Monday, November 16, 2009
hello, neighbor
So...I think I have mentioned (a time or two) that I am a fan of The Avett Brothers who happen to be from my hometown. I wasn't living here when they were playing for church functions and wedding receptions. They were already selling out decent-sized venues by the time my mom told me about them. (Yes, people, my mom; I can admit it.) But I had an immediate connection to their music. The musical obsession was pretty new for me when I happened to look up from my taco salad at a local Mexican restaurant and see Scott Avett and his wife walking past my table. There is something pretty cool about making eye contact with someone whose art has touched you in an emotionally profound way.
Then a couple weeks ago, Elly and I were leaving the grocery store when Scott and his wife walked in. I unloaded my groceries in the car and went back into the store fully intending to speak to them. But I was unprepared and worried that whatever I nervously blurted out would be lame and not at all what I wanted to say.
So I thought some about what I would say if I ever happened to see him again. Because how often do you have the opportunity to have a personal connection with an artist whose work has impacted you? But over the weekend I saw Scott, his wife and their daughter leaving a local restaurant just after my mom and I had been seated...and I was too nervous to say anything.
I feel like the universe keeps giving me these opportunities to say "thank you" and I keep letting them pass me by. So maybe next time. Or maybe not. I could end up acting like a complete fool. And the last thing I want is to cringe when I hear their music because of the time I chased down the Avetts in a parking lot and rattled off a bunch of words that didn't make any sense .
What would you do? To speak or not to speak?
(By the way...The Avett Brothers are on Jimmy Fallon tomorrow {Wednesday} night.)
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5 comments:
I think you should say something...because even if you stumble through your words, they'll appreciate your loyalty and love for their music!!
Tough one, but since you have seen him more than once, I say, speak! I am sure he will appreciate it and you do have such a way with words, I am sure you will find the right thing to say. :)
Oh, this is just like when I saw Michael Jordan while at UNC (ok, maybe not exactly, but...). Everyone in that Chapel Hill bar was stunned into silence (seriously, it was kind of creepy as people watched his every move). A friend wanted to walk past his table, so we did. She was silent. I said hello. He said hello back. There might have been a few sentences exchanged. Until I asked for his autograph and his very big body guard stood up and said no. Moving right along...
My point is, we put celebrities on pedestals when the reality is they're people. Humans. Just like us. And I'm pretty sure Mr. Avett would be flattered to hear whatever it is you have to say. And the less rehearsed, the better. It just makes you a human, too.
I was all ready to blurt out my appreciate for her music, when I was supposed to see Carolyn Dawn Johnson at Coyote Joe's years ago. Yes, country!
See, we played a song of hers at my dad's funeral. It was like I could have written her whole CD.
Anyway, she was a no-show, but I was so ready to tell her how much her music had touched me. I felt like a goob, too :)
Good luck with your AB search...
This is always a tough one. I, for one, never know what to say. I'm always afraid that a) I'll say something stupid, and/or b) the person I admire will say or do something that will shatter my image of them.
So I usually leave well enough alone. But that's just me. And it also may have more to do with my insecurity than anything else.
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