked to my uncle about it a bit. He had no sympathy, but felt it necessary to point out that we’d be flying back on the 13th… which is a Friday. Sigh.
And perhaps that’s why this is a long, long entry. If it’s my last one, I figure it better be good.
(knock on wood)
But it WOULD get me my rockstar status back.
