Erin and I went to see Carbon Leaf at Mohawk Place tonight. Great show. Great show. So very much to say! Funny thing, E turned to me and said out loud “I think I have to link the band to my blog! I forget how much I love them!” Ahhh. She thought this at the exact same time I did! Shocker there. Perhaps this is why, when she Googled herself as “Erin’s Blog Buffalo” MY BLOG comes up on the first page, and she finds herself about 8 pages later one brain, at least sometimes. : )

The Mohawk Place– Looking good! I was very impressed with the new addition to this club. Great stage! A little chilly, but I was not dancing. Was not dancing. I know an oxymoron perhaps. We arrived about 45 minutes after the doors opened and found a little table that was on the old raised stage. Nice position. It was comfy sitting there. I was thinking before we left that maybe I didn’t want to go.cozy Jen in PJ’s. But as always I talked myself into it : ) I should ALWAYS talk myself and/or Erin into seeing live bands.

Things Jen does not really need to spend her money on.
I should also talk and/or not talk myself into getting a used laptop. I have been obsessed lately, after seeing the amount of the tax return, I could spare a few dollars, if IF they went for a good purpose, like instant blogging access while sitting at a coffee shop? Or writing a book? These are good reasons, no? Well, I was reminded that it could be a good reason when I saw a man with a laptop on sitting at one of the tables in the corner at the bar, before everyone got there. tres chic. I am jealous. (I have been getting much more blogging accomplished now that I put my old, old computer back up though.went to UB looking for a disc to fix the broken internet explorer problem, and they told me they do not have anything for the Windows 95 operating system. SHOCKER! That is almost 10 years old! Eegads!)

Back to the music. Strange that I was thinking a lot tonight about the fact that it was Kim who brought me into the live music loving person that I am. Kim was obsessed about being at a venue when doors opened- in order to hear every note of every opening act.and I am thankful. I would have never heard of so many great bands if I followed the Jen Late Theorem. And now I am somewhat obsessive. I need to be somewhere close to see the interaction with the musicians. I feel like I know them on a personal level this way and admittedly, I have major issues with falling wet with passionate crushes for musicians. Many times there are a few in the same band. Oh where to look? Howie told me back in the day that women loved him because he was a musician.just a bass player I thought. But nope. He was right. And he was a damn great bass player. Very talented. Talent equals lust. At least for me, I think many of the girls seeing shows just think it is cool to want to be with a musician. Enough said.

BLT- The band that was playing when we arrived was called (BLT for short, they are looking for a name and a drummer.) I was in girl crush love. The woman who was the singer had that red head hippy chic nature to her, long tan skirt and swayed to the music.casual and cool. She reminded me of my famous girl crush, Lauren Ambrose (currently seen on Six Feet Under) A simply gorgeous woman. This Joelle woman in the band had curly, long Lauren colored hair. And a wonderful voice. An alto II stunning folksy voice. I was impressed. The guitar player reminded me of a guy from college.and the other man, quite a doll, reminded me of Monkey George. The George I knew in NC who decided to pull the mat underneath my feet away from me “just to see if I would fall.” and I did. And he laughed with an evil boyish grin. This man reminded me of that George I knew.The band played kinda folksy bluesy music. Fun and silly at times as well. I want to commission the band to record a series of songs, lullaby comfy type songs for my future children. The band is also looking for a drummer right now and I immediately thought of Shaggy, or Rasputin as he coined himself recently : ) Just that kinda laid back fun folky music. Besides, this way I could hang out with my ultra cool girl crush and become her friend, and Erin could date the fun guitar guy. And I could get a cheap discount on a great duet of singers for any future wedding I might have. ; ) I tried to call Shaggy.I was going to say in true BTTF (Back to the Future) fashion.

“Shaggy? Shaggy? This is your friend. Jen. Jen Smith. You know that new sound you were looking for? Well listen to THIS.(holding out the phone toward the band)”

But he was not home. Oh well. I did get the woman’s email address later that night, she was coming into the bathroom as I was coming out. just in case Shaggy might be interested in not making any money (as she said!)

Oh the other thing I was reminded of was North Carolina. The band played a song called Liver and Kidneys and it reminded me of when Howie was listening to an old record that had a song called “The Peanut Man” on it. A silly song, sung to perfection by a soulful woman with big lungs. “Nuts. Hot nuts. Anybody here want to buy some nuts? Nuts. Hot nuts. Buy them from the peanut man.” That was the refrain. His band at the time, called Trophy Wife, wanted me to make a guest appearance and sing this tune. Ha. I was kidding around saying I could do it, and I could in the right sassy drunk mood. But I couldn’t. Howie ended up singing it instead. I remember him being very nervous. But it was fun. Fun memories. Yikes. Yeah. Thankfully I am now onto Carbon Leaf.

Carbon Leaf. Where to start. L to R will do. The guitar player, Terry is the most effervescent guitar player I have ever seen. He is excited and so damn happy. Pure joy. Long curly hair, long sideburns, beard.and very very sexyadorable and huggable. I love watching him!

Ok then there is Barry, the lead singer. Traditionally a pretty cute boy. One of those down to earth pretty boys- definitely the main attraction for women who want a musician : ) He has a nice voice. And a great smile. Kinda in that Rob Thomas boyish imp way.

Then there is Jordan the bass player. HEART STOP. He plays the big string bass. Nothing makes me happier than the big string bass, and I am not sure why. But damn. HEART STOP. Jordan had my attention for most of the evening. He has a silent powerful sex appeal. And man, he can play. I love watching him play. Big string bass. Mmmmm. Yes, he is married as his ring prominently displayes, but man I am envious of hiw wife. Yum. I am scared that this is a little bit of residual from the days I realized for the first time that a certain bass player existed.although I was already smitten with Howie BEFORE I saw him play bass in a pink dress in the campus center at Fredonia. Jordan. Good.

And then who can forget Carter. Think Ted from Queer Eye.tall dark thin handsome. This man reminds me also of the bartender previously blogged about from the Old Pink, when he is having a hot day : ) Aside for any Queer Eye fans, I like Kyan the very best.

And the drummer in the back, Scott. Is a cutie. I remember talking to him at the bar the last time the band played. Sweet. Cute. Seems shy on stage, but it could be because he is hiding ; ) I feel the same way about David from the Lowest of the Low and George of Jackdaw. The silent killers those drummers. Alas.

Oh and then there is the music. I love this music. Celtic influenced rock from Virginia! They very much get into the Dave Mathews esque genre of bands.lots of jamming in between songs. I love them. And they even told everyone to make copies of their CD’s for their friends so more people will find out about them and come to their shows. Cool. I like them. Great night. Except for–

Bizzaro Young Smithj2 being at the bar. Yuck. I am at a loss. There was a group of young, and I mean YOUNG girls in front of us. Erin did not kill them because we were at least on a landing sitting above them.if we were next to them, they would have been dead from the glares : ) Anyhow. The most annoying and loud and drunk of the group, who we later found out were students from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, reminded me of.me. Of the obnoxious tendencies that I am certain I possess(ed?) as Smithj2 in college. You know, the overweight, cleavage showing friendliest of friendly loud cheery one? Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. At one point Barry, the lead singer, grabbed her cell phone while she was holding it up.and he was singing into it. cool. Except she was sooo annoying about it. And I am well aware, WELL AWARE of the fact that this is annoying because it hits quite close to home. Me 10 years ago? And residials of me still. Yuck. Erin said that I was not that bad.and I told her she was saying that because she is the girl standing next to the annoying bizzaro young smithj2. Oh, so much like me. She made friends with the two boys behind her, she hugged everyone. She talked loudly and drank loudly. She gave the new random boy-friend she met her scarf. She took photos as a group with random boys and friends. She kept coming over to talk with boyfriend of one of her girlfriends. Alas. I was-am in need of a drink after seeing this spectacle. Oy vey!