Tell me we were meant to be a happy accident

It had been nearly two years since I last saw one of my favorite bands of all time, Sister Hazel. So when we discovered they were playing here in Tuscaloosa last night, we jumped at the chance to go (even though Cowboy Mouth was playing in Birmingham the same night).

They played at The Jupiter, a club on the infamous Strip just off campus. It's kind of a strange venue: small floor space with ramps leading up to a bar area with several small tables. The bar itself is a giant square in the middle of the room, which was packed by the time Sister Hazel came on.

We arrived near 8:30, about a half-hour after doors (because at the end of a long work day, who wants to go through the BS of waiting in line for the doors to open and then standing at the stage for 2+ hours waiting for the headliner to start?). We found the center part of the stage crowded but the wings only one row deep so far. So, being that we always in the past have stood on stage left (in front of Ken and Jett), we decided on a change of scenery and went to stage right. This plan backfired, to my great joy, but we'll get to that.

We had to wait only about 30 minutes before the opener began, during which time I splurged on two DCs with lime. Neither alcohol nor soda is on my new diet, but it was a festive atmosphere, and the Diet Cokes tasted loverly.

Hana Pestle, the warm-up artist, was a very cute (though toothpick slender with no T or A to speak of) redhead with a beautiful voice, which resembled a cross between Sarah McLachlan and Jewel. Her original material got extremely repetitive after a while, but the crowd really enjoyed her covers of Janis Joplin's "Me & Bobby McGee" and Radiohead's "Creep." I most enjoyed the boys next to me making fun of this weird rat-tail thing she had hanging off the back of her shirt.

Another 40 minutes passed before Sister Hazel finally took the stage. We learned quickly that the people in front and to our right were the right people to stand by. They embraced us as members of their group, proclaiming as little wenches tried to squeeze up front that we were all together. The people who wound up behind us, however, were not so pleasant. They were perfectly friendly (especially the one who kept pressing her double-D breasts into my back), but they sang loudly and no where remotely near on key for most of the concert, and kept trying to reach for the guys through two rows of people in front of them (knocking me in the head a few times in the process). Nonetheless, it was an amazing set.

We discovered as the crew set up after Pestle that the band had completely reversed positions, so we were, as usual, right in front of Jett and Ken. Ryan made a number of trips to our side, too, so Drew and Mark were the only band members we never saw up close and personal. There were numerous times when Ryan, Ken, or Jett would come right up to the edge of the stage to play, towering right over our heads. I got some fabulous up-the-nose shots on my camera.

The setlist (below) was fairly standard, drawing a little from Somewhere More Familiar and Absolutely, a lot from Chasing Daylight and Fortress. We also were treated to "I Don't Mind," the first single from Ken's new solo album (see the official music video; it's hilarious) and their concert staple cover of the Outfield's "Your Love" (see my video from their 3/30/07 Birmingham show). In addition, when the group of fans beside us told Ken that their friend Amy was there celebrating her 20th birthday, the band broke into an awesome impromptu cover of Pure Prairie League's "Amie."

Ken seemed in rare form, treating us to a bevy of crazy hand motions (including a cute air drum duet with Jett during "Your Love") and witty banter. To introduce "Your Winter" from the film 10 Things I Hate About You, he said with a completely straight face, "We're kind of a big deal," citing as evidence the illustrious list of "Hollywood blockbuster films" in which their songs have been featured: Major League 3, The Wedding Planner, and Bedazzled (about which Ken's assessment was, "Man, that was an awful move.")

The funniest moments were Ken's Duran Duran impression (I wish I'd recorded it) and local radio personality Just Hannah's attempt at singing "Swan Dive." The most memorable moment was the end of "Champagne High." The entire band sang for 30 seconds or so in gorgeous a capella harmony, and the crowd went absolutely wild when they finished. Ken said he got goosebumps.

After the band finished, a student of mine from last semester got my attention and said hello. She said she'd first recognized Jason (who was standing right next to her) and said to her friend, "Oh my God, it's Mario!" (as Jason had worn his Mario hat when he guest lectured to my class on the history of Nintendo). But she went on to say that she's told all her friends to take my class, and I was the best teacher she'd ever had at the University. So, as if the post-concert euphoria wasn't enough, I got to end the night on a big ego boost.

It was a little sobering to realize, however, how old Jason and I are. We both complained of sore feet and backs as we walked back to our car, with every intention of getting in bed and going to sleep the second we got home (whereas all the folks around us were discussing where to go next).

SETLIST

Shame
Change Your Mind
Your Mistake
Strange Cup of Tea
Your Winter
I Don't Mind
Come Around
Beautiful Thing
This Kind of Love
Happy
Mandolin Moon
Swan Dive
Champagne High
All For You

Encore:
Your Love (Outfield cover)
Everybody

Welcome to Scarlett's Web 2.0

Welcome to the new home of Scarlett's Web. After encountering too many bugs on MySpace recently, I'd rather not use it for my blogging needs anymore. Archives from July 2006 to January 2009 remain there, but all new posts will go here.