I’m not good at meeting famous people. It just never goes well. I freeze. It’s the rare occasion where I find myself not having anything to say. I’ve always been of the ilk that you should never meet your heroes. You build these people up so much in your mind that the only thing that can come from a face to face with your idol is sheer disappointment.
I had that when I met a former Boston Red Sox Pitcher. He used to come into the bar that I worked at in Boston. Back in 2007 he was the biggest deal. A god of sorts. He was unhittable. So when he came to the bar I squealed like an 8 year old girl. I avoided him though. Avoiding him was the right choice. He was curt, obnoxious…a real all around dick. It sucked.
It wasn’t just that one time either, when I moved to Hollywood I met a bunch of actors that I had respected. Them too, grade-A assholes. It really bummed me out. I was at the point where I didn’t want to meet anyone whose work I respected. For years now I’ve avoided it. But sometimes I just gots to say hey.
If you ever really feel the need, keep it short, keep it simple, and end the conversation yourself. Never over stay your welcome. This method has come in handy so that:
1. I don’t embarrass myself.
2. I don’t give that person a reason to hate me.
I bring this up because this past weekend I got to meet my favorite musician. I’ve written about every single one of his bands here on this website. That man is John McCauley. He’s fronted Deer Tick, Middle Brother, and now Diamond Rugs.
I saw Deer Tick again this past weekend at their Troubadour show. Like every other show, they were incredible. But the big difference this time was that McCauley who usually a wave of party, was more reserved. He arrived on stage in a floral suit jacket and slacks, and just went into it. He casually sipped a few Budweisers throughout.
At one point the band left the stage and McCauley sat alone at his piano. There he played the devastatingly somber Goodbye, Dear Friend. I had a flashback to when I first started listening to that Black Dirt Sessionsrecord. It was a dark time of my life. My dad had just passed away. I was drinking too much. My girlfriend of three years threw me out and started fucking a dude I was friends with in college. It was pretty cool.
A few years back I couldn’t get through that song without feeling like I was on the verge of tears. But that night, I stood there listening and I was filled with warmth. I’d come a long way. McCauley’s voice poured over the audience. I took that moment to look around. No one moved. No one breathed. This song that once pushed me to the maddening points of depression now had me taking stock. I was seeing my favorite band, with some of my best friends, I had no worries. It was beautiful.
After two full hours of performing, McCauley announced that he and the band would be out front after the show. I was caught in a horrible dilemma. Do I chance meeting my favorite musician and making a fool of myself, or do I walk away and miss out. We stayed. We bought posters. We drank a Budwiser, and then McCauley walked in. He was quiet, unassuming, and friendly. After waiting for six women to all take photos with each other’s cell phones, it was finally my chance. All I could say was “Great show. I’ve listened to you forever. Could we get a picture.”
He warbled out, “Of course I’ll take a photo. Everybody get in here. I’m gonna stick my finger up your nose.” The nose in question belonged to our friend Stella. We all gathered around, and then McCauley proceeded to stick his finger up Stella’s nose. This is where my “keep it short” plan fell flat.
Apparently the dipshit taking the picture, I had never used an iPhone before. So he just stood there hitting the button, never saying he’d taken anything. So we are left standing there holding this pose for a full minute. It was my nightmare. But the dude was cool. Signed my poster. Took the pic. Didn’t call me an asshole. That’s win, win, win. Sure I’ve written about McCauley before, but this is the legend series. While not everyone knows Tick and McCauley, his music means a lot to me. In my eyes this man is legend to me. Check the stuff out at the bottom and he will most likely become a legend to you as well.
Check out his live acoustic set from this year’s Newport Folk Fest Here:
http://www.npr.org/event/
Check out and download their live In Utero performance here:
http://www.nyctaper.com/2013/
Big Hugs,
Kelly