2001-10-22 - 11:51 p.m.

Music kicks my ass.

Music.

I could just say that and it would be all that really needs to be said in this entry.

Music.

I can't even begin to tell you how profoundly music kicks my ass.

So I ran home from work, and jetted over to the local soccer store, cause our first game is tomorrow and I needed a new goalie jersey and some socks. The proprietor of the store was very nice and very helpful. English is his second language, though I'm not sure where he's from. If you've never tried to explain the concept of a cup to someone who speaks broken English, you should give it a shot. The comedic possibilities are endless. I ended up resorting to pantomime. I'm still blushing.

Then I ran off to the grocery store (need Pepsi. Pepsi is life). Then I ran home and did a quick Pilates workout. Hopped in the shower and jetted off to Mead St.

When I got there jo3 and Ng were there with SpunkyGirl. T-Woman and FriendFriend and some of their buds were at a nearby table. Here's a quick rundown on the train wreck that is j$'s dating life. Then we'll get on to the important stuff.

SpunkyGirl was talking to Ng about some doctor she just met. She was friendly to me, but I was not sensing any kind of vibe. She was vibe-less. Plus the doctor thing. I'm not a doctor.

FriendFriend I haven't seen in some months. Still a possible vibe there, though I may just be on crack. I didn't end up chatting her up much, but I did swap phone numbers with T-Woman in the hopes that I might end up in another group outing with FriendFriend. (Yes, I *am* that pathetic)

Anyway, on to the music.

Did I mention that music kicks my ass?

It does.

A lot.

So jo3 and T-Woman and M (who showed up *just* in time for our customary side-walk rehearsal) with FriendFriend on drum played "Out of Habit" and "The Letter".

"Out of Habit" is an Ani Difranco song and as soon as they started up, Ng leaned over to me and said "The table of lesbians behind you are appreciative of this song." There's a line in the song where Ani says "my c*** is built like a wound that won't heal". T-Woman is a devout little catholic girl, and though I've heard her sing the real lyric before she said "heart" in rehearsal. However, she was singing so softly that I thought she sang the real lyric. Apparently other people thought so too, cause there was a *huge* roar from behind me after that line.

"The Letter" is an old song by the BoxTops. You know. "Gotta get a ticket for an airplane, no time to take a fast train...my baby, she wrote me a letter". On both these first two songs, T-Woman and M just rocked the fucking house. When they hit the harmonies, it just rules. I was actually glad to be able to sit in the audience and watch them at work. jo3 is such a consummate showman, and with those angel voices, well...

I then went up and joined them for "Kid Fears". I didn't really know all the chords, so I just followed jo3. It went well. Not spectacular, but well.

We're getting set to leave the stage, and Tony, the MC of the open mike night says "do one more". jo3 was reluctant, but M said "let's play We Belong", which we had done the first time we came. jo3 turns to me and says "do you remember the chords?". See, he plays it capo 2 and I play without the capo. I have to play different chords, but in the end it sounds much better because the guitars complement each other more. I said "just start and I'll join in on the chorus or the second verse".

And I did.

I stood there on-stage in front of a bar full of people and just watched jo3 and transposed in my head and I joined in at the chorus. And I played the rest of the song.

You have no idea how far outside of my comfort zone I was doing that. You have not idea.

But the point is that I pulled it off. And I didn't sound half bad.

And that. That kicks my ass, too.

But perhaps the best part of the whole thing. Maybe an hour later, as we're all sitting there drinking beer and chatting, Tony came and talked to us, and said "We should get you guys to do a gig here. Can you play three hours of music?"

And jo3, without missing a beat says "Yeah, sure".

So really, who knows. We may gig. It's all old hat to jo3, and I'm still kind of riding his coattails (must take voice lessons). But I may do a gig.

Me.

A gig.

As in cash money to play music.

And I know that that shouldn't seem like a revolutionary thought. But it's rocking my sheltered little world tonight.

So there were women there who I was interested in and nothing good or at least nothing of note happened in that realm.

But so what.

We played.

We rocked.

And we may gig.

And Music?

Yeah, Music kicks my ass.

And right now, that's what matters.