staten island is magical

Tonight I saw a band that I haven't seen since my senior year of college play songs that they haven't played together in nine years. Before the show, the lead singer, my musical hero who I've seen 30+ times since as a solo artist, hugged me and sincerely thanked me for coming. Then, waiting for the band to start, the lead singer of my all time favorite band (and my other musical hero) came and stood next to me, FOR THE ENTIRE SHOW, singing along with every song ("I WANT YOU!! I WANT YOU!!") and heckling them after every song ("Play that one again!!!!!" "Water addicts!!" "SKINNNNNNNNER!") After the show, I summoned all my courage to talk to him. "What's your name? Hi Kerri, I'm Jesse." (What do you say to that? "Of course you are, you're the friggin cover picture on my timeline") Handshake. Legitimate conversation. Eye contact and smiling (I didn't think Jesse Lacey smiled until I saw it for myself tonight). We just talked about Kevin and about the show and about how we'd stood next to each other through out, and I didn't say anything about Brand New, until he told me it was nice to meet me and I said, like an starstruck idiot, "It was so nice to meet you too . . . I think what you do is amazing" or something equally stupid. But he smiled and thanked me and gave me a pat on my shoulder. Hugs from Kevin Devine and I met Jesse Lacey. It doesn't get much better than that. Staten Island, you're ok by me.

conspiracy!

Brand New was in London last week, mere days before I arrived.

Kevin Devine will be here on the 22nd, PLAYING A SHOW WITH 100 PEOPLE, four days after I leave.

John Nolan is playing a solo show, on Long Island, the night of Amanda's wedding.

They're all plotting against me, and I don't like it one bit! This is what I get for skipping a Straylight Run show in May and the Kev Dev show in June . . .

this was seriously hard

Fun stuff - You choose a band, than answer the questions using only lyrics from their songs. I pick Kevin Devine. Not quite a band, but he has five cds, why not!

01. are you male or female?
a snow-faced girl
"lullaby for a snow-faced girl"

02. describe yourself:
love me, love me, love me, i'm a liberal
"love me, i'm a liberal"

03. how do people feel about you?
thank you for being the sun on my face
i know the world's almost over but you make it seem better
and i hope for you i do the same
"splitting up christmas"

04. how do you feel about yourself?
i don't believe in beautiful people
but i don't believe in me
"protest singer"

05. describe your girlfriend / boyfriend / interest:
in the morning, you are the daybreak and I am glad
and at night you are the dream I fall asleep to have
"you are the daybreak"

06. what would you rather be doing?
i wanna feel the way i felt when we were kids messin' around
before i thought about the world like i do now
"yr damned ol' dad"

07. describe where you live:
a nation built on eggshells, bandages and appleseeds
"whistling dixie"

08. describe how you live:
less yesterday, more today
yeah, i gotta start living that way
"less yesterday, more today"

09. describe how you love:
i'll always love you and make you happy
if you could only say the same
"you are my sunshine"

10. share a few words of wisdom:
don't kill yourself to raise the dead
it never works, you'll only end up joining them
"you'll only end up joining them"

adorable

Kevin Devine posted this on MySpace today:

The Friday, April 24th "Brother's Blood" Bowery Ballroom show has sold out.


In 5 days.


2 months in advance.


This is crazy, and unexpected, and my mother pointed out we're 'the only show already sold out for April' before telling me she loved me "even when I'm not sold out.
"

Thank YOU.


Complete US tour dates and a bunch more coming very soon.


Thank YOU.


xo.

Looooove him . . . and his mom too apparently. So glad I got my tickets to this one already . . . who wants to go with me? =)

and let's be honest, dave matthews would never do this either

Kevin Devine's current MySpace profile picture:

Thank you

To everyone who wrote back and either transcribed the words from MySpace OR pointed me to the existing videos of the performance online. It was a seriously thorough response. Thanks especially to the person who scanned the original and e-mailed it to me. Good stuff all around, people. A batch of honest detectives we got here.

Take care,
Kevin

this would never happen to dave matthews

Kevin Devine's latest blog post made me laugh a little

IMPORTANT: Lost lyrics at Saturday’s show in Hamden @ The Space

To Whom It May Concern:

Saturday at the Space I played a new song (tentatively) titled 'My Brother's Blood.' I had finished the lyrics (at least enough to play the song live) an hour before the set and had them next to me on a music stand during the show.

When I went back to grab them after the set, they were missing, and one of the folks working the show mentioned seeing someone grab them from the stage.

I think it's actually really cool someone would want an artifact like that, and don't intend to scold anyone for grabbing them. I would, however, ask that if you are the person, or know the person, who took them, could you please type them up and send them to me here? We're in the process of making the record and I liked the version I finished that night.

Thanks a lot guys,
Kevin

"you know any dave?"

I got tricked into buying tickets to Kevin Devine's "Put Your Ghost To Rest" re-release party last night because Brand New posted a bulletin on MySpace saying to "look for Jesse Sunday and Monday" and I knew I couldn't go to the Looney Tunes show today because of Crim Pro. But then I bought tickets and realized that Jesse was playing a show with Brand New at Geneseo last night. I kept hoping that he would be able to defy the laws of space and time and manage to get to Willismsburg sometime to at least be able to play "Cotton Crush" with Kev, but no such luck, as (though I forget sometimes) Jesse Lacey is only human.

Kevin Devine did not disappoint though. Even though I'm an idiot and dragged Becky with me to get there for around 7 when, I soon discovered, Kevin didn't go on until 10. So we walked around Williamsburg aimlessly for nearly an hour, where Becky pointed out how suspicious we probably looked and that a cop might have a reasonable suspicion that criminality was afoot if they saw us that would justify them stopping and frisking us. I've never seen so many Thai and sushi restaurants in such a small area.

Long story longer, I have a total crush on Kevin Devine . . . he is absolutely my favorite person in the world with my initials! Highlights:

• He played "Put Your Ghost To Rest" in its entirety. As I guess could have been expected, seeing that it was the re-release party. But it was excited nonetheless because I don't know that I've ever heard him do "Go Haunt Someone Else" live.
  
• The eleven year old (ok, not really, but kinda really) who played EVERY INSTRUMENT KNOWN TO MAN (ok, not really, but kinda really)
• "Take me to prom!" "I'm a grown ass man, I can't take you to prom! I can DRIVE you to prom!"
• Kareem Abdul Jabar! He made his mom cover her ears. I'm not sure why. But it was cute. Listen for yourself! (It's 30 seconds, watch the clip, don't be lame.)

• His "you know any Dave?" story . . . I fully appreciate anyone who doesn't think that Dave Matthews is God's gift to music. Which may be because I am convinced that Kevin Devine is God's gift to music.
  
• Chuck and Howie/Meredith's husband Chris were in the GDB! Amazing!
• "People Are So Fickle"! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE that song.
• Super seriously, I looooooooove Kevin Devine. So severely.

I suppose that the the most satisfying thing about the whole night was this IM from Becky today:

Becky (10:20:49 PM): p.s. i googled a picture of jesse lacey today

Becky (10:20:52 PM): and he's so cute!!

I love it.

you all are my backbone

So what if it's freezing, I'm awake and I'm happy
The sun's steepling its shards on my floor
I drag my feet to the shower and I hear someone singing
I keep the lights off a while and the water gets warm

Now I knot up my tie and toss books in a schoolbag
They keep my priorities straight
So I can sleepwalk through work like an outpatient program
I don't buy but get through anyway

And at some point I'll call you and tell you I miss you
And you are the point of my day
And my face will get flushed and my throat will choke up
When you tell me that you feel the same

So I have been thinking of splitting up Christmas
To see everyone I'd like to see
And you're first on that list
You're the lotto I hit
You're the star at the top of the tree

And I have been feeling this good for a reason
My friends and my family
You all are my backbone
You keep me balanced and settled
And I'm in debt to you all endlessly

So tonight I will call you and try to say
"Thank you for being the sun on my face
I know the world's almost over but you make it seem better
And I hope for you I do the same."
- kevin devine

i wish that i was jesse's girl

Nothing to say, I just wanted a place to come to so that I could look at this picture whenever I wanted.

my "ability" is apparently causing my heroes to take awful pictures

Last night did not disappoint.

I'll write a full entry tomorrow, but I'll say it now that Kevin Devine and Jesse Lacey are two of the most brilliant song writers and lyricists alive and if I had the money and the ability to do it, I would not go back to work on Monday and I'd just follow them around the U.S. on the rest of their tour, and then to Europe and then to everywhere, because they are that freaking good and . . . just wow.

I only wish that this picture of Kevin Devine was just a little bit better . . . I'm starting to think it's just me. Between this picture of the two of us from last night and the 2005 "John Nolan the Pirate" picture from Hofstra, I am really convinced that I do have some sort of super power or "ability" (depending on which show I'm more obsessed with at the moment, Heroes or The 4400 - right now the nod goes to The 4400 but I am so totally digressing) and that ability is to cause my heroes to look awful in pictures. At least John got one eye open. (See Exhibit "B"). Maybe it's a good thing I didn't get to meet Jesse Lacey last night. At least he can remain photogenic a little longer.

Full Jesse Lacey / Kevin Devine / Grace Read at Valentines update coming in a few days; for now it's bed, MPRE review course tomorrow, and then Guster @ The Starland Ballroom tomorrow night. The concert calendar has (absurdly enough) become even more full for the rest of the summer:

July 29 - Guster @ the Starland Ballroom
August 1 - They Might Be Giants @ Bowery (if Craig can get tickets)
August 3- O.A.R. / Stephen Kellogg / Augustana @ Jones Beach
August 4 - Warped Tour
August 14 - Kevin Devine's concert cruise thingamajig
August 19 - Live/Collective Soul @ Brookhaven Amphitheater (possibly going to have to cancel this one . . . we'll see)

At least I'm not bored, right?

oh my god, i can't wait until july 27

seriously.