I was sick on Sunday, so I got to stay in bed for two hours while Barclay and Sullivan did who-knows-what who-knows-where. I laid down for two minutes, and then went and got my laptop so I could work, but then realized that sitting up made my headache worse and was ultimately resigned to laying down watching Netflix for the full two hours.
It was then that I realized: I can't remember the last time I sat down and did nothing by myself. Not in a woe-is-me way, but in an I-find-it-really-hard-to-legitimately-do-nothing way. I kept checking to see if I could sit up and do something and my body kept freaking out on me.
So I let it go.
It was weird. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, trying to think of something to watch. People are always telling me, Watch this, watch that, you know, must see, can't miss. And I'm always logging these things away for a sick day—then that day arrives and my mind freezes like an old computer trying to run Photoshop.
I'm still reading Nick Hornby's Songbook, and it was sitting on my dresser, and it reminded me that I'd always kind of meant to watch High Fidelity someday. If you're cool, you saw it back in the Y2K, but if you're a loser like me, you didn't—and my verdict is that you really don't need to. (Aha! I was cool in the first place. #false) The protagonist is awful, and you just spend the whole two hours cheering for the girl to get away from this guy. And then at the end she tells him he "feels like home." Barf. He's selfish and selfish and selfish. I can't even think of other words for him. Hard pass on High Fidelity. I'd rather be a loser.
Although.
There was a scene in the movie that almost made the whole thing worth it for me. John Cusak's character is standing behind the counter in his record store and he leans over to Todd Louiso's character and says, "I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band," and then he plays "Dry the Rain" over the store speakers.
I'd never heard of The Beta Band before (I know I know I know. I know), but it was like that moment in Garden State where Natalie Portman's character says the Shins will change your life and then they do—it was just like that. I can't think of another movie moment like that, where a character makes such a definitive statement regarding a song or a band and it ends up resonating with me in any way.
I've listened to "Dry the Rain" at least 62 times since Sunday and it's not getting old yet. The rest of The Three EPs is also fantastic, and I'm so happy to finally be in on this "secret." I know I'm late to the party but I'm also not too cool to admit that I'm always late to the party. But the point is? I'm here. And you're here.
And we could have an actual party, not just a metaphorical one? You could come over and we could listen to this song three times and then you could go home again. Enough time for a snack and a few smiles, not enough time for anyone to feel awkward or say anything dumb. Ideal.
Anyway. Listen to this song at least ten times and try to tell me it's not a song worthy of its own 18-minute party.
It was then that I realized: I can't remember the last time I sat down and did nothing by myself. Not in a woe-is-me way, but in an I-find-it-really-hard-to-legitimately-do-nothing way. I kept checking to see if I could sit up and do something and my body kept freaking out on me.
So I let it go.
It was weird. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, trying to think of something to watch. People are always telling me, Watch this, watch that, you know, must see, can't miss. And I'm always logging these things away for a sick day—then that day arrives and my mind freezes like an old computer trying to run Photoshop.
I'm still reading Nick Hornby's Songbook, and it was sitting on my dresser, and it reminded me that I'd always kind of meant to watch High Fidelity someday. If you're cool, you saw it back in the Y2K, but if you're a loser like me, you didn't—and my verdict is that you really don't need to. (Aha! I was cool in the first place. #false) The protagonist is awful, and you just spend the whole two hours cheering for the girl to get away from this guy. And then at the end she tells him he "feels like home." Barf. He's selfish and selfish and selfish. I can't even think of other words for him. Hard pass on High Fidelity. I'd rather be a loser.
Although.
There was a scene in the movie that almost made the whole thing worth it for me. John Cusak's character is standing behind the counter in his record store and he leans over to Todd Louiso's character and says, "I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band," and then he plays "Dry the Rain" over the store speakers.
I'd never heard of The Beta Band before (I know I know I know. I know), but it was like that moment in Garden State where Natalie Portman's character says the Shins will change your life and then they do—it was just like that. I can't think of another movie moment like that, where a character makes such a definitive statement regarding a song or a band and it ends up resonating with me in any way.
I've listened to "Dry the Rain" at least 62 times since Sunday and it's not getting old yet. The rest of The Three EPs is also fantastic, and I'm so happy to finally be in on this "secret." I know I'm late to the party but I'm also not too cool to admit that I'm always late to the party. But the point is? I'm here. And you're here.
And we could have an actual party, not just a metaphorical one? You could come over and we could listen to this song three times and then you could go home again. Enough time for a snack and a few smiles, not enough time for anyone to feel awkward or say anything dumb. Ideal.
Anyway. Listen to this song at least ten times and try to tell me it's not a song worthy of its own 18-minute party.
2 comments:
I love that album so much (and, yeah, I saw the film way back when and knew of Beta Band BEFORE the film and I even photographed one of them - badly - once upon a time, but that's just because I am old not cool). Hope you're feeling better now!
What do you mean, you photographed him? Like, you took his portrait??
(Hey, they're Scottish, aren't they? Are they from your neck of the woods??)
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