With permission requested and received, I present you the photo that my friend B sent me.
Yep, that’s B in the middle (her name’s actually Brooke, I’ll give that to you). Yep, here she is, with her pals Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. Yep, this is a real “hanging out” shot, not a panting can-I-get-a-pitcher-wit-ya-please shot. Yep, she’s down south with them as they lay mixes. Not sure what that means exactly, but it sounds impressive and vastly musical.
I am star-struck and can admit it freely – they’ve been my favorite musicians for the last, say, thirteen or fourteen years. In fact, I remember where I was when I first heard them. I had graduated high school, and I was getting in shape for college. Still thinking I was straight, I was working out at my gym, trying to look cute for all the college boys I planned to meet (interesting, though, that I chose a women-only gym….) I was on the Stair-Master, hating my cardiovascular life, and I heard “Galileo” for the first time. I got off the machine and stood under the permanently-set-on-VH-1 TV (this was the early nineties, remember). I watched the end of the song and memorized the name. I showered, dressed, and drove to the music store. That was the beginning. And actually, I don’t remember even going back to that gym. Who cared? I had the Indigo Girls – I didn’t need a gym! They brought me to me.
And years later, I don’t rely on them anymore, not in the same way, but I don’t miss a concert when they’re in town, and I know all the words. I’m first in line when an album comes out. I still get goosebumps when they start “Galileo.” Memories are traced onto and around the lyrics. My favorite parts of their concerts are when they just stop singing and the entire audience picks it up and fills in, every word, in harmony. It’s GOT to be a fantastic feeling to have aided so many women (and men) in finding and believing in themselves.
And Brooke and Amy are pals. Lordy. I just think that’s super neat.
I’ve got the most annoying cold today – I caught it from Christy. I can sit in the TB ward, also known as my workplace, all week, stuck for fifty hours with people who are hacking and sneezing and blowing their noses all over communal keyboards, and I won’t catch a single teeny germ. I can hug snotty, feverish kids and kiss their heads and not get a thing. I come within a hundred yards of either of my sisters when they’ve got a little sniffle, and I catch it instantly. I’m immune to everything but them.
It’s not a bad cold. Just an irritating one. Bleah. I got up early today – couldn’t sleep – and I’m going to do my writing and then cuddle on the couch with my Wave-Along until I have to go to work tonight (only three more midnight shifts!)
And thanks for your comments yesterday! They helped so much. I’m writing. And I’m gonna keep writing ‘til I’m done. Then I’ll start something else. It’s a good life, huh?
Rach,
OH MY GOD! I started shrieking when your page loaded!I had to stop and read the whole post outloud to my partner. The IGs are totally tied in to all of my college memories. I know what you mean about relying on them. How funny is it that we lesbians all love the same music, the same concerts- and at the same stages of our lives! They are so fabulous in concert!!
Thanks for making me smile today!
“Each life has it’s place” (from Virginia Woolf of course!)
Christy
PS Did you know that Amy from the IndiGirl blog met her partner at an IGs concert?
okay. YES. you can adopt me now. Right this very minute. Galileo…
omigod. ‘nuf said. I’m going to knit Waves with my Sony CD walkman on endless freakin’ repeat.
You ROCK. For ALL the right reasons.
Feel better, snuffleupagus…
I haven’t listened to the Girls in years, but they were HUGE for me in the early ’90s. (I wanted to marry Amy.) Is there any better sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs song in the world than “Closer To Fine”? I think not!
I LOVED your story about The Indigo Girls. Hee hee–going to a women’s gym to find cute boys! “Galileo” was also the first song by them I ever heard, and I was hooked. Their concerts are always so much fun, and it’s always great to argue with my friends over which one’s songs we like better, and which one of them is hotter (Amy, and Amy, of course!). But I love them both. Driving down a random highway, on a beautiful day, blasting the Indigo Girls and singing along–an awesome way to spend the day!
Alison beat me to it: “Closer to Fine” is the best sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs song. As for the moment when they stop playing and let the audience take over…”Kid Fears,” baby. Just typing it gave me chills. And made me miss college, where the other sing-along song was “Land of Canaan.” Wait…I gotta go get that CD.
I hope you feel better–want some soup? Jasmine tea?
Woah, that is totally cool!! I am so jealous of Brooke!! *sighs* 🙂
OK. Now I have 3 degrees of separation to my favorite band ever!
I have to admit the my ex-boyfriend was a huge fan of them and totally hooked me on their music a few years ago and now they are my favorite band. I saw them for the first time in concert last fall and it was amazing! Their music is just so powerful! And incidentally Gaileo is my favorite song. Sometimes, I just play it over and over in the car (my favorite place to sing) and my cares melt away for the moment.
Damn. I think I need to listen to it on the way home from work today!
thanks everybody for reminding me to pinch myself. the IGs have always been such a huge inspiration to me, and i went through the whole giddy superfan thing and would have peed myself if i’d met them in the early 90s. the best thing of all is how regular they are, how genuinely generous and not arrogant and funny and kind they REALLY are. in real life. some celebs are idiots or assholes or insufferable bores once the spotlight is off. A&E definitely are not. and i can say to you with all confidence – they love you.
but lord god, gina gershon makes a horrible rock star. oof.