Instead, I will post about an amazing experience I had last night instead :)
Let me preface this by saying that music is my life. Now, I know people say this and they love music, but I really feel my love and attachment to music goes beyond what most people think and feel about it. It literally gets me through my day.
I can remember being 8 years old, listening to Mariah Carey on my parents' stereo system and, singing from the top of my lungs in their living room. That is ALL I wanted to do and I did it for hours at a time. The first favourite song I remember having is "The Piano Man" by Billy Joel because of the story it told. My mom also says I one of my first favourite songs was "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes.
Most teens go through a phase when they get into music and go to concerts and then grow out of it. I'm still waiting to grow out of it. Back when I could still afford it, I averaged about 12-15 concerts per year and have gone to Coachella 3 times. I've even interned for The Dresden Dolls!!
I recently made the decision to start a band called The Yellow Birds (I'm looking for members, so let me know if you want to join!), and among my vast list of musical influences I would have to say Conor Oberst and Jenny Lewis are at the top of that list without a doubt. For some reason, both of their lyrics, compositions, and voices seem to speak directly to my soul.
I was fortunate enough to scrounge up the money to see Conor play at The Greek Theatre last Sunday with folk legend John Prine. I had never heard John, but after that night I definitely will be downloading some of his songs, STAT. It was a beautiful show, but since Conor was not the headliner I left the show feeling like it was somehow unfinished.
Then comes Tuesday...I wake up and the first thing I see on Facebook is a chance to win tickets to a special evening with Conor Oberst that KCRW is putting together and it's invite-only. I immediately leave a comment with a plea to pick me and hope and pray luck is on my side.
Then, later that day my friend Mara leaves a post on my Facebook wall with a link to another chance to win tickets. It said: "Tell us about a moment you were moved by Conor Oberst (or Bright Eyes)" and this is what I wrote...
"I can't tell you about just one moment when I was moved by Conor Oberst (with or without The Mystic Valley Band), Bright Eyes, or Monsters of Folk because there are honestly too many to count. To me, Conor is the definition of what the perfect singer/songwriter is. His lyrics, composition, and the feeling in his voice never fail to transport me to another time, whether it be back into some part of my past or into my hopeful future. When I am watching him sing live, nothing else matters.
The most recent moment I was moved by Conor Oberst was this past Sunday at The Greek Theatre when he played "We Are Nowhere and It's Now", which is my all-time favourite Bright Eyes song. It brought tears to my eyes because I have had a lot of challenges as of late and knowing I was going to see Conor in concert soon was what kept going when I absolutely wanted to give up.
To be able to go to this event would mean so much to me and if I could bring my friend Jessica who is just as much a fan of his as I am, we would be forever grateful. Thank you so much for this opportunity."
Later that day I got this email letting me know I HAD WON!!!
Aaaaahhhhh!!! I was over the moon and the only person I could think to take was my beloved friend Jessica whom I met when we were extras in the Bright Eyes video for "Four Winds" back in 2007. She is the reason I was able to see Bright Eyes for the first time live because she had an extra ticket to see their show that year, which had sold out online in minutes. And it was after that show that I got this autograph!
I'm getting sidetracked, but here is where my Little Hibachi art line comes in. As soon as I knew I was going to be seeing this intimate show and possibly being able to meet Conor for a third time I immediately started trying to think of something I could make for him as a thank you for everything he has done for me and millions of others with his music.
At first I was thinking of making him something with his newest album cover art or something for he and his wife, but I figured he probably gets tons of fan art and making something for just he and his wife might be too much of an intrusion on his personal life. That's when I decided to give him a couple of my own original pieces with a personal Thank You note.
The show was incredible. It was at Apogee in Santa Monica. It was a little bigger than I was expecting it to be, but there couldn't have been more than 100 people there.
Jessica and I were two people from the stage and as soon as Conor came out and started singing I burst into tears.
It was such a wave of emotions from everything I've been through this last year to absolute gratitude for being able to stand there and witness pure magic. In the middle of the show they stopped playing and a lovely woman from KCRW came up on stage to interview Conor. I learned he has a great sense of humour and I think it will be impossible not to hear my trademark laughter when the recording of this evening is aired on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" later this month.
As the show was ending and Conor was thanking the crowd, I gathered all of my courage and pushed forward to hand him the present I had brought. He didn't see it at first, but then he reached out and took it saying, "Thank you."
I don't know if he'll open it or even keep it. All I know is that as of right now in my life I have gotten to share an ice cream sundae with Amanda Palmer (lead singer of The Dresden Dolls, an amazing solo singer/songwriter, and another of my personal heroes), given my business card to David Fincher (director of my favourite movie "Fight Club"), and now I've given a personal note and gift to Conor Oberst.
I came to Hollywood with a dream of being surrounded by people in the entertainment industry. I didn't have any connections when I got here, but I have to say I think I'm doing pretty well for myself. I am truly living the blessed life.
~LH
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