![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Darren Jessee at Flat Iron, Greensboro NC
Oct. 20th, 2023 10:16 pmAlthough I'd bought the ticket a month earlier, I didn't decide to attend Darren's Greensboro show until a couple nights before. It was a mad scramble to figure out accommodations (first place I booked canceled on me), the ticket (my physical ticket never arrived), and paying for it, but in the end, it all worked out.
I was on the road at 7:15am just as a torrential downpour hit. Not cool. It let up as I headed southeast out of Dayton, and it was rainy/misty until I hit WV. I remembered to not gawk too much once I crossed the state line, but failed to bring cash for the WV Turnpike tolls; they'll let you through, but you'll pay a $5 penalty PER TOLLBOOTH for failing to pay. ouch. I will be getting that EZpass.
Virginia bought the beginning of the gorgeous fall colors, and heavy fog. loved the former, terrified by the latter. Turns out NOT being able to see what's over the guardrails is worse than being able to see the drop-offs and whatnot. This is also roughly where I lose my signal, which includes my GPS and streaming music. hooray for downloaded tunes!
my Airbnb was lovely, a large room with ensuite bath in a first-floor apartment just south of downtown. It was maybe five minutes to the venue/parking.
As I was approaching the venue, I saw Darren and Zach crossing the street, but was too far away to catch them. So I went on in to the bar, grabbed a drink, and caught them by surprise when they came in a few minutes later. They both seemed happy/surprised to see me, and once again Darren told me I shouldn't be making the drive. They still had to write up their set list, so they got down to business and texted a friend.
They were both a lot more relaxed than when I saw them in Catskill, which was good to see. I can only guess the sort of pre-gaming they took part in, or maybe just being so close to home took the pressure off. they had virtually no room to move on the tiny stage packed with the headliner's gear, but Darren rolled with it, joking that they were going to forego the whole setup and just stick to guitar and keys. They opened with Anything You Need, and played at least 3 Hotel Lights songs. When no one really reacted to that band name, he joked that they were really good, and we should look them up. I tried to yell "their lead singer is hot!!" but couldn't get it to come out. He also mentioned having his albums for sale, or buying them online, on your phone, to listen to, on your phone... (no, Darren, tell us how you really feel). He flubbed the beginning of one of his older songs, and just rolled with it, starting over and laughing it off.
After the show, we did get to chat a bit. He asked what other bands I'd seen lately (HS Marching Bands and Better than Ezra), and we laughed about me re-living the 90s. I told him I'd be at his Atlanta show for sure, bringing a friend, and he let me know it's a house concert. "oh, cool, I like house concerts" I told him. he was surprised i'd heard of them, let alone been to one. As I was leaving, I remembered I had a book for him in my car - Amy Hempel's Collected Stories. Told him I was too tired to go fetch it, and he said I should just bring it to Atlanta.
Tickets for Asheville and Atlanta have been purchased, now to figure out the rest!
I was on the road at 7:15am just as a torrential downpour hit. Not cool. It let up as I headed southeast out of Dayton, and it was rainy/misty until I hit WV. I remembered to not gawk too much once I crossed the state line, but failed to bring cash for the WV Turnpike tolls; they'll let you through, but you'll pay a $5 penalty PER TOLLBOOTH for failing to pay. ouch. I will be getting that EZpass.
Virginia bought the beginning of the gorgeous fall colors, and heavy fog. loved the former, terrified by the latter. Turns out NOT being able to see what's over the guardrails is worse than being able to see the drop-offs and whatnot. This is also roughly where I lose my signal, which includes my GPS and streaming music. hooray for downloaded tunes!
my Airbnb was lovely, a large room with ensuite bath in a first-floor apartment just south of downtown. It was maybe five minutes to the venue/parking.
As I was approaching the venue, I saw Darren and Zach crossing the street, but was too far away to catch them. So I went on in to the bar, grabbed a drink, and caught them by surprise when they came in a few minutes later. They both seemed happy/surprised to see me, and once again Darren told me I shouldn't be making the drive. They still had to write up their set list, so they got down to business and texted a friend.
They were both a lot more relaxed than when I saw them in Catskill, which was good to see. I can only guess the sort of pre-gaming they took part in, or maybe just being so close to home took the pressure off. they had virtually no room to move on the tiny stage packed with the headliner's gear, but Darren rolled with it, joking that they were going to forego the whole setup and just stick to guitar and keys. They opened with Anything You Need, and played at least 3 Hotel Lights songs. When no one really reacted to that band name, he joked that they were really good, and we should look them up. I tried to yell "their lead singer is hot!!" but couldn't get it to come out. He also mentioned having his albums for sale, or buying them online, on your phone, to listen to, on your phone... (no, Darren, tell us how you really feel). He flubbed the beginning of one of his older songs, and just rolled with it, starting over and laughing it off.
After the show, we did get to chat a bit. He asked what other bands I'd seen lately (HS Marching Bands and Better than Ezra), and we laughed about me re-living the 90s. I told him I'd be at his Atlanta show for sure, bringing a friend, and he let me know it's a house concert. "oh, cool, I like house concerts" I told him. he was surprised i'd heard of them, let alone been to one. As I was leaving, I remembered I had a book for him in my car - Amy Hempel's Collected Stories. Told him I was too tired to go fetch it, and he said I should just bring it to Atlanta.
Tickets for Asheville and Atlanta have been purchased, now to figure out the rest!
Tags:
