Highlights of the evening, in no particular order.
So, I’m in a band now. First time ever. We came to the decision tonight, but not without having That Conversation. You know, somebody mentions how you’ve been spending a lot of time playing music together lately. Someone else wonders aloud what that means. Finally, one of you asks it: So what are we? And yes, it’s a risk, but the question has begged to be asked and so there, you did it. And (gulp) listen, cause the other person is saying something that sounds like they think you should be a band.
Too.
And it’s the too part that really matters. Because it’s nice to agree and it’s nice not to hear nothing! after you ask someone what you are. And it’s even better to say okay, then, let’s try this music thing out and huh, let’s think of a name for us.
I’ve suggested Jane since that’s Shane and Jess mixed up together, but I don’t think Shane wants to be in a band named Jane.
So we’re gonna keep thinking until we land on something that we both like. I just realized what I wrote. Hmm. I guess after that, no more thinking for either one of us. We’ll basically be zombies since, apparently, all of our thoughts were poured into coming up with a band name. And no, I don’t much care for Shess, which he put together…It’s okay, we’ll think of something.
And tonight we played a gig.
Now, I had the brilliant idea to open up the gig, basically say an initial hey to the crowd, by saying Good night! Um, how weird is that? Even weirder than the time I tried to parallel park by nosing into a really tight spot. I kept wondering why it wasn’t working when suddenly I remembered people generally back in when they parallel park.
And this was just last week.
But starting out the night by saying Good Night. That’s super weird. And confusing. In fact, a guy at the bar immediately asked if he’d already missed our set, which is what tipped me off to how strangely I had used that little phrase. I tried to explain that I said good night in order to mean: It’s actually a good night, but well, let’s face it, that isn’t the way that people who have half a handle on the English language use those words.
Pretty dumb, I know.
But not even as good as when we were playing our rap. And yes, I wasn’t kidding when I admitted to all of you that I wrote a rap a while back. But basically, I talk about the kind of guy you should avoid, the kind of guy who acts like he likes you, but for less than noble purposes.
Anyway, there’s a lyric that says, And you go around town hooking up with all the girls…But tonight I didn’t say that. What I said was this: And you go around town hooking up with all the boys…And hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I immediately looked at Shane cause how funny? Suddenly the guy that I am so mad at for being such a jerk and just wanting something that girls, you better know not to give away, is gay and that changes the tone of the song considerably.
Good thing Shane didn’t laugh.
Good thing that is false.
He totally laughed and so did I and hahaha, if the guy is gay, then why am I so worried he’s gonna try to charm me into giving him something sacred in the first place?
Relax, girl, he’s gay; he don’t wanna get with you, anyway!
But yes, tonight was a good, fun night. Not bad for a Thursday, not bad at all.
Fun night! Really nice place. You sounded really good together.
thanks, mom–I’m so glad you got to come! Hopefully next time you can see us better:)
Pretty sweet! I bet you sounded cool, and it sounds like you had fun with the minor “alterations” (they’re not flubs, they’re alterations). And I totally like the name Jane, though, maybe you could tone down the girlness by spelling it “Jayne”, like the dude in FireFly.
Or maybe you could be called Shayss, but you could always kind of pronounce it “Shess” while Shane says “Shayss”. You know, because you just have different dialects, having grown up so far apart.
OK, I’ll stop now.
PJ-no, please keep the ideas coming!
And haha, okay, I’ll take the word “alterations” over flubs:)
Maybe “Jashe”? Kind of a shout out to your brother?
Personally I think Jane is a great name too : ) I’m so glad you had a good show and that’s cool you have officially made yourselves a band. I look forward to hearing the name you guys settle on.
I look forward to hearing it too!
For some reason, I like Jane too. Maybe because it was a name I wanted to give a kid but ran out of kids to name. It’s a “J” name!
yep, it is a J name…but I’m not sure that’s top on Shane’s list of priorities for a name…:-)
Jane is pretty cool, actually. But, if Shane scoffs at the idea, you could call yourselves: Jane, Pshaw (P-Palkovitz, Shaw-Latshaw), which is like an inside joke. Or not.
“pshaw |(p) sh ô|
exclamation dated or humorous
an expression of contempt or impatience : “Poison? Pshaw! The very idea!”
verb [ intrans. ] dated or humorous
utter such an exclamation : when I suggested that free trade might dilute Canadian culture, he pshawed.
ORIGIN natural exclamation: first recorded in English in the late 17th cent.”
haha, well he never really scoffed at the idea-I don’t think he’s much of a scoffer, actually–but hmmm…good idea! Maybe Jane in addition to something else could work…:-)
what great news!!!!!!! a band!!!! im looking forward to hearing you guys again:) and of course, your rap:)
haha well, which version of the rap would you like to hear? since there are a couple now, you know
Pretty awesome – so is this a duo or will you be adding more people?
What about keeping the Jane in there but adding other words…. like Plain Jane, Jane or Shine, Jane Storm, The Jane Project, etc…
away from the Jane related ideas, you could do something springing from unexpected good things that spring from tragedy. Tragic Dream; Tragic Sun; Tragic Magic (ha!), I don’t know, you get the idea.
I think right now it’s a duo, but sometimes Ian plays with us and we’d totally be open to playing with more musicians in settings that call for it.
And I like the idea of Jane with something else…and I actually like Tragic Magic, too…
we could be Ian-Jane, but that might sound like a racial slur tho.
and, actually, Tragic Magic sounds AWESOME!
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what racial slur “Ian-Shane” sounds like.
yeah, I can’t think of it either…perhaps I am not up on my racial slurs…
back to racial slur class for you!
it sounds like the good ol boys callin’ Native Americans “Injuns,” which is kind of offensive these days. okay, i suppose that’s not a slur, but not quite PC.
I’m with Jase. Add something to Jane.
Jane Says?
Ooh, I like that too, Anna!
Here’s an idea: Explain Jane. Kind of Ex-plain Jane (since neither of you are plain), and really, if you name the band Jane, you’d have to explain it anyway.
well thanks for saying that neither of us are plain!
(at first I wrote neither of us are planes–which is true, I suppose)
and I like that idea too!!
I like “Jane,” too. You look like you should be in a band, so this is a good thing!
thanks, Linds! Now, by looking like I should be in a band, what kinda band are we talking?
A marching band?
A band of thieves?
80s hair-metal. ovbi.
(duh.)
1: I really, really want to hear your rap. 2: I think Jane is an awesome name. 3: I would really like Jane to come play a gig in Dallas. I have room for both J and ane to stay in my house, if that sways either J or ane to want to come. Also, I cook. Let’s be honest, I’m no gormet chef, but still. Free food.
I would love to come play a gig in Dallas and I’m not kidding.
I also love free food, and I’m not kidding about that, either!
I would never lie about free food either.
oh I know, girl, when you offer a meal, it’s as good as done. Remember when I was a stranger and you took me out for some delish Mexican food in TX? Yep, that was a highlight for me!!!
Yes, I recall that lovely afternoon.
So it turns out the key to your heart is the same key for Jack’s, which is convenient for me considering it’s already right there on my key chain.
Boo, i love that you are rapping now! I’m not sure about Jane myself, maybe with something at the end!?? So a band huh? I can’t wait to you play in the city! So excited for you my friend!
We’re actually playing in Brooklyn on March 24th–it’d be awesome to see you, my dear dear friend!!
Well now, I haven’t had the privilege of actually meeting Jack before, but I always suspected he was pretty darn cool…And now that I hear we have similar keys to our hearts, respectively, I KNOW he’s pretty darn cool…:)
my only case against “Jane” is not some masculocentric need of mine for a manly band name… it is simply that “Jane” would not have any gig-getting leverage over our actual names. People don’t like to book the little peoples, and that name (at first glance) might not always make it clear that it’s a band and not just a lady. catch my drift? word.
also, wow. i commented 3 times on this blog-entry so far. yeah.
yeah, I totally catch your drift…and I didn’t think you were being masculo…whatever it is you said you WEREN’T being…and I have total confidence we’ll land on the right band name.
If all this post has done is gotten Shane to comment on your blog more frequently, it would have already been worth it. Or the terrorists have already won. One of those two, I forget which.
I’m gonna hope for the former!
YAY, Brooklyn, I don’t even have to leave my borrough to see you! YAY! Can’t wait!
I like the name “Jane”, I also have no problem with using the greeting, “Goodnight!” My brother in law from St. Lucia greets people that way al the time, ya know, anytime he sees them at night. You could probably even convince people that you are from the Caribbean if they really made fun of you…