so, i’ve been getting these reminder emails, once a month,
for years now, and almost no one ever posts.
i spent the night listening to Mojave 3, and while I know it’s not
slowdive, I figured it was close enough, and it inspired me to write about the
one life-experience I’ve had related to the band. i’d love to hear others…
i don’t remember exactly what year it was, but maybe 1999 or
2000, and i was home from college for the summer. i heard neil halstead was playing at the
beachland ballroom, and almost shit my pants.
i instantly bought tickets, terrified that the show would sell out, and
forced my friend (who’d never heard of neil or Mojave 3, but vaguely realized
that slowdive was once a band), to buy a ticket as well. relieved that i’d gotten a ticket before
they’d all been sold out (how could neil halstead not sell out a show at
beachland?), i waited for weeks, and really looked forward to the show.
jon (my fri
end who i was bringing along to the show) and i
played Frisbee golf before we drove up from Medina
to go to the show. the shins were
playing at the grog shop that night, so he figured there wouldn’t be much of a
turn out at beachland. “i don’t care. we’re going in early and getting a good
spot.”
we got there before the doors opened, and wandered around
the area. just up the road was one of
those overpasses that is entirely enclosed by aluminum fencing, and we sat
above the cars drinking sports drinks, spitting it onto cars below, and talking
shit about ex-girlfriends.
we got back to the beachland tavern, and grabbed a table in
the nearly empty bar. neil was talking
to the sound guy, so i went and said hello, asked him to sign my “Excuses For
Travelers” cd insert. i think he kind of
laughed at me, but regardless, he signed it “Thanx for coming down – Neil”, and
drew a smiley face on the featureless figure from the cover. that’s the only autograph i’ve ever gotten in
my life.
neil played for drinks.
anyone who bought him a drink could make a request. i don’t know how he could play by the end of
the night…even the drinker i am now, i couldn’t handle all the requests he took
that night. they weren’t all perfectly
played, but they were all great to listen to.
between drinks and requests, he covered Damien Jurado’s “Ohio”,
which was fitting, for a number of reasons.
he told a few jokes about some dude in Arizona
with a harmonica, i bought a shirt, and that was it.
we pulled out of the parking lot, and i told jon to shut the
fuck up as i put “ask me tomorrow” into my cd player. i’ve never enjoyed 71 south more.
-jeff