Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Musical connections

I'm sure we all have them -- bands or songs that remind us of certain times or people. Here are some of mine:
* Anything by the Beatles and early R.E.M: Hanging out in the Long brothers' garage in high school. God, we had a lot of fun in that garage, even in the dead of winter.
* Billy Bragg: My dad, who liked to sing along with him while we played pool. We eventually took my dad to see Billy in concert in Chicago. He liked the show, but I don't think he knew what to make of Robyn Hitchcock, who was the opening act.
* Robyn Hitchcock: Playing cards in between classes at IU with Amy.
* "See a Little Light" by Bob Mould: My first boyfriend, who was a big fan. I later went to see Bob Mould at the Aragon in Chicago. Worst.acoustics.ever.
* Dashboard Confessional: MattE. We went to see Dashboard together and we were about 15 years older than anyone else there.
* Depeche Mode: My grandma, who asked when she found out I was going to see them in concert: "Why would you want to see a band named Douche Mode?"
* "Roll to Me" by Del Amitri: Sitting in Barb's dorm room at IU.
* "Lips Like Sugar" by Echo & the Bunnymen and the album "Achtung Baby" by U2: Dan, the second person with that name I dated. I think I'll avoid that name in the future.
* Ellis Paul: John Wesley Harding, who had Ellis open for him once at Schubas. A fan is born.
* John Wesley Harding: So many great shows with so many great friends at Schubas. I could go on and on. But if you know me, you know I love my Wes.
* "Allison" by Elvis Costello: Marge singing along with Phil Angotti at Shannon's Landing. Somehow she made "My aim is true" turn into "My name is Trudy."
* "100 Years" and "The Riddle" and pretty much everything else by Five for Fighting: Ash, in my car, singing. Actually, you can include pretty much every song on the radio or any CDs in my car, and this would remind me of Ash. That boy sings along to everything. At all times. He knows every song ever written and it's kind of scary.
* "Lukey" by Great Big Sea: Rich put this song on a mix tape (yes, a TAPE) for me once. A fan of Great Big Sea is born.
* "Galileo" by Indigo Girls: Hanging out at Ricciardi's. This song was nearly always on my juke box playlist.
* "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack: I was sitting on the lawn at the Capitol in D.C. for Memorial Day and she sang this song accompanied by video of U.S. troops. It made me cry, but in a good way.
* "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin: Eighth-grade dance at the American Legion.
* "Your Wildest Dreams" by Moody Blues: Again, Ricciardi's. This was a favorite of Clark's and it became a favorite of mine.
* Paul Simon's album "Negotiations and Love Songs: My dad singing along to "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and my mom demanding I make her a Paul Simon tape to listen to while walking. She wanted "Kodachrome" to be every third song.
* "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel: Love and lost love.
* "I Love Rock n Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: Me and Jeannie putting together our own little show to this song in grade school.
* "Not Fade Away" by the Rolling Stones: See Moody Blues entry above. That Clark has some good taste in music.
* "Darling Nikki" by Prince: When you're in grade school and you hear this, it's downright revolutionary.
* "Angel" by Sarah McLaughlin and "Shimmer" by Shawn Mullins: My dad. It seemed every time I was about to pull into the parking lot at Community to visit him, I would hear these songs.
* Tracy Chapman: My sister. First time I remember hearing Tracy Chapman was when I visited Col at IU.
* Van Morrison: Mansfield singing.

OK. I've belatedly realized that I could continue this list ... forever. It's your turn ... Show me some blog love here, people. Give me a song or a band and tell me what it reminds you of.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

well it's not for nothing that it's called... MIX 107.MEEEEEEEEEE.... and don't forget the sports center/NBC theme

Anonymous said...

Three words...
You
Are
LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVED

Well..any Josh Groban song makes me think of our excursions to Munster Gyro, conversations about stupid boys, and the dunes..
:)

Kathleen's world said...

Meg -- How in the world could I forget Josh???

Anonymous said...

yo no se :(

Anonymous said...

okay-let's expand this. How about incredibly annoying songs that get stuck in your head that remind you of something good:

Swing Low Sweet Chariot: canoe trip from h#$l with Meg

Can You Feel the Love Tonight: Anytime Kathleen needed a pick-me-up this tune was sure to please

practically anything be Groban

You are my Sister and I Love You from Barney...ColKathMeg Joy Luck Club times

Erase those songs and you erase some fun times...

Anonymous said...

Sad reminder: Listening to "March of the Black Queen" from Queen II when I heard that one of my close friends and another classmate OD'd and died the night before.
Happy reminder: Hearing Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" still gives me the chills. When I saw Bowie in concert in '87, hearing the song live choked me up. I never realized how much it meant until then.
The best: Going to the Hideout in Chicago when we didn't know where we were going to see John Wesley Harding and Dag Juhlin. It was you and me and about 75 people in the back room of the place. Aside from all the ELO covers, it was the very first time I'd ever heard Macy Grey's "I Try" and it was sung beautifully by Wes. For me, that was possibly the best moment with a song in my life and one I can't forget.
"I try to say goodbye and I choke
Try to walk away and I stumble"

Anonymous said...

Uhm... dear friend. I have one word for you. ELVIRA! How this song did not make your list is beyond me! I bet you sing it all day long now... that song made that canoe trip the best simply because it drove our fathers nuts!

-Crissy

Anonymous said...

HOW could I have forgotten Elvira??? And paired with the great acoustics of rock formations plus the goofiness of shoutsinging at the top of your lungs...Ahhhh...now that chorus is going to be stuck in my head...better go inflict it on one of my kids!!!!

Kathleen's world said...

I'm utterly ashamed of myself for leaving off "Elvira." And curses to you, Ms. Cleaver. That song was, indeed, stuck in my head all night.

Matt Mansfield said...

"Satellite" always reminds me of you. Every time I hear it.

Kathleen's world said...

"Satellite"
How could I possibly forget? This list really, honestly could have gone on forever.