I have neglected this blog. Oops.
Life has gotten in the way. Work, dating, the beach… did I say dating? Yeah, that hasn’t gone so well. Not worst-date-ever material (yet), but guys, here’s a pointer: don’t take a girl to Shakey’s and expect a second date.
Now that we have that out of the way.
Friday night, Becca and I made a field trip to LA for what we thought was going to be a quick 30 minute set by my girl crush, Meiko. It turns out the set was part of a showcase for the Worldwide Radio Summit, and the two of us were amidst a plethora of record industry people. You know, something I’m used to every Friday night. No biggie. It’s not like I won a contest on Facebook or anything.
As a certified Meiko stalker, I was singing along to all of the “new” songs she played. She started out with a sweet number in which she repeated “I’m in love” numerous times. I whispered to Becca that I’d like to relate to that song in a decade or so. No rush.
Part of Meiko’s charm is her banter with the audience in between sets. Though she was obviously in front a bunch of industry power players, she didn’t tone down the feistiness too much, and disclosed that she was dating a “hot British guy.” That led into a song entitled “I’m Not Sorry,” which was a non-apology for wanting a housewife’s life. However, most housewives would blush at a song like “Between the Sheets” which is Meiko’s most lyrically intense song. It details an affair with a man that she wants public (she tells him to ‘leave the lights on’) yet she knows it can never be. The symbolism of the lights is intriguing, as Meiko’s lyrics are mostly surface level –- yet hilarious and subtle all the same.
Though it was a short set, she did not fail to disappoint. The looks she gave the small audience of less than 40 people were naughty and sneaky, and perfectly Meiko. However, Becca and I didn’t want to leave so soon, so we opted to take advantage of our scratchy red wristbands and saunter to the next stage, where another showcase was starting.
Who would be playing, but Matt Nathanson. The transition from Meiko to Matt was not a difficult one at all, as he kept referring to his stage as “the brothel.”
His first song was “Mercy”, which gave Duffy’s song of the same name a run for her money. The way he kept singing “Less drowning, more land” with distortion became a little swoon-worthy.
He easily transitioned from upbeat pop (‘To the Beat of our Noisy Hearts’) and radio-worthy songs (‘Faster’ – which he noted was “Like S&M”… was he channeling Meiko?) to his most famous song, “Come on Get Higher.” Oh, and a note about this one: I distinctly remember this song being played over and over in movie theaters before the feature started, and many times I was with my parents while the song played. I will never think of the song in the same light now, since apparently it’s about “Getting naked in an awesome slap and tickle type way.” Um, hi Mom and Dad?
Bec and I weren’t feeling like being smashed into another room, so we sat on a couch in the lobby while listening to British band Scars on 45. They were great music to listen to, and the guy-girl duets were fantastic.
All in all, the showcase was a pleasant surprise.
And my first experience in a brothel was swell.