internet nonsense whoa, it's Annaham

Cross-posted to my LJ and DW. Also, a warning: This is fucking LONG. Feel free to link instead of re-blogging, if you have the urge.

I apologize in advance if this seems too fangirly, even for me. The best part comes at the end of the post, so if this is too tl;dr or if some of you happen to be running low on spoons, I would suggest that you skip to the bottom, because it is like the Tootsie Roll in the Tootsie Pop of this entry. Except it’s a very fangirlish Tootsie Pop, and one that maybe tastes a little bit like alt-country sounds, with just a hint of one of the darker BPAL scents (Sin, perhaps?).

So, the Jesse Sykes/Phil Wandscher acoustic show was fantastic. Not that I expected anything other than general fabulousity, but here is the hilarious part about my pre and post-show interactions with Jesse: SHE REMEMBERED ME. LOL for days, y’all.

When Liam (note: for those who are unaware, he is my partner) and I went over to say hi before the show, Jesse asked me, “Do I know you from somewhere?” Me: “Yes, probably because I’ve been to several of your shows.” I also gave her a drawing that I had worked on for most of the previous day before spilling tea on it, of course, as my klutziness extends to my art-related hobbies; fortunately for me, Jesse seemed genuinely appreciative and asked me if I was an artist, to which I mumbled, “Uh, not by trade.” She wanted to give me something in return for my drawing, which I thought was totally sweet and pretty much unnecessary, and, because I am often struck by cliche at the worst possible moments, responded with, “Don’t worry about it. Your music is enough of a gift.” FUCK YEAH, SOCIALLY AWKWARD FANGIRL. She offered to give me some handmade chocolate in exchange, but when I mentioned my nut allergy, she became concerned about possible unlisted ingredients, adding, “I don’t want to kill you, so maybe you shouldn’t have any just to be safe.” Admittedly, MUSICIAN ACCIDENTALLY KILLS FAN WITH CROSS-CONTAMINATED CHOCOLATE would have made a great headline in the newspaper, but still. We chatted a bit more, and then Liam and I went to find seating.

Jesse and Phil also played some new songs during the set, all of which were really amazing. I am seriously looking forward to the new record. And OMG, THEY PLAYED “DORALEE.” AND “YOUR EYES TOLD.” Quite honestly, the difference between the band versions of these songs and the solo version is kind of like the difference between Tori Amos performing some of her songs with her band and those same songs with just her piano accompaniment; some of that material is already amazing, but with the right arrangement, becomes positively transcendent.

Since Tumblr is on the temperamental side tonight, you may have to click through to see the pics:

HEE. Yeah, I’m on the left and am all I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE, I MIGHT EXPLODE. (Photo by ldamewood ^_^)

Here’s one of the gazillions of terrible photos I took (all of which look like they’ve been through the Photoshop wringer, even though I have not edited them):

Apparently, my camera does not like it when I take motion photos sans flash. Yeehaw.

Here is the most epic part of my long-ass post: After the show, Liam and I approached Jesse again to tell her how much we had enjoyed the set. In yet another cliched bout of fanishness, I thanked her for her music—and to this, I added that it had helped me deal with my severe chronic pain.

Jesse (After hugging me): Aw, honey, that is so sweet of you to say.

Me: I know it’s totally cheesy, but I just wanted to let you know.

Jesse: Is it fibromyalgia?

[My brain: JEEPERS H. CRACKERS, SHE READ THE COMIC I GAVE HER LAST TIME (which detailed mostly how her and her band’s music has helped me deal with the fibro and stuff). THIS HAS OFFICIALLY CROSSED THE LINE FROM AWESOME INTO AWESOMER. OR PERHAPS AWESOMEST.]

Me: (After recovering from my initial !!!!!!11) Yeah, it is.

Jesse: I…I sympathize. Take care, okay?

She then touched my cheeks, which I found both cute and hilarious, as I am so not used to people touching my cheeks.

Summary: Jesse Sykes for the win, YET AGAIN!