Here's something

Here’s something. The year was 2001. I was practicing the custodial arts for one of the largest universities in the country. Making about twelve dollars an hour, working about twelve minutes every hour, and that’s a generous estimation. Ryan Adams had released “Heartbreaker”, two, maybe only one, years before. He really nailed it though. Alt-country was in. Maybe he was the vanguard, maybe he was the trailer. Anywho, December 2001, he was playing in Minneapolis, and I wanted to go.

I had buddies that practiced the custodial arts with me. My bro planted the alt-country seed with me, and I tried to spread the good news with my friends. I was pretty successful. I’m pretty sure they’d agree. Radiohead, Wilco, Son Volt, Ryan Adams. That was the playlist back then. Basically, as long as I’d play “Idiotheq”, I could get away with playing any of the sad sack shit that those alt-countriers would put out. Even though I’m pretty sure that I’d changed lives with steel guitars and sad lyrics, I couldn’t get any of my fellow janitors to go down to First Avenue with me.

I had had the itch to go to the show all day. I had to work. A lesser man would have stayed on the clock and just gone to the show, but I was honest, upright, and signed out. I had driven to work that day in the blue and wooden siding Buick Electra station wagon, so I signed out at around 5:30 and drove downtown. The Ryan Adams “Gold” tour show was going to start at 8:00. I couldn’t miss it.

Of course, I arrived a little early. But, the show was sold out, and I didn’t have a ticket. Across the street from First Ave is an Irish bar. I was about 4 months into bar drinking ability, and a few dollars and a bar stool was a golden ticket for me. I went to O’Donovans. It’s a great vantage point to First Ave. The bar has windows gazing out across the street onto the First Ave milling-about area. Having gone to a Ben Folds Five show there without a ticket, I was pretty confident that I would be able to get into the show provided I got in line soon enough. May as well wait and have a Guinness.

About 6:30 - the timeline will be pretty murky; it was ten years ago – I noticed people mulling around the First Ave entrance. That was my cue. Slam the second or third Guinness and get across the street. I saw a line developing and got in it. I asked the fella in front of me if anybody in the line had tickets, I think the answer was no. The fella, though recognized me from the Jay Farrar show two weeks before then. I was pretty cowed at the time. That had been a wild night. Of course, now remembering the Jay Farrar show, I bet the others are ashamed that they didn’t have as much fun as my friends and I were having (maybe another blog post). Over an hour standing in line in front of First Ave in Minneapolis in December until the doors opened. I was dancing at the end of the wait. Grey New Balances and Minneapolis Decembers aren't a good mix.

While I was in line my roommate and great friend, non-janitors, arrived. “Chandler!” (stupid nickname). “Joe! Pete! You guys are going to the show?” “Yeah! Can we get in line?” I would have loved to let them in, but the line had grown to about half-way down the street. Ryan Adams was really hot at the time. I had to say no. I’m a rules guy. They went to hunt for tickets. Fifteen minutes before I got into the show, Joe and Pete walked by waving tickets in my face. They were getting in, I still wasn’t sure to. Luckily, I was early enough in the line though to get a rush ticket. I was in.

I got into First Ave for my third time, Ben Folds, Jay Farrar, you know, and the place was packed. The folks standing in line only got in after ticket holders had been admitted. I had shooed away my friends in the ticket line, so I was solo. Logically, I went to the bar right away. Opening act was some Calvin Klein model that Ryan was dating. She was good, but I can’t remember her name (Leona Ness! Just heard Ryan say her name on a youtube video.) I was busy trying to find my friends. First Ave, upper deck, lower deck, no dice.

All of a sudden, I got a tug on my fleece. Looked down, and it was a very cute girl. “Need a friend?” For as long as I live, those words are going to be with me. “Yes!” “Come hang out with me.” She was adorable, well-dressed, petite, forward and nice. She told me that she had seen me sitting by myself at the bar at O'Donovans. I didn't recognize, didn't care, I followed her. We didn’t go anywhere special, somewhere on the main floor. The bundle of humanity was pretty huge, though. I was pretty sober and awkward. Probably after the fifth attempt I learned her name. Then, the conversation was stuck. What to do? I decided to try to make her laugh. Small talk skills for me, in a big place, are lacking, so I had to use the gifts I’ve been given. Height. I reported upon the hair-washing of our fellow Ryan Adams fans. (Writing this … How stupid!) I did it to try to show a certain degree of charm, though, and I think it worked. She would laugh and kiss me on the cheek. I reciprocated. I ran into to Joe and Pete. Decided to watch the show with my new friend.

Since, I’ve seen a fair amount of Ryan Adams’s shows. This was my first one, though, and this December 2001 show was Ryan’s first at First Ave. I vividly recall the opening when he said, “I’ve waited a fuck of a long time to get on this stage!” He proceeded to play a set without all the bullshit petulance that he’s known for. Midway through the set he played “Stars Go Blue”. The crowd loved it, was in his hand, and he felt that he didn’t get it right, so he and his band played the song again. My new girl and I swayed in each-others arms. Shortly after that redo Ryan sent 2 cases of beer through the audience, free for first come-first served. The show began at 10 p.m. I’m not sure when it ended. I know it was after 2:30 a.m. It is one of the best concerts that I’ve gone to.

After the show, I walked her home, hung out there a while, and drove back to my apartment. She was ten years older than me and miles ahead of me. Ten years later, though, that night is still a definer. It’s one of those random, go with your gut, days that I still think about and cherish. So, that’s something.