Almost Famous

Don't you love my new wallpaper? I chose it because Valentine's Day is coming up, and the couple on the right actually looks like Ben and me, except he also has a moustache and I have a fat rear.

We're watching the Grammys. Famous musicians intrigue me. What is it about them that seems so immortal and untouchable? I've met a couple of famous artists before...one of them just won a Grammy.

If you don't remember or weren't around, my late husband Kurt was a famous people magnet. It didn't matter where we were, he would always run into or spot some famous person. He also tried really hard to do this, but part of it had to be luck. Anyway, we went to see John Mayer YEARS ago in Lawrence when he was nobody. Before the concert, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for a very early dinner, and no one was in there. Guess who walks in? John Mayer. Of course, no one really knew who he was at that time...he was playing at the Grenada, if that gives you any clue of how long ago this was. We walked over to him and he signed our CDs (because Kurt was ALWAYS prepared for that - Sharpie and all) and chatted for a few seconds. It was awesome.

Anyway, I always get so freaked out around famous musicians. I always feel this pressure to say something really AMAZING to them - something that they'll never forget...like they don't talk to hundreds of strangers every day. Half the time they don't even know what town they're in. So I go up to them and I spew out some goofy anectode about "how much your music has meant to me" and "I really love the song (blah blah blah)" and "do you have a stylist because I really loved your outfit in (such and such) video". LAME!

They're just regular people, you know. They wake up with bad breath and pass gas and do boring things just like the rest of us. Still though....they're famous and for some reason that makes them cooler than me.

My ideal meet-and-greet with a famous musician right now would be with Jason Mraz. I happen to be in love with his latest CD, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things". It is one of the best albums I've listened to in a really long time. He was up for a Grammy, too, but John Mayer beat him out. I wasn't too disappointed since I have a great John Mayer story, but it was still sad to see Jason Mraz lose...he totally deserved it.

Anyway, this guy seems totally funny and down-to-Earth. I would love to sit down and shoot the stuff with him. I'd like to pretend that he would think I was totally awesome, and maybe he'd ask me for some song ideas before putting my email into his iPhone, just to keep in touch. When he left he may even think, "Wow - she was really insightful and dynamic. I'm going to call her and invite her and Ben out to California to my next recording session, and afterwards, we can go to the beach and jam out next to the campfire." But that probably would not happen.

"Wow...your music is so great. I just really like the song "If it kills me". Who were you writing that for? Your hats are so cool. You're neat. I like you. (insert long awkward pause)."


I think my approach needs tweaking.