Jewel

So, the Jewel concert was on Wednesday night. We had snow on Tuesday night, and my mom didn't want to drive. Now, my dad and I get along much better now than we did a decade ago, so I didn't have a problem with him going in her place.

We ate dinner at Cracker Barrel and then headed to the theater. The concert was scheduled for 8, so we stood around for a while. I bought a t-shirt and a poster. At about 7:30, we went to our seats, which were freaking amazing. They were nine rows back, straight across from the microphone stand.

At 8, some guy from the theater came out to tell us that the original opening act had cancelled, and that they had booked another act. So, I'm thinking, "Great. It's probably some local band that sounds like crap." He went on to say that this "woman" is a "songwriter" who has toured with a bunch of people I actually listen to.

Toby Lightman. Freaking Toby Lightman. The same Toby Lightman who made her way into my world about five years ago, before being trampled by the Pussycat Dolls, Jessica Simpson, and a variety of other talentless bimbos. So, as I'm thinking, "Where in the hell has she been all this time?" she makes her way onto the stage. I was freaking out because I actually know who she is, and my dad was completely oblivious. She started playing songs from her brand new album, which I immediately decided I needed to buy, and she was adorable. She played a few slow songs, before breaking into "Let Go." The audience went crazy, so she was like, "Um...I'm not usually this angry. You guys just seemed so quiet and everything. Do you want to hear another angry song?" We screamed, "Yes!" so she played "I'm Gonna Break His Heart," and we all clapped along to the beat.

At the end of her set, she said that she wanted to meet all of us, so I rushed out to the lobby and snatched up a copy of "Let Go." I got her to sign it (it was a madhouse, so she wasn't taking pictures with people) and told her that I had bought "Little Things" five years ago and was so glad that she was still making music. She smiled and thanked me profusely. I think I'm getting better at meeting celebrities. I can actually form whole sentences now.

So, Jewel eventually made her way onto the stage at 8:50, as I'm sitting there thinking, "I have to type two tests by tomorrow morning." She started off with an a cappella version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that was better than Kat McPhee's. Then, she proceeded to play a bunch of her songs, in a sort of reverse chronological order. She started with a bunch of "Perfectly Clear" songs, basically skipped "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" (a shame) and "0304" (a gift), and then went into "Spirit" and "Pieces of You." A few songs, such as "Life Uncommon" were sort of thrown in the middle, possibly to make it less obvious that she was leading up to "You Were Meant For Me" and all that jazz. I personally didn't care, as "Life Uncommon" is one of my favorite songs, and I almost pissed my pants when I heard it.

About thirty seconds into "Stephenville, TX," she completely forgot the lyrics and had to ask two audience members, who happened to be sitting in row 8, just a few seats to my right, what they were. After they helped her out, she started over and managed to make it the whole way through. I personally don't blame her for messing up because the verses to that song have, like, no melody. It's a great song, but it has a weird structure. After the song was over, she asked the two girls if they would like to request a song that she "knows the words to." They requested "Nicotine Love," which I've never heard and which Jewel didn't remember. So, they tried again. "Passing Time" was a song that Jewel was pretty sure she could play. Before playing it, she casually mentioned that she'd been practicing "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland," and asked if anyone wanted to hear it instead. Applause was heard from myself and one other person. Go figure.

The concert ended at about 10:45 or so. All in all, I have to say that it was freaking amazing. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think, "I've been waiting over twelve years for this." I remember buying "Pieces of You." I didn't yet have a CD player, so I bought it on cassette. In sixth grade, I decided to sit and read her poems instead of playing in the lame teachers versus students softball game, and the PTO moms acted like I was reading something scandalous.

Little Big Town and LeAnn Rimes are both coming to AMT in May. I'm going to buy a theater membership so I can buy advance tickets.

Missy Higgins and Brandi Carlile are still not playing near my hometown, which sucks. AMT tends to attract stars who either used to be really, really famous (like Jewel) or people who are sort of up and coming (like Little Big Town). Maybe Sarah McLachlan will tour again soon. That would be amazing.