Not It.

It was neither his fault or mine that I left Metronome early last night...

I just wasn't feeling it and wasn't in the mood to fake enthusiasm.

The truth is, I've been spoiled. I've become accustomed to - and instinctively demand - something special when I attend a performance. I'd just come off a week that included musicians who put their everything up on stage beneath a spotlight, and each one had It.

That spark that makes you want to sit up a little straighter and lean forward in your seat so you don't miss a phrase. The charisma that makes you sigh a bit, blush a bit if he looks in your direction from his place at the microphone because you half-worry that your enjoyment is too evident. And, most importantly, the fire that transforms words and chord progressions into something that feels completely natural, yet you wouldn't have thought of it on your own.

He seems like a perfectly nice guy, and it was clear that he loves being on stage and performing. But, glorious cover aside*, I wasn't feeling anything that could be considered either new or special. I've seen the looping done much better elsewhere, when it didn't feel quite as forced. I've heard those sentiments, heartfelt as they may have been at the time they were written, phrased and delivered better before. And the possibility that the small audience** affected things?

I've attended embarrassingly tiny shows before. I've attended huge shows before. And when things are working from the stage, I have moments where I completely forget that anyone else is there. So no, that's not an excuse.***

Best of luck, perhaps I'll catch another show somewhere down the road. But I'm not going to go out of my way.

* It's been a good week for Top Ten Favorite Songs. Jeff Buckley's "Lover You Should've Come Over" in Boston, The Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" in Vermont. Thank you, Cover Gods.
** Five people. Including Will. Who opened. I felt rude as I prepared to duck out early, but then a group came in, so I was able to sneak out without feeling too badly about it.
*** Besides, I'll always take a smaller show over a larger show.