4 Nov – Florida Theatre (Jacksonville, FL)
w/ Indigo Girls
We’re two shows in and driving to Orlando as I write, and I already don’t know what to say. I have known in my head all along that this would be something completely different for me. I also know there’s a let down coming once we’re back and I’m back to booking into clubs where no one knows us or cares, as if none of this ever happened. It was in my head last night when we first walked into the Florida Theatre, which looks very much like a smaller version of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It’s one of those Egyptian influenced, extremely ornate movie palaces from the early thirties or so. It was beautiful.
People who know me well, or even people who’ve been reading these for a while, know that I have trouble letting things sink in. A lot of what has happened over the past few months for me have not hit me the way that people around me seem to think they should have. It’s not a conscious thing, I don’t do it on purpose. But moments like this I tend to overthink and overanalyze until any impact they might have is pretty much gone. But something occurred in Gainesville, with the whole flyer thing, and suddenly everything is much more on the surface for me. It may even be an effect of watching the Indigo Girls playing for their fans that is leaving me feeling very awed. It’s hard to put into words.
Last night I sang with them on “Kid Fears.”
A few people had joked with me before we left that I should be ready to do that song, apparently it’s a common thing when there are male vocalists available who can do the Michael Stipe part of that song, but I don’t think I honestly thought that would be what happened. Even in Gainesville when Amy said she was going to have us up the next night, I was under the impression it would be on “Closer to Fine” or something. But when it came up last night before soundcheck she suggesting having me up for “Kid Fears.” I haven’t heard the song since college when I owned the CD and it was my favorite song on it at the time so I remembered the melody pretty much but not the lyrics. So she wrote out the part for me and we went over it during their soundcheck. Luckily it all came back to me sort of instinctively.
Part of me thinks maybe I’m not the person to try and explain all this. Let’s see if Robyn feels like typing…
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i do feel like typing, because there is nothing more fun for me than to talk about how amazing all this is!
i was sitting in the empty theatre – the beautifully ornate theatre and home to a lone rat i saw scream across the floor – waiting to watch paul and the indigo girls rehearse the song. i was so excited. when amy mentioned that she wanted him to sing that one, i knew immediately that he had to do it. he was cute and diplomatic and discussed doing the song with his band. he knew the song would include only him, so he wanted to make sure they we okay with that. of course they all told him they thought he should do it. and boy, did he ever.
they called him up on stage and amy asked if he wanted her to sing it through first. he agreed. but when they started, he jumped right in, singing the low part first and then busting the hell out of the higher part. amy and emily looked at each other with total amazement, but kept singing. when they were done, amy said, “man, you’ve got that down.” and emily replied with “it sounds beautiful.” “yeah, he’s got that voice like michael stipe and matthew sweet.” and emily said, “only HIS voice is much sweeter.” you can tell that they love him.
anyway, they rehearsed a couple more times and a lady in the audience said, “that was amazing. really. i hope he’s not signed, i just started a new label.” amy quickly responds with a “um…yeah…he just signed with me. he’s on MY label.” i giggled and she looked over at me so smugly. she won and she knew it. the lady responded by saying, “well, he’s absolutely amazing. i’m blown away.”
“well, wait until you see his show,” amy responded proudly.
i followed them to the dressing room, not because i’m a freak, but because i actually had to go there, too, and they were talking about him the whole way.
i could go on. i will for maybe just a paragraph more.
i didn’t get to see much of the show; i was at the merch table selling cds (i’ll let paul tell you how many he sold), but i shut down the table long enough to see the actual performance of “kid fears.” and that lady was right; it was amazing. when amy introduced him back to the stage, people were screaming and clapping – all for him. it was awesome.
the song started and people cheered with recognition. he was terribly adorable, standing there with his hands in his pockets, a couple of steps away from the mic. but that’s just the goofy girl in me talking.
it was time for his part and as usual he nailed it. a couple in front of me looked at each other the minute the words came out of his mouth and smiled and nodded with approval. i think everyone approved. paul wins!
i had to rush back to the merch table after it was over. i knew there was more selling to be done. i just didn’t know there would be that much more.
people were buying and immediately ripping the wrappers off the cds to have him sign them. he was a signing maniac. one girl even asked him to sign her hand.
and i explain all this like it’s the coolest thing ever, but it’s really very surreal. all of it. and if it’s like that for me, i can’t imagine what it’s like for paul.
and now i’ve worked myself into a mood — not a bad one, but one i’m not sure i can describe — and that was way more than one more paragraph anyway. so i’m done now.
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Well, so, more or less, yes that’s correct. I don’t think they were cheering all for me, though, because the thing about these shows is they’re in such a frenzy they’re cheering every slight nuance of the show. But still, it was amazing to be a part of it. The only other story to tell is that there was one person who came up to the merch table while I was there and she was looking at the CDs and then said, “oh, I don’t want Paul. I don’t know Paul.” So I said, “Well, that’s okay, I’m not offended.” Then I got to watch the slow realization creep over her face before she asked if I was Paul. She just kept apologizing and looking away after that. I think I may have ruined a sale for the Indigo Girls.
Otherwise we all had people coming up to us after the show, even waving at the van as we drove away (while they were waiting outside at the IG tour bus, but still…). This is quite possibly the longest post I have ever made and I still really don’t feel like I can explain it.
It’s good. I have never been a part of anything like this.