THE MIRACLE OF 86 - FULL CUP
January 26, 2013 - Staten Island, New York
When I was a senior in college, a friend of mine told me about a band she'd discovered over the summer when they'd opened up for Rainer Maria near her hometown. I was kind of iffy on her music selections at the time, and didn't know what to expect when I agreed to go with her to a concert at the Tribeca Rock Club in October 2002. But I went, and when I came out, I was literally ANGRY that I had not discovered them first. In 31 years of listening to music (ok, maybe not 31, but close enough ;) ), I still have never heard another band that personified me in musical form better than they did. I went home that night and immediately went to Immigrant Sun's website and ordered the "Devine Miracle Deal" - the two Miracle of 86 albums, plus their lead singer's debut solo album. It's hard to imagine that there was ever a time that I didn't know who Kevin Devine was. But that night started it all. I only saw Miracle of 86 one more time after that, in the spring of 2003... they only stayed together for another year or so. Through nine years and thirty-one of Kevin Devine's solo shows, as I got to know and love his own music, I'd still get ecstatic every time he'd tease with a Miracle of 86 song - maybe five times over the past nine years I got to hear them? And then, a couple weeks after Kevin played his 10 year anniversary show at the beginning of December, I got the notification of Miracle of 86's return from "hibernation" for a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert in Staten Island. It was a no brainer. I bought the tickets within minutes of seeing they were on sale and counted down to January 26 for what felt like forever.
Hanging out in the bar before the show, I was near the bathroom when a guy rounded the corner and almost bumped into me - we looked up at each other at the same time, and I realized it was Kevin. It always amazes me how he recognizes me - I know, I just said above that I've seen him thirty-one times throughout the past ten years, but I don't see him or talk to him at every show, maybe once a year or so, so it's really nice. He hugged me and sincerely thanked me for coming and I told him "you don't know how excited I am for this!" and he said "I still can't believe it's actually happening" and then he was off and I went and found a spot to watch the show in the time machine in Staten Island called Full Cup to be transported back to my senior year of college.
Oh, can we talk for a second about the group of guys standing next to me the whole show, heckling the band after every song? "PLAY IT AGAIN!!" "WATER LOVERS!!" "SKINNNNNNNNNNNER!" "Kevin looks done, but SKINNNNNNNER!" Or when Kevin said "see you soon", "HOW SOON?! Another nine years?" Can we talk for a second about the guy who started off in front of me when I took this picture, but then ended up standing next to me, shoulder-to-shoulder the whole show, making me crack up every time he yelled something absurd?
Jesse Lacey -----------------------------------------------^
Yeah, that was pretty awesome. So there I was, hearing my favorite band from college play songs I hadn't heard live in nine years, while the lead singer of my favorite band since Miracle of 86's breakup stood next to me singing along with me. I kept saying that the whole night was surreal, and it really was.
My setlist:
- Sleep All Damn Day
- G Song
- Southern State
- Dance! Dance Revolution
- Knife
- I Think You Meant To Say No
- Nice Shirt, Salvador Dali
- Every Famous Last Word
- A Less Important Place
- Red 19
- Fast Song / Keep On Charging the Enemy Until There Is No More Life
- Sunday School
- Your Quicksilver Moment
- Range Life
And, care of Kevin's instagram . . .
I hung around for a little bit after the show - at first, hoping they'd come back to play more after Range Life, but then because I couldn't let myself leave without saying something to Jesse. I kept thinking back to the first Straylight Run show I saw on Long Island in 2004, when he stood next to me for most of the show and I couldn't bring myself to say a word to him, because I didn't want to be "that girl" disrupting him while he was with his friends. But after the show, when I literally walked into him and he apologized to me and went to keep walking, I summoned up the courage touch his arm to get his attention again and to talk to him. I don't know what I was expecting, but he was so nice - "Hi Kerri, I'm Jesse" and we talked about how much fun the show was and I was trying so hard not to be a complete dumbass, but finally he said "It was nice to meet you" and I told him "It was so nice to meet you too, I think what you do is amazing" and I felt like a total idiot, but he smiled and thanked me and patted my shoulder, and it was all I needed to say, and it took me this long to finally say something to him, who knows when I'll get the chance again. What people like Kevin Devine and Jesse Lacey do is keep people like me believing in music.
Anyway, check out one of my favorite nights in music, EVER, in its entirety, here:
