Yesterday was Doug's birthday and the poor guy had the flu. We had planned to see The Weepies at CityArts Fest, but since he couldn't attend, I hit the Croc with cousin/gal pal MaryBeth.
MB and I both have kids, so a night out with the young and hip is a rarity. Hanging at an iconic (and recently re-opened) venue like The Crocodile Cafe is a bonus. We arrived on time -- the show was slated to begin at 7 p.m. -- only to find the line for ticket and wristband holders snaking around the block. After waiting about 30 minutes, we finally made our way to bar for our pre-show drink.
Have you ever stood at a bar in a club and wondered what the hell to order? Despite the popular resurgence of working-class beers, I really feel like my Olympia/Bud/PBR days are behind me. Not that I was ever much of a beer drinker, but I don't know, it feels odd to be drinking a tall can of PBR pretending I'm under 35. But I could have kissed MB for asking if she could get a Mint Julep. And snaps to me, who as a good date, asked the bartender if they served Mint Juleps. "NO," was the unflinching response I got before he turned to the cuter, younger, hipper girl next to me. I don't think I gained any street cred by then asking for a Rum and Coke, but at least I had a back up.
Lucy Schwartz was one of the opening bands. I had never heard of her, but she had a sweet, haunting voice. The other opener was The Head and The Heart, a local band creating a lot of buzz right now. I've barely heard anything from them, but from the minute they took the stage I was mesmerized. Amazing harmonies and intricate song arrangements. Very warm, heartfelt lyrics. I could easily see how this band's popularity has grown.
It seems that Dave Matthews is another fan of the band. Because MB and I were on the fringes of the crowd before The Head and The Heart began, I saw Dave come into the venue. Before I could help myself, I said, "Hey!" then stopped, because maybe it wasn't too cool to go tromping up to the guy if all he wanted was to hear some music. He made eye contact and sort of nodded. It just happened that we stood behind him and his friends during the show - and we weren't the only ones trying to snap pictures incognito. One slightly tipsy girl next to me goes, "Doesn't that guy look just like Dave MATTHEWS?!" and when I whispered, "That is Dave Matthews," she said, "What?! Yeah I THOUGHT that looked like DAVE MATTHEWS!" I have to give it to Dave, he was totally cool. He was just there, enjoying the music and seemingly open to whoever wanted to say hello. While I was standing at The Weepies merchandise booth before they took the stage, he was behind me talking to another woman. I asked him how he enjoyed The Head and The Heart and he said, "I'm kind of obsessed with them." Wow. It's great to see that people who are considered awesome talents and sources of great inspiration are also fans.
The Weepies sounded great. I really love Deb Talan's voice and look forward to the twisty tidbits in the lyrics. After hearing The Head and The Heart, the commercial aspect of The Weepies' music was more obvious than I remember. Very tidy songs. Not that I loved them any less, but I enjoyed getting a wonderfully unexpected taste of great music that evening.
Doug and I fell for The Weepies maybe five years ago after I heard Mandy Moore recommend them on an iTunes Celebrity Playlist. They just happened to be playing shortly afterward at The Tractor Tavern, a favorite spot here in Ballard. Their album, Say I Am You, is in constant rotation on my iPod. My only regret for the evening was that Doug wasn't there to enjoy it with me. Thank goodness KMTT has audio of The Weepies' Live from the Mountain Music Lounge show.
