patty

went to hear patty griffin tonight. at schubas. yes, schubas. ch heard about the tickets, and joe's work friend bought them, and i felt a little guilty spending that much money but i have a patty complex. there are few things i regret in life, i know i've blogged this before. the red skirt- and that turned out ok, it eventually made itself to me. and patty- in 2002 or so i turned down the chance to see her and eliza gilkison at fitzgeralds. it was the suburbs, i had a paper due- and instantly and continuously regretted it. i made a resolution then, that when given the choice in the future i would choose going out, i would live my life in a responsible enough way that when given the chance i wouldn't pass up a once in a lifetime chance to do something like see patty.

and i did get other chances. i saw her at the vic, and again at park west. but tonigh, oh tonight was SCHUBA's. d and i had the discussion the other day about would you rather be deaf or blind, and when i told ch about it the next day he said blind, because concerts were a religous experience for him. and i was really feeling that tonight, the atmosphere was just all about that, with big fat flakes of snow falling outside, and the plaster walls and wooden beams and flickering candles.

i couldn't believe i was so close to her, schubas is such an intamate venue. i've never really seen her before, it was always far away like on a tv. but there she was, this woman who's voice is so familiar to me- a voice from my past, from my present, that i've heard a thousand times. i thought of marty from the rainchildren being amazed at mad mission, of skipping over moses and then falling in love with it, playing it on my guitar in my bedroom along with the cd in my boom box.

i love her as a rocker, and she blew me away at park west, but you know acoustic is always closest to my heart, and ah, the cockles were warmed. it made me so excited for the new stuff- this was her prequel tour for the new album coming out early february. a song about public transporation, a song about aerial circus arts... the love is tangable.

playing the what will she open with game, ch brought up every little bit. and she didn't play anything old- just from the clandestine silver bell and two newer albums. but ch and i are part of the secret silver bell club and it was something like magic. she played be careful (all the girls) and i wept. she played making pies and the whole audience collectively sighed.

she ended with icicles, and it was cold and beautiful and final and perfect. for an encore she played new stuff and last played truth #2, like a little rocking secret. and all left the concert dancing along to the bass (upright bass, mind you) line in their head. bum bum bum. it was perfect.