a groupie from afar

The English Beat, one of the best bands ever is playing tonight at Tupelo Hall in Londonderry, NH and I am not there.

While this may not seem like a big deal to anyone else - especially as I have seen the band at this very venue 3 times in the past 2 years - it is a big deal to me and it is only dawning on me now that I will actually not be at tonight's (or tomorrow night's) show.

I have been in denial about this for months now. I actually thought that I would be able to finagle a way to fly from Zurich to NH just to see them. I had all sorts of clever ideas. I can't even go into them now - I'm just too sad.

Please, someone - anyone - go see the shows! Tupelo Hall is a small, intimate, fabulous (BYOB!)venue and you can dance right in front of Dave Wakeling as he sings "Twist and Shout" and "Mirror in the Bathroom". Amazing. Truly.

This is like some sort of delayed high school crush. I'm a groupie from afar of an 80's ska band and they don't even know I exsist. Sigh.

My only consolation in all this is that I have already created a new fantasy regarding The Beat that keeps me going on particularly low days: It is a well-known fact that I will be 40 in less than a year. While there are many things that an old broad such as myself might wish for in honor of such an occassion, what I want, more than anything is to have Dave Wakeling and The English Beat play at my party.

No big deal, right? (I could have asked for an Ausin Healy like my dad got for his 40th. But I'm not that high-maintenance...)

So Mr. Wakeling, wouldn't you like to come to Switzerland next spring, say March 15th? Please? ...