Sharon Van Etten with The Tender Fruit and Ava Luna - King's - 03/11/11

So sometimes I go to shows because I get swept up in the hype. I’m not ashamed to admit it. If there is a show coming of an artist or performer that everyone is losing their shit over, by god I am going to that show. Maybe I will lose my own shit. I’m down with shit loss in the name of good music. Hey, also sometimes I go to shows to support causes I am down with (Redress or Moving Island) and in this case, this was a combo of both; everybody was pooing all over the place over Sharon Van Etten, so I grabbed tickets. Then I find out it’s for Hopscotch, so yeah I’m definitely down with pouring my money into anything related to that. I didn’t go into this show a Sharon Van Etten pro, I only listened to a few songs online and assumed it would be one of those instances where I would get into her once I saw her. Also Tender Fruit was opening and I love Christy Smith’s voice so much I was completely willing to pay the cover just for them. 

And then what really happened was this: I had bought the tickets for myself and J9, (my married mommy bestie who never comes out on school nights and rarely stays out past 10, so you’ve not heard much about her.) But I wanted her to enjoy a show out and SVE was a Friday. At dinner, last moment-ish, she starts dropping “oh, I’m just so tired, it’s been a long week” hints, so I gave her the out. She took it, of course! I invited Roo along, but as he had a couchsurfer staying with, we had to ensure 3 tickets instead of just my two. When we got to the door, it was sold out. I passed my ticket off to Varani instead; who was down at Neptune’s earlier, while Roo and the couchsurfer barhopped a little. (Varani is a Minnesotan transplant and sometimes Neptune’s Dj of whose last name I have been known to sing to the tune of Dean Martin’s “Volare”.) We promised to find Roo later.

btw, this happened:

WASN'T EVEN PLANNED.

In the ticket shuffle I missed Tender Fruit… FFS.

BUT! NEXT! A band I had never heard of, but as soon as they hit the stage, I felt myself hotstepping with joy! …Ava Luna! WORTH EVERY PENNY. This was one of those shows where during and after every song I find myself turning to everyone around me saying “Are you hearing this shit? IT’S AMAZING!” It’s like I have to validate my aural processes. Maybe I am delusional? But no, everyone around me is bobbing heads and shuffling around and gaping up at the stage with big dopey grins because none of us were expecting this much incredible this close to our faces! At one point Varani and I even did a shuffle jitterbug dance across the front of the stage at Abby, that’s how riled up Ava Luna got us!

coming for yooooou!

Ava Luna – what to say? The first thing I will say is whatever anyone tells you that you are going to see when you see them is not going to be good enough. And then when you go online and listen to songs and watch youtube videos, please know; NOT GOOD ENOUGH. It’s not until those three sassy girls are doowopping on the side of the stage, that one cute guy is flinging himself all over his keyboards and the lead singer is having david byrne-ish spasms all over the stage to some of the funkiest rock/soul/electro skiffle shit ever, then that is when you will understand what I am talking about here. This was FUN. F-U-N. I am mad at myself for wandering off and forgetting to hit the merch table because not only did I want the music, but I wanted like, tshirts and stickers and bff heart necklaces with everyone in the band, that’s how much they blew my mind. 

jesus h tap dancing christ!

I am really hoping that since this show was a part of the Hopscotch team, they get invited back in September. I’m really bummed Roo didn’t get to see this happen. It was like a revival. I felt like I was at the Triple Rock Church and Rev Cleophus was asking me if I see the light. It was like, every good idea for every band ever all mooshed together into one band of extreme fun and good tunes. I really, really hope I get to see them again.

i don't care that this is blurry. 

One day I will show my grandchildren and they'll be all like 

OMG YOU MET THAT GUY.

And then you know what happened? After all that excitement and wildness, Sharon Van Etten couldn’t hold my interest. I watched 2 songs and then went to Landmark. I might regret it later when she is THE BEST THIGN EVER OMG BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ, but I don’t know, for now, I feel totally okay with the band that I did see. I think part of the problem with losing interest in SVE was that I wanted to share it with J9, and she wasn’t there. and also I had lost Varani in the crowd, as is pretty standard with us when we hit shows together, and I was standing around by myself and I was literally standing in between a guy I dated for a second and whose heart I may have broken and not 5 feet away on the other was a guy who killed me a little. It seemed no matter where I went, I was surrounded by awkward. Too bad I let real life interfere with show life, but it happens sometimes. I'm sure it was an excellent set and I'm sorry I couldn't hang. next time?

Oh well, I got to see Roo before I went home, anyway.