That's right, last night I celebrated quite possibly my favorite holiday of the year. In case you calendar was not updated, yesterday was Derek Webb Day in the Stone household. The yearly (or thereabouts) pilgrimage to Deep Ellum, the late night spent shoulder to shoulder with sweaty strangers, the expensive beer...yes, Derek Webb Day at its finest. As I have alluded to previously, I am an unabashed fan of Webb. Everytime he comes through Dallas I do my best to catch his show, which involved ducking out of class an hour or so early last night (I hate doing that, but it must be done at times).
Last night had an uncommon charm to it. The show kicked off with the brother/sister act Judd and Maggie, which I must say are really, really good. He's very circa 1960 Bob Dylan-esque, even down to the haircut, and she has what I would like to call an innocent-soulfullness, not sultry, but smooth. I think I would have been content to have left after their short set, but next came Sandra McCracken. By this time the Gypsy Tea Room was PACKED, so I missed the first half of her set trying to make it back to the bar to get a beer. This distraction took a bit from the McCracken-experience, but she was as good as always....and the beer was also very good. (needless to say, it was the last one I had until the show ended...I wasn't going to make that trek back and forth again).
Finally, Derek Webb took the stage himself, and he did something I have never seen before at a concert. He started with a song, normal, but then he got a pad and paper out and explained that he would spend the next half-hour playing anything we wanted him to. The crowd yelled, he wrote feverishly, and sure-enough, he spent the next 30 to 40 minutes playing old-favorites. It was what you would expect from him, great music filled with witty and often lengthy commentary in between. After the first short-set he announced that he would take a 5 minute break and then come back with his wife and play straight-through his new record, Mockingbird. He said that it's the kind of record that needs to be heard from start to finish, so that's what he wanted to do. I wasn't sure what that meant, but sure enough, 5 minutes later he on guitar and Sandra on keys, they played through the entire album without interruption. No awkward banter, no long-explanations, just Mockingbird, and it was great! He's a great storyteller, and he's just one of those people I could see a thousand times and not be bored.
After the show I ordered one last beer, sat against the wall, and took in the greatness of the night. I knew then that I would be as tired this morning as I am right now, but I also knew that any level of fatigue would be well worth it...and it was.
Okay, now I'm just a little upset that I didn't go with you. Next year, remind me to read this archived blog and surely I will go with you at all costs.
Yesterday was a great day indeed, wasn't it. Even without Derek Webb, there was still sleeping in, two and a half hours of basketball, food gorging at Steak 'N Shake...man, sometimes life is good.
Can I (we, haha?) go next year, too? You know I love me some D. Webb! I'm not upset like Chad, just JEALOUS. And I'm with you that sometimes late nights are just worth the miserable tired days that follow.. Speaking of, I'm going to take a nap. Thanks for having everyone over the other night!