Je reviens à Montréal, le coeur emballé de courage

Last night Gen, Shawn and I went to a live taping of this show by CBC Montreal called "Routes Montreal". There were two acts. The first one: some nice voiced, lamed lyric, generic John Mayer sounding guy who had one lyric about how he had a plant and he let it die but that's what boys are supposed to do in a sad melody type song. I nearly peed my pants but, instead pulled my scarf up over my face and repressed my giggles. The host was uncomfortably awkward and asked the world's most lame questions (i.e. when talking to Joel - so, Joel Plaskett of the Joel Plaskett Emergency, did you have any emergencies on the way here?). Then the moment we were all waiting for they announced Joel Plaskett was coming on the stage!

To set your stage we were in a recording studio that was seating about 80 -100. We were toward the middle of the room and there was a King's alumni grouping there who had been in the front but was not and did not end up displaying any energy (some had suits on - lame King's, lame). It was a weird vibe as a) Gen and I weren't drunk and b) we were pretty sure dancing would be frowned upon. In any case, when they announced Joel we literally starting vibrating almost out of our seats. Then we saw him, I was like GEN GEN it's him. It was such an intimate setting. Joel put on a fan-fucking-tastic show which was a wide array of his catalogue. He did a few solo but most with the Emergency. When the host asked him lame questions he gave great answers that took a long time so that he wouldn't be asked too many lame questions. Gen and I were dancing in our seats, me moreso and I'm pretty sure I was annoying the uptight people behind us who Gen thinks were there because coming to the once a month routes tapings is their excursion outside. I was too happy to contain it and it was a weird situation whereby I felt I was being "bad" or "deviant" for dancing and wanting to mouth along with the words and be extremely happy - I did it all the same. When Joel announced he was going to do light of the moon I went YES. It had been very quiet and like 40 odd heads turned around and stared at me - I sincerely hope that that shows up on the taping haha. Anyways, after a sweet finale - Extraordinary - (Gen wanted Maybe we should just go home) - we went up to meet Joel. Gen got nervous last minute but, I was on a mission. Gen had earlier in the evening won a copy of La De Da so we were taking that up to get signed (my backup for if I can only gurgle joy when I meet celebrities - see Bono). We were able to play it relatively cool though we were clearly JAZZED. We were helped out by the woman before us babbling to him who closed with do you know Steve from Halifax who has a boat on the harbour? Joel, to his credit, handled the question way better than I woulda. So we told we were from out east, that he put on a fantastic show, that it was a weird energy but that he brought his A-game (sidenote he did. even though it was for radio and even though the crowd was sitting and clapping and such and not dancing in their seats like me he had soooo much energy it was like Marquee style show). Then I told him we were pretty much vibrating in our seats and that I couldn't contain my happiness and was dancing in the seats and the people behind were getting pissed and thought I was "lame". I said "lame" like JD does from scrubs, and I said it to JOEL PLASKETT. So then, I was like yeah speaking of lame, can we get your autograph. He had a sharpie there and I was like ohhh he has his own sharpie to which he replied with a cute little grin: "Of course, I'm a professional". Sigh. Then Gen and Shawn (who yes were there and talked a bit when this girl could stop herself from babbling like a crazy lady) shook his hand and I got jealous and made him shake my hand too. As Gen correctly noted - he has a solid handshake. Solid handshake, solid show, solid guy. For some reason I declined to nag Gen to bring her camera so the best we will have (to be posted later) is a picture of me and Gen with the CD re-enacting our sheer joy. Damn me for not owning a digital camera, damn me. All the same, no one was happier than me in that studio and for that part of my evening I was never happier.

There's a reason why I love this town.