MDFest 2k5

I'd been living a lie and I didn't even know it.

"Alright, we're going to do this once before we start. Because we've seen some pretty weak attempts over the years. And if you're not doing it right, we're going to stop, right in the middle of the song, point at you and laugh."

Glad they ran us through the steps. Because I'd been doing it wrong for years on end.

The Y was fine. As were the C and the A. But the M? I'd never done it correctly.

My mother burst into laughter as most of the people around her - myself included - adjusted to the new movement.

"So next time you're at your weddings, your bar mitzvahs, you'll do it right," the Contstruction Worker said as he stepped back into line.

Yes, last night I saw The Village People perform. And KC & the Sunshine Band.

Before Monday's Clay Aiken incident, I hadn't attended a concert at the fair since college. Sophomore year, I believe. The Goo Goo Dolls with Tonic opening (great show, for the record). But this year provided the opportunity to attend Laugh Out Loud performances to bring smiles to the faces of people I care about.

Monday. Clay Aiken. The Best Cousin Ever Show.
Friday. TVP and KC. Mother Daughter Fest 2k5. I brought my mom, B brought her mom, G somehow got suckered into attending, and we took in the sights and sounds from spots in the front row. Where the bass pulsed through the speakers so loudly that I felt it vibrating in my throat. Where my ears began to ring so loudly I honestly did have a hard time hearing well upon arriving home.

Good times? Actually, yes.

B and I laughed our way through the (surprisingly raunchy) sets, dancing and shaking the groove thangs our mamas gave us. The mamas, likewise, swayed back and forth, sang along and clapped their hands in time.

My mama does not dance. Seeing her moving about a bit was worth the price of admission. She was having fun, and it made me have that much better of a time.

As KC greeted the crowd, he commented on the fact that he had been peforming for 32 years. "For those who weren't around when we started, we were your mothers' NSYNC," he said. "So this is what Justin Timberlake is going to look like in 32 years."

Haha. Gotta love the fair.

while currently experiencing the fun exhausted/wired sensation derived from overall lack of sleep, i need to post about the events of yesterday and today, as they proved to be absolutely phenomenal ...

yesterday was the great boston road trip with miss elizabeth, as we were traveling to paradise to see averi - beth's introduction to the venue and my first trip there in just under a year, not to mention my first real experience with actually driving into the city (note: probably because i don't have to do it frequently, there is something i just love about driving in or around boston. probably also because i just love boston in general, but i digress). after making storrow drive my bitch (bwahahaha), we arrived at the upper end of commonwealth and made our way to t's pub, which brought back memories of paradise concerts of the past and overall warm fuzzy feelings about the city (not to mention my glee about having the red sox game projected onto a huge screen behind me, despite the fact that the sox were losing to the blue jays while we were there and, in fact, wound up losing 4-1 - boo ... ). since our timing was impeccable, we were in the club with plenty of time to spare (we actually wound up having more time than expected, as the schedule for the night was pushed back an hour - averi was originally to go on around 10:30, but when we arrived, we found that they were going to go on at 11:30 instead and, upon discovering that, we counted our lucky stars for deciding to drive into the city instead of taking the t, the last of which left north station at 12:10. it would have been "hi averi, bye averi" if we'd ridden in from beverly). after listening to missing joe, who were pretty good and were obviously having so much fun, which was great to see in an adorable they're-living-out-their-rock-star-dreams sort of way, we met up with miss michelle and waited through a set by another random band that i wasn't impressed with (the three of us agreed that attempting to channel bono is an impossible task that no one, no matter how talented, should attempt to do - covering a u2 song is one thing, but trying to BE u2 is something else entirely) before averi (which, for the record, i should make sure everyone is aware is pronounced a-ver-e, not ah-ver-e ... if you're going to try to come off like a huge fan, know the band's name, ok?) took the stage. the guys obviously were having a great time performing for the packed and highly energetic crowd - in fact, having a great time in more ways than one. not only were they incredibly excited about the crowd energy and devotion, they also were enjoying the libations provided ... a band that takes shots onstage together sticks together, right? ;-) chad proved particularly hilarious, providing a plethora of hilarious quotes for the night, including "if elivis was here, i'd tell him his daughter's a bitch!" and "mom, your son drinks like a champ!"

while the entire set was phenomenal, probably the best i've seen them play (save, of course, my show, as that will forever be my favorite averi experience - what can i say? i'm biased.), my favorite two songs were probably "flutter" and "this liminal life". while my favorite song off of "direction of motion", "flutter" was particularly amazing because i was able to participate in and experience one of my favorite types of concert moments - when a musician or band tells the audience to feel free to sing along and the audience winds up singing so loudly that the singer/singers stop singing and just accompanies instrumentally. i always love the expression on the particular musician/musicians face/faces ... the look on chad's face as the audience sang the first four lines was so full of joy - i can't even begin to imagine what an amazing sensation it must have been for him.

and then there was "this liminal life". i can't believe i didn't like the song when i first got the album - it's one of my favorites now and always a favorite when i see them live (largely because matt has the greatest facial expressions while he plays drums on that particular song). since it's the big averi "dance song", the band invited anyone interested up on stage to dance and i wound up heading up there with michelle to rock out (after being pushed towards the stage, i wound up getting her up there with me - someone who shall remain nameless - oops, i lied - BETH - chose to remain in front of the stage) with the crowd of others who wanted to move their bodies and spill their drinks on the stage while dancing around or with various members of the band (the gold star goes to the tall guy who was grinding with and pretending to spank the ass of chad). SO MUCH FUN.

anyway, the set was tight, the band was incredible and everyone seemed to have a great time. it was wonderful to hang out with beth and michelle and be the three silly, fun girls we've been known to be from time to time (hehehehehe ... debauchery). following the performance, everyone was crowding around the merch table to congratulate/request autographs from the band and i made my way over to say hi to chad and congratulate him on a great show. he was signing tons of cds, posters and whatnot and looked up to see who was next and did a major doubletake (not quite as huge as my howie doubletake back at the paradise pmb show, but a valiant effort) upon seeing me and, to my delight, recognized me in his tipsy state and gave me a huge hug and said he was happy to see me and that he'd thought he saw me earlier but didn't know if it was me and if i'd cut my hair or not. i congratulated him quickly and wished him well before letting the rest of the crowd talk to him, but it felt great to be able to get a big hug and smile and to be able to give him props for a job well done.

after a brief return to t's pub, taking on mapquest directions (honestly, who says to take a slight left when you really want to just go straight?), storrow drive, bumper-to-bumper traffic at 3 a.m. (let's give a big hand to the big dig for making it next to impossible to get to 93 north!) and a thunderstorm, we arrived in beverly safe, sound and exhausted. but because at that point we were so tired we were wired, sleep didn't occur until around 5 ... so while i woke up at 10:30 and immediately cursed myself for sleeping in too late, i quickly realized i'd only slept for five and a half hours.

after preparing for the day and thanking my grandmother and uncle for letting up crash at their house, beth and i headed to downtown beverly to meet up for lunch with andrew, a friend of mine from high school now living in the area. i hadn't seen him for about three years, so it was a fun trip down memory lane, laughing over names and faces we hadn't thought about in years and catching up on what we've all been up to. good times ...

following that, i introduced beth to richardson's dairy, my favorite ice cream place growing up, before heading back to vermont, making a quick driveby down central street in middleton to show her the first house i ever lived in. i hadn't seen the street in years - it's amazing how it looked the same yet so incredibly different ... while i have my memories of living there, it felt like a sort of twilight zone form of reality, actually seeing the house, seeing the house across the street where my friend meghan used to live painted a completely different color, seeing flowers where there was simply grass before, my red house now gray with white trim, the small bushes my parents planted now large and plush ... then realizing i haven't lived there for, what, almost eighteen years?

aaaah - and now i sit here, reflecting on the past two days, the memories birthed during the past 48 hours and the memories dug up from the past, looking at a small pile of mementos - a concert ticket, a flyer, a bumper sticker, averi's first EP (finally bought myself a copy - about time, right?) and a random cd by a female singer/songwriter they were handing out at the show. a smile on my face while "flutter" dances in my head and my bed begins to beckon to me, offering to sweep me away to the land of dreams ...

but, before i answer the call of my bed, this week's friday five, only a little late ...

1. when was the last time you cheated?
cheated at what? a game? a test? or just overall? probably a couple of days ago, when i skipped the last part of my kickboxing routine because i was tired.

2. when was the last time you stole?
i stole my brother's green day album a couple of weeks ago - he never listens to it anyway and i think it's classic. :-)

3. when was the last time you lied?
this evening, when i tried to come off like there was no twitterpation this weekend. "no, it was just good to see them - i'm not THAT silly." they called my bluff. damn my lack of ability to keep the s.k. expression off my face (of which i was reminded many, many times last night by elizabeth and michelle).

4. when was the last time you broke or vandalized another's property?
hmm ... does my brother's hair count? if so, i accidentally vandalized it a couple of weeks ago when i was trying to shave the non-mohawked parts of his hair and wound up taking off a chunk of one of his spikes ...

5. when was the last time you hurt a loved one?
last week, getting into a foolish little fight with my parents.

so a bit of time has passed since last i jotted down a line here--which has actually been rather refreshing, to be honest. not that i don't enjoy documenting my comings and goings here (obviously i do, since otherwise i...well...wouldn't...), but i've enjoyed being away from computers for a good solid week and a half. it's given me time to relax, do other things and otherwise enjoy my vacation here in new england.

but, as is the case with any extended absence from blog-dom, my return to the blogging world brings a dilemma: how on earth do i catch up my dear readers (and those who randomly wander across my site by typing disturbing things into search engines)? what follows is my best attempt (well, an attempt, anyway, as i do have some things to do before i head into rutland to go shopping--i know, materialistic am i--and visit with the two beccas):

christmas was exceptionally pleasant. being at my grandmother's house in beverly gave me such a sense of warmth and balance--things were as they were supposed to be because i was in the same place i am every year with the same people i'm with every year and feeling the same love i feel every year. that was the greatest christmas gift i could have wanted.

that said, santa was pretty damn sweet this year (bwahahaha). a varied selection of gifts were given to yours truly, some practical (the lamp i've been searching for ever since i saw it at linens 'n' things in september), some fun (a new pair of adidas sambas, which i had made a comment to my mother about months ago, saying how they still stick in my mind as the greatest pair of sneakers i ever owned). tom pulled through with some musical selections, including jeff buckley's "lost songs" and beck's "sea change," which is a bloody fantastic album. had shades of david gray going on in it--good times. my first official dvd is "say anything" (yeah, john cusack!) and i have numerous new items with which to decorate my bedroom so it doesn't quite resemble a dorm room as much. always a bonus.

nonetheless, most thoughts about christmas focus on lounging around the living room, laughing, talking and otherwise spending time together. visited various family members in the area, so that's always a good time (not to mention an ego boost). it was a very pleasant holiday.

following christmas, i headed over to quincy to spend some time with michelle, so i had a few days there chock full of holiday goodness. she thoroughly enjoyed my collage, and i was ticked pink by the calendar she made featuring the three of us (random side note: you can tell beth, michelle and i share a brain, as we each gave each other a personalized item and a book we knew each would enjoy--it was too cute). more relaxation occurred, including going to see "my big fat greek wedding" (really cute, i enjoyed it) and the day of "lotr."

yes, i did finally view "the two towers." this was prefaced by an afternoon enjoying the extended dvd of "fellowship," so i was primed and ready to go once we hit up the movie theater and took in the second installment. and i can say with authority that "the two towers" not only exceeded the first movie, but my exceptionally lofty expectations as well. absolutely bloody brilliant! humor, brisk pace, impressive storytelling and the most astounding CG effects.

gollum is absolutely perfect.

needless to say, i was giddy while watching the film. my eyes were roaming each bit of the movie screen to make sure i didn't miss anything, and as the film came to a close, i was in agony because i knew it would be another year before i would get to see the next--ack! final!--installment.

and yes, orlando was smashing. naturally.

anyway, saturday was spent in boston helping out jess with a video project for her geology class back at college. i actually got a real kick out of the project (hey, i'm a journalism girl in withdrawal), but it was just too cold for me to really be able to get into it 150%. but i gave it as much as i could and had fun--just shivered a lot.

and then, saturday night, we saw averi at the sad cafe in new hampshire.

i'll be brief about the sad cafe, primarily because i don't feel it deserves more than a few sentences. it's sad. dismal. not a fan. i'm all about the idea of a "family friendly music theater," but you can't have a band like averi performing there. call me an alcoholic, but for a rock band, the best times are had when musicians and audience members alike can have at least a drink or two in them. people loosen up, they laugh, they interact, they dance. at the sad cafe, everyone sat. that's it. not to mention that the audio equipment left much to be desired. chad's mic was way off on its levels, and even i (who hasn't had the opportunity to play with sound equipment in over a year--i miss louns!) knew that they were too busy trying to mess with the input instead of tweaking the trim. that was all it needed!

that said, averi was great. it was neat to be able to see and hear them perform for the first time in a few months, and they put on a fun show. mike shocked me--he looked completely different than the last time i'd seen the band. i had to ask michelle who the new guy was. ?!?!? "she waits" is quickly becoming a favorite song of mine.

after the show, the band signed photos, cds and whatnot, which i found adorable. so i stood in line and got a photo signed--chad gave me a big hug, which was sweet, but i don't think anyone else remembered who i was, at least not initially. mike picked up on it right towards the end.

ok, that's it for part one of "where has victoria been?" part two to follow. stick around...