On Our Way To Crazy

It’s November 1999. I am a sophomore at UMHB. I wear band tshirts and overalls and part my hair right down the middle. I carry my books in a messenger bag with Christian pins all over it. My dorm room is covered in photographs and fake daisies and has a hot pink inflatable chair (that will meet it’s demise in an unfortunate sandwich-maker accident later that year). I stay up super late with my awesome roommate watching Your Big Break*.

I am obsessed with music. Luckily, I live in Central Texas, where I am within driving distance to several cities where my favorite bands play regularly. One weekend I forced several of my friends to drive to Dallas with me to see a lineup none of them had ever heard of before. We got to the venue early so we could be right up front, and we held strong and kept our places the entire show. It was one of the best nights ever. Who did we see? The Normals and Waterdeep.

Ten years later, I got to repeat the experience. You know, kind of. Because I am an accidental stalker, I knew that Waterdeep had moved to Nashville from Kansas City earlier this year. And last week, thanks to the magic of Twitter, I got wind that they were playing a show with Andy Osenga and his band. Waterdeep and the guy from the Normals, five minutes from my house, for five dollars? I am in.

So. It’s November 2009. I am a grown up. I wear v-neck tshirts and cropped jeans and part my hair slightly left of the middle. I carry my books in a giant gray shoulder bag. My house is covered in Andy Warhol prints and dog hair and has two white IKEA chairs (that met their demise in an unfortunate mint chocolate ice cream accident). I stay up super late with my awesome husband watching West Wing reruns.

I am obsessed with music. Luckily, I live in Nashville where most of my favorite artists also live and regularly play cheap shows around town. Last night I stood in a room with good friends and watched Andy Osenga and his amazing guitar skills play the best solo set I’ve ever seen him play. Then Waterdeep, who sings some of my favorite songs on the planet, stood on stage fifteen feet in front of me and blew my socks right off.

It was one of the best nights ever.

*You guys! Did anyone else watch this show? It was like a precursor to American Idol. People performed cover songs and competed for a record deal… IN COSTUME. If they sang and Elvis song, they dressed like Elvis. AND it was hosted first by Kid of Kid ‘n Play, then by Carlton. Kid and Carlton! It was the best show ever.