Overall, in the almost one year Darby and I have been hitting the ground with our music, we cannot complain. We've had so-so nights, bad nights, and nights we wish we would have just stayed home. But, that's the nature of the beast and those are really not the things that stick with me. I am always driven by the quirky things and the kind things I get to experience. I love the stories I hear and after the week I've had, I have been thinking about those people who quietly make it all happen.
On Sunday, I was horrified to open my guitar case to realize my input had fallen inside my guitar and the washer was completely gone. So, I packed her back up and headed over to Guitar Center to see if they could help me out. I needed it back by Wednesday and I was in quite a panic. Luckily, both Eric and Allen (The Antagonizers, Blood Red River) were working. Within minutes, I had my guitar all doctored up and a new drum key in my pocket. I used to have a phobia of music stores because of the geekier than thou rip off artists I have experienced. Through a new acoustic, a constant need for picks, straps, cords and strings, and sometimes just needing a laugh, Allen and Eric have always greeted me with respect and the funniest banter you could ever imagine! They've never tried to sell me on something I don't need and they have always encouraged me. Thanks, gentlemen!
Tuesday saw me meeting up with Darby and Kim to have some dinner before heading to see Shana Scudder and Sequoya play. From the day Kim and I met, she has always looked out for me and kicked my ass onto the stage. She threw the most wonderful Rockin' in The Park bash, listens to my endless supply of musical annoyances, and then she gives the best advice. On top of that, she takes the best photos of us and keeps me snacking more healthily on homegrown cucumbers. All this while doing Subdivision 67!
Last night, we played with Twilighter @ Fuse. I'm not saying that other venues we've played have not been good to us, we've been very lucky. But, Fuse went above and beyond. We were shocked to hear that we got free drinks and a free meal! And we're not talking PBR and some greasy fries. We dined on Kobe burgers, tofu taquitos, and panco crusted talapia. The crowd and Twilighter were amazing to us. I came home with a lot less merch. and money in my pocket. There was the incident involving a thrown drink barely missing me which made our new catchphrase, "She was about 2 seconds from getting her ass beat." pop out of my mouth, but it was such a good experience everyone laughed it off. I think the most impressive thing was the bartender, Mark. When I tried to cheap out and order PBR, he insisted I upgrade. I realized that I didn't have any personal cash to tip him, so I bought a pack of cigarettes. When I went to sign my credit card slip, he told me not to leave a tip. I did anyway and then watched him take the money and drop it in the band's tip jar. It really warmed the heart. On the way out of Chapel Hill, I realized I had done the unthinkable. I left my guitar behind! I've always secretly been so horrified of that moment I thought it would never happen. Luckily, we weren't futher away and we turned around. Upon getting back to Fuse, I found it untouched and where I left it.
I want to write more about some of those bands I've mentioned in this blog. They have all helped me a lot too. But, this week has already worn me out. I'll get to them in due time. In the meantime, I have a date with my couch!
