Self-construction instead of mass-production.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Roll n' Rock

Friends, family, it is a good time to live in Texas. The weather is perfect, the holidays are near, and good LORD, there is some awesome music coming through. This is the best time to be a Texan who is also a lover of great live music.

The music season started off in mid-September with my trip to ACL with my buddy Cara. I saw like, I don't know, 25 bands??? Something outrageous like that in a mere 3 days. There was SO MUCH good music. Only a couple times did I leave a show early to go see another. The highlight bands for me were: The Decemberists, Amos Lee, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Bjork, Damien Rice and Ben Kweller, and Spoon. And then on our long drive home from Austin on Sunday night, Cara introduced me to Okkervil River's album, Black Sheep Boy. It was like being given a precious secret gem...thanks Cara!

Janae and I saw Brandi Carlile at HOB a few weeks later. She is really very talented. And tiny. She's teeny tiny holding her big guitar. I enjoyed her band too...it is comprised of guitar playing twins and a drummer. She ended the encore with an acoustic performance of Hallelujah. It was beautiful, except for the girl behind me singing along to every note. Speaking of, the audience was also interesting. From stage, you could easily assume you were at an Indigo Girls concert. I guess Brandi has a large lesbian following. Including Janae and I.

Kidding.

Next was Bishop Allen at the Granada. WOWSIES. I love this band. I knew that already, but my love grew 10 times (or whatever) like the Grinch's heart. They play a lot of songs with a lead yukelalie (sp?). It sounds so cool. And it's so adorable to see a tall dude up there with a tiny baby guitar. Ahhhhhh. Bishop Allen has a really cool sound and smart lyrics. It is comprised of Harvard boys, after all.

That brings me to upcoming shows. This weekend my boys, The Avett Brothers, are in Texas!!! Tahj and I have flown across the country twice this year to see these guys play. And they are finally on our home turf! They play at the Granada on Friday, in Houston on Saturday and in Austin on Sunday. And yes, friends, we are road tripping around Texas to catch every show. Like the true fans we are. I CANNOT WAIT. Watching the brothers play feels like home to me.

Other shows I'm seeing this year:
Architecture in Helsinki (at Hailey's in Denton)
Iron and Wine (at the Palladium in Dallas)
Regina Spektor (HOB; don't have a ticket yet, she maybe sold out, but I want to go)

Like I said, it is a good time to be in Texas. Lets the good times roll, and rock.

Monday, October 08, 2007

I WANNNNED DAT!

September 1983:
I was in a bad mood the day my sister had her 5th birthay party. I was a 3 year old who had not taken a nap. The whole extended family came over to celebrate Holly's big day. I was sitting next to her on the ugly brown couch while she opened her gifts. Every time she opened a one, I would point at it, start frowning, then say, "I WANNNNED DAT!" Then the tears would flow. I'd hide my face in the couch and bawl. I was so jealous of her presents. Which, of course, made her more excited about them. This event is on video (my Dad taped EVERYTHING) and it is so adorable. You can hear all the adults in the background laughing at me and mocking me. They'd say, "Oh, Heather wanted that one too! Hahahahah." Priceless.

September 2007:
My sister turned 29 a few weeks ago. The whole extended family came over to celebrate her big day. After she opened her gifts, mostly just cards with money now a days, her boyfriend got down on his knee and asked her to be his wife. It was amazing and beautiful. It's not often you see a proposal. I was sitting next to her on the couch. I was initially so happy for her. But then the crabby 3 year old in me welled up and I wanted to burst into tears and scream, "I WANNNNED DAT!" But I didn't. After all, I had my nap that day. Oh, and I'm 27 now. It would have been very awkward. Although, I'm sure all the adults in the background would have been sympathetic to my jealousy this time instead of laughing at me. After all, like i said, I'm 27. And I'm single. And my sister has already been married once. Understandable jealousy?

The thing is, I'm not jealous that she's getting married. I guess it's more the fact that she's in love. And the fact that my parents are proud of her and happy for her. I crave that deep, lasting love she has found and I crave acceptance and approval from my parents. I feel like I have neither right now. And I just want to hide my face in the old, ugly brown couch from the 80s and bawl until this feeling goes away. But that couch is long gone.