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The Hardest to Learn Was the Least Complicated

Who: Indigo Girls
When: March 3, 2002
Where: Center for the Arts/ Buffalo, NY
With: Ben
Of Note: the closer I am to fine



One of the great things about going to UB was that you could get inexpensive tickets to shows at the Center for the Arts. I saw a bunch of shows I probably would not have as a result. The Indigo girls was one such show.

Spring of sophomore year of undergrad, Ben and I were no longer dating, but not one hundred percent platonic. A clean break probably would have been healthier, but I was bent on being friends. That worked out better some times than others.

In any event, Ben had asked me to go see the Indigo Girls with him and, since it was under $10 and I almost never say no to a show, I accepted his invitation.

It was a couple of days after my 20th birthday, the party for which had been epic. (If you'll recall, that was the birthday party where Mike D. told me that because it was my birthday, I had to drink the Jack from the bottle...down to the top of the label. Though I stopped drinking after that, it did not end well. I have never been more sick or wanted to die more than I did that next morning. I think I was still a little hungover as we headed to this concert a couple of days later. Sorry Mom!)

I didn't know much about the Indigo Girls. I still don't know much about the Indigo Girls. I'm not an especially huge fan of folk music. But, this concert was great.

It was just the two of them and their guitars. To watch them perform together is pretty incredible; it's like they move and play and sing as one organism. I'm not sure I've ever seen bandmates more in sync. It also felt very casual, very intimate...even from the balcony. It felt like you were in the living room of friends after a dinner party after just the right number of cocktails. In terms of vibe and ambiance, it was a really special experience.

I didn't know much of the music, but there were a few songs that really stuck out. When I heard 'Closer to Fine', I thought, "Yes, that's it." The line says, "The less I seek my source for some definitive/ The closer I am to fine." I'm not sure what the actual intent is but I heard that line as, "Don't see everything so black and white. Embrace the gray." (Are we seeing a recurring theme in the life lessons I've tried to teach myself through music?) 'Galileo' completely confused me but I thought it was beautiful. 'Power of Two' made me want to fall in love.

Several Indigo Girls songs made their way into my music library and every once in a while, when one of them pops up on shuffle, I'm reminded to try to teach myself some life lessons about love and letting go of control and being a more open person. Also, hangovers that last three days suck.

Comments

  1. I am going to go download me some indigo girls! Sounds uplifting and hopeful ! - jenn

    ReplyDelete

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