seeso
Super Duper Moderator (Retired)
Do you guys know Zee Avi? She's a singer/songwriter from Malaysia that was recently signed to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records.
Before she got signed, we struck up a friendship through YouTube, back when she was known as Kokokaina. We used to talk all night on Skype. She's a lovely human being, and an amazing singer and songwriter.
Anyway, she's opening for Pete Yorn right now, and the tour came through Chicago this past Monday and Tuesday. I sent her a message about being excited to finally see and hear her in person, she said the same, and she put me on the guest list!
So I went to the show Monday feeling like a stud when I went to Will Call and got my ticket. I camp out at the front of the stage and had butterflies when she waved at me. I was pretty star-struck during the set, so I assume she sounded fantastic, but to be honest - my head was swimming.
That was only the beginning.
The last three songs in her set are ukulele songs. Before she played "Just You and Me," she was talking about her ukulele and she said, "The person who convinced me to buy an ukulele is right there. Narciso Lobo." And she pointed at me!
Everybody in front looked at me, and they saw the biggest grin on the biggest doofus in the world. I was downright giddy.
After the set, she waved me over and told me to go backstage. Whoa! Sweet! We hung out backstage with the rest of her band and some other fine folks and I drank free beer and jammed with them. It was a perfect night.
She asked me to come back to the show on Tuesday, I stammered out a "yes," and went to Will Call the next day to pick up my ticket and something new - an all-access pass! Score!
Well my head was a little less loopy this time around, so I was able to really listen to the set this time. She was amazing. She's already blessed with one of the most beautiful and unique voices in the world, but it's what she does with that voice that's remarkable. She really tells the story of the song. Just transcendental music.
I brought the Brotherhood of the Traveling Ukulele uke with me so she can sign it backstage. We filmed her signing it (and my all-access pass
), and I was getting ready to go to my buddy's open mic, when she alerted me to something that was the perfect icing on the perfect cake.
She thanked me in her liner notes! I had no idea, because I just bought her record that night. But here is a pic -
Here's the cover, signed by Zee - "Seeso! You know I <3 you!"
It's always been a dream of mine to be thanked in the liner notes of an album by a musician that I love. Zee made that dream a reality.
I figured I'd better take off before I passed out, so I said my goodbyes to everybody, got a long hug (gah) from Zee, and said, "Thanks for making me feel like a rock star."
She said, "You already are one."
Before she got signed, we struck up a friendship through YouTube, back when she was known as Kokokaina. We used to talk all night on Skype. She's a lovely human being, and an amazing singer and songwriter.
Anyway, she's opening for Pete Yorn right now, and the tour came through Chicago this past Monday and Tuesday. I sent her a message about being excited to finally see and hear her in person, she said the same, and she put me on the guest list!
So I went to the show Monday feeling like a stud when I went to Will Call and got my ticket. I camp out at the front of the stage and had butterflies when she waved at me. I was pretty star-struck during the set, so I assume she sounded fantastic, but to be honest - my head was swimming.
That was only the beginning.
The last three songs in her set are ukulele songs. Before she played "Just You and Me," she was talking about her ukulele and she said, "The person who convinced me to buy an ukulele is right there. Narciso Lobo." And she pointed at me!
Everybody in front looked at me, and they saw the biggest grin on the biggest doofus in the world. I was downright giddy.
After the set, she waved me over and told me to go backstage. Whoa! Sweet! We hung out backstage with the rest of her band and some other fine folks and I drank free beer and jammed with them. It was a perfect night.
She asked me to come back to the show on Tuesday, I stammered out a "yes," and went to Will Call the next day to pick up my ticket and something new - an all-access pass! Score!
Well my head was a little less loopy this time around, so I was able to really listen to the set this time. She was amazing. She's already blessed with one of the most beautiful and unique voices in the world, but it's what she does with that voice that's remarkable. She really tells the story of the song. Just transcendental music.
I brought the Brotherhood of the Traveling Ukulele uke with me so she can sign it backstage. We filmed her signing it (and my all-access pass
), and I was getting ready to go to my buddy's open mic, when she alerted me to something that was the perfect icing on the perfect cake.She thanked me in her liner notes! I had no idea, because I just bought her record that night. But here is a pic -
Here's the cover, signed by Zee - "Seeso! You know I <3 you!"
It's always been a dream of mine to be thanked in the liner notes of an album by a musician that I love. Zee made that dream a reality.
I figured I'd better take off before I passed out, so I said my goodbyes to everybody, got a long hug (gah) from Zee, and said, "Thanks for making me feel like a rock star."
She said, "You already are one."
