Soundtrack - "The World Is as Soft as Lace" by Felt
Woo hoo! Two sold out nights of Belle & Sebastian! Look how they had a huge video monitor that was showing little clips of B&S. It was so weird seeing a huge Stuart Murdoch outside on a giant screen in Times Square. Aside from that, Nokia Theatre is so lame. They have Nokia products showcased in glass everywhere. Tacky!
This is a video still that Ryan captured of Stuart stage-diving. Stage-diving! He jumped in during the fast part of "Your Cover's Blown." It was so unexpected! I read some review that said it was the lamest stage-dive ever, but dude, it was like a six-foot jump between the stage barricade and the audience. I say that is pretty gutsy! The next night I positioned myself right underneath where he had jumped the night before. When they played "Your Cover's Blown" I stood poised with my arms up and my camera ready but... he didn't jump. Oh well. They played "Women's Realm" on the second night, so that made up for it.
Stuart made these girls come up onstage and do a little Rockettes kick-line thing. He asked for girls wearing skirts only. So we could see up their skirts while they kicked perhaps? Smart! Between this and that "Meat and Potatoes" b-side that's all about S&M, he's turning into some kind of sex fiend! (heh heh)
Oh man. During the show, Ryan saw this guy wearing a yarmulke who was singing along to every word. Ryan was like, there's your future husband! (For new folks: I was raised Orthodox Jewish, although I am most definitely no longer practicing.) So I laughed, ha ha, very funny. But then after the show Ryan, the worst matchmaker in the history of the universe, spotted him and before I could stop him (though trust me I tried! I think I even tore his coat a little!), he dragged the guy over to talk to me. I was so embarrassed, but the dude was so nice in that typical nice religious person way.I learned that he was only 23 (though he looked 40-- all Jewish guys either look 10 or 40), engaged to be married and teaches at a yeshiva (Jewish school for boys). I told him about how everyone at my Jewish high school thought I was a freak for being into "weird" music, and he told me about how god approves of being into music and how he once tried to get a minyan (prayer group) together during a Phish concert. (Jews always seem to be drawn to the Dead and Phish--why is that?) Anyway, blah blah blah, I was basically in hell. Of course Ryan had quietly slipped away so I could be alone with my future husband. I tried to shoot him a look that said, help! Come rescue me! But when I looked over I was annoyed to see that he was laughing to himself and pointing his camera at us discreetly, from a distance. And thus I present to you the funniest picture ever to grace this website. How perfect is my expression???
Hello, most perfect t-shirt ever. Did they read my mind or something?
The next night... (sorry, live pix always suck.)
Meredith's friend Jen, who does the awesome Cliktrax, got me in backstage after the show and we hung out in this dark, little red room with all kinds of industry types and then suddenly, there was Stuart right in front of me! My eyes totally did that thing in the cartoons where they bounce in and out of their sockets (which Tim has just informed me is called "hamburger eyes"). Sarah and Stevie were there too, but I was not fazed. Then this nice record label woman asked me if I wanted to meet Stuart. My heart froze for a moment and then I said, calmly, "No thanks." I said no! I totally didn't wanna meet him! Better to have some things in life remain mysteries. I was happy to just stand there and sneek peaks. It was funner that way. Up close, he is very weird-looking.
You're on top of the world again.