This is one of my favorite pictures of you. In it, you are pretending to be a branch, and that is a wonderful thing to pretend to be. I have to tell you that it is safe to say after all our years together that you are probably my all-time favorite musician (and possibly my favorite person, barring, naturally, my family and the very small collection of dear others that I keep in a jar).
I remember the first time that I saw you, I was maybe 12. I was just sitting in my nightie, and I changed the television to PBS and there you were...maybe on Austin City Limits (I can't really figure out what program you must've been on). I had never heard a sound like your voice, and I decided you were probably really a bear in a human suit. I remembered your bear voice but forgot about the rest until I was a full-fledged teenager, and I discovered you and was under your spell immediately, this time for forever. And that brings us up to date. It has taken me a very long time to procure most of your very enormous catalogue of records (especially considering how poor I was for the first 6 or 7 years I was in your thrall), but I now have most of them. My favorite songs are your sad songs, and my favorite albums are Alice (surprise, surprise), and Rain Dogs (again, surprise), but I love them all in some way, even the ones that are harder to listen to. But I also like your wacky songs. I love your stories, and I love your self-mythologizing. I loved it when you said on that NPR interview a long time ago that you always wished to be an old man, even when you were a boy. I love your amazing brain.
I suppose I'm just thinking about you a lot right now, because I am going to see something in a few months that I never expected to see, which is you. Live and in person and in my favorite Atlanta venue.
Thank you for bothering to come here, and not just blessing misfits in Tokyo or Manhattan this time. I raced on the ticket website to get good seats just when the clock struck ten, and I fared well.
I love you, you ragamuffin & will see you soon.
Yours,
Emily, a Gun Street Girl Always
PS: In other news, we are back safe and sound from the land of Ben Franklin.
Comments (25)
That has got to be the coolest opportunity! I'm so excited for you! I've always enjoyed Mr. Waits myself, but I equate your seeing him to when I got to see David Bowie... WONDROUS!
WendyZ · May 16, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I saw Tom Waits in 1999 and it was one of those shows that stays with you forever. I've been a fan of his for years before then, even collecting him on vinyl, watching all his movies, etc.. He's such an amazing personality with a breadth of work that is always original and ever changing. Your ode to him couldn't have been said better. Enjoy the show.
Monika · May 16, 2008 at 10:56 AM
What an eloquent post. Your writing is honest and just so personal and universal at the same time. I am an avid reader.
Natasha · May 16, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Gah. I am happy for you, but sad for me that he's only touring the south! I hope you have an amazing time.
sarai · May 16, 2008 at 11:08 AM
I'm like him too and when I saw the movie "Smoke" I was so pleased they chose his music to punctuate the perfect ending.
laura · May 16, 2008 at 11:19 AM
how funny that we both were aiming for tickets same time frame, different venue...i know the excitement you must be feeling :)
heidi kenney · May 16, 2008 at 11:23 AM
I first heard Tom Waits in 1992 and I have loved his music ever since. My favorite song by him is Underground, something about the tempo and the gravelly nature of his voice you can close your eyes and almost see it. I'm SOOOOOO jealous that you get to see him. I love the thought of him being a bear inside, it kinda fits him.
Barbara · May 16, 2008 at 11:32 AM
my brother use to sing The Piano Has Been Drinking to me when he'd babysit. It was all down hill from there, being an 8 year old who knew all the words to Small Change! Love his music and his acting! enjoy it!!
hobocampcrafts · May 16, 2008 at 12:00 PM
What a great cover!
tiffany · May 16, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I like to see him do a domestic tour, but he NEVER plays in Northern California. His kids go to the same school as my kids, I've seen him at local restaurants, but I probably will never get to see him play a full show in the Bay Area.
Cath · May 16, 2008 at 12:30 PM
I got my tickets for Columbus! Beautiful post. By the way, that Austin City Limits performance is worth getting your hands on (if you can) if you haven't seen it in a while.
Kelly · May 16, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Oooh, I'm going, too. I'm doing the Texas roadtrip -- El Paso, Dallas, and Houston. So, so, so excited -- I'd missed out on tickets for each of his other tours, and now he shows up three times all at once and not too far afield. Woohoosy! Tom Waits is the reason I'll always remember my high school and college boyfriend fondly...
alisha · May 16, 2008 at 02:38 PM
If you ever have a chance to see Black Rider (the musical/play) you must go (if you haven't already). I saw it a few years ago in LA, and I was just in awe. It is amazing--best theater experience of my life.
So happy you are getting to see him in concert!
Dana · May 16, 2008 at 03:02 PM
What a sweet letter to Mr.Waits :) I love his voice and his wonderfully animated facial expressions! I can't believe you are going to see him live! How awesome is that!
I hope you have lots of fun and maybe a re lucky enough to meet this Bear in a Man suit! Have a lovely weekend.
♥Lisa
Lisa · May 16, 2008 at 03:26 PM
I keep hoping (somewhat irrationally) that he'll add a Canadian date to his list...
Allison · May 16, 2008 at 03:40 PM
I've been a lurker on your site forever, but just had to post today. I feel the same way about Mr. Waits and just procured tickets for the St.Louis show and I've never been more excited about anything. Thanks for putting up such a cool picture. Have fun at your show!
jess · May 16, 2008 at 04:07 PM
I've been a lurker on your site forever, but just had to post today. I feel the same way about Mr. Waits and just procured tickets for the St.Louis show and I've never been more excited about anything. Thanks for putting up such a cool picture. Have fun at your show!
jess · May 16, 2008 at 04:08 PM
i am so sad he's not coming to the northeast. i love him something fierce.
meg · May 16, 2008 at 04:59 PM
This is weird. . .I just finished reading your thoughtful post. I so relate to everything you said! Just then, my husband called from work and said, he's taking me to Phoenix to see Tom Waits for our Anniversary in June!! He's not coming to L.A. (where we live!). Can't wait! This is why I follow your blog. . . I relate. Thanks.
Kelley Hart · May 16, 2008 at 05:42 PM
That is such a sweet, lovely post. I've loved Tom Waits since I was 17. Across the world was a guy who said he was going to marry the first girl he met who was a Tom Waits fan. We found each other when I was 27. "Invitation to the Blues" was our wedding song, by weird coincidence the song pretty much describes our meeting.
November 2007, Waits came to London on the "Real Gone" tour. We got to go and see him, a truly astounding and beautiful experience... and, right at the end of the night, he played our song.
Just wanted to share that story with you, Emily because you seem to have such a sweet romantic nature, and I love what you said in this post. I guess you know about http://eyeballkid.blogspot.com/ good for tour info and news and have you seen the "press conference" video?
Have a wonderful, wonderful time at the gig.
net · May 16, 2008 at 05:45 PM
Tom Waits is awesome. His voice is incredible. Funny thing is that I just did a post on collections and I mentioned a.) your paintings again b.) quirky music including a couple songs by Mr. Waits.
http://projectblancoyd.typepad.com/project_blancoyd/2008/05/hunter-gatherer.html
Projectblancoyd · May 16, 2008 at 07:42 PM
One New Year's Eve in San Francisco, ages and ages ago (close to 16-17 years perhaps?), my date took me to see Mr.Waits on a double date. I was the only person in the group who had no idea who he was. I fell in love, too. I think it was when he sang, "The piano has been drinking..." and I remember him wearing a red smoking jacket.
I love that pic of him. I am working on a art/dance project right now called "Limb, Limb"...and it's making me think!
TheAmpuT · May 16, 2008 at 08:21 PM
The press conference video is the best. And his live shows are the best! I saw him at the Wiltern in Los Angeles a number of years ago. I was sitting close to Winona Ryder and I saw Marilyn Manson at the show as well. It was an amazing experience.
Jessicafied · May 16, 2008 at 09:07 PM
...the most sweetest of letters!
I really enjoyed reading it....
<3~michelle
miss.michelle · May 16, 2008 at 10:53 PM
yeah...we couldn't get tickets :(
kiwi · May 16, 2008 at 11:31 PM