11/15 Malajube@ Bowery Ballroom

It was a Thursday. I had to be in work extra early the next day. I had several things due that I'm pretty sure if I didn't finish in time and turn in by the end of Friday I'd either be fired or at least it would have made for a not so great work environment. This is why I buy tickets beforehand. If I don't, I usually think up a million reasons of why I should not go to a show. Even if I don't, I'll end up not committing to getting out of work right at 6 or girding myself to finish something by the end of the day or what have you. That's how I found myself at the Bowery Ballroom

I'd talk about the opening acts, but they weren't really my cup of tea. Does that sound cold? I mean they were good musicians, but just not music I could get with. I don't know if it was because of the deadlines I was chasing and the mildly unfortunate timing during the week. Or hell, it was probably just a personal preference thing, but I could not muster anything. There were certain songs I liked but overall my impression was, "That's cool."

As Malajube set up for their set, I noticed Julien's new haircut. It was interesting. I...I mean, it wasn't a bowl cut...but...hmm. His haircut makes me wish more of my photos from this show had come out, but no. I really need to get a new camera. Flash makes everything looks gross and without flash my show photos look like they all watched the Ring video and have seven days.

They opened up with "Pate Filo" and "Montreal -40C." They sounded a bit slower paced than what I was used to hearing, but I happily hopped up and down and excitedly sang along. Do I know French? Hell, no. No, I don't. You're thinking of my cousin if you're thinking of the French speaker. Nonetheless I phonetically sang along (loudly, proudly and incorrectly) to as many of the songs as I could.

It was an energetic set. I think I prefer "Filles a Plumes" live very much. Also Mathieu has a fantastically awesome-looking bass. I totally fall hard and gush about instruments I find pretty, so I'm going to be honest and say I kind of want to play his bass. And I know the wording of that sounds super weird, but please, let's keep our minds out of the gutter. The shape and everything is just sooo cool. Afterwards I told him he had a gorgeous bass and he simply said, "I know" with a grin. Oh yea, he so knew he had a good-looking musical instrument and, yes, I totally giggled like a schoolgirl when he said that because it felt like we were sharing a private joke...damn, this whole paragraph is reading like all kinds of wrong to me. I think we should move on.

I stuck around after the show for a beer. I figured, well, hell, it's already close to one in the morning and it's gonna take me an hour and a half to get home, fuck it. I saw the guys from the band wandering about so I went around asking them to sign my ticket. I got everyone but Julien. I'm going to be honest, I was a little nervous about talking to them. I, I can't explain why except that I felt weird not being able to speak French, and I mean they spoke English, yea, but I still felt weird and on top of that I felt like I was bothering them...or something. I don't know, but the thing was I kind of felt obligated to have them sign it since I wasn't sure when I'd see them play live again and situations like that makes me a little memento-happy. Not to mention my weird compulsion to let people know when they played an awesome set.

"Well, I'm about to leave anyway," I reasoned with myself as I threw back what was left of my beer and put on a brave face. And you know what? They're chill. I was super shy so I probably came off kind of quiet, mousy and weird...I don't even know what I was expecting would happen, but whatever it was didn't and they were all perfectly cordial. The funny thing was they seemed surprised and amused that I had an actual physical ticket. Thomas actually uttered, "Wow, you have a ticket?"

I, um, I tend to buy tickets beforehand to remind myself to go. Especially for during the week shows, if I don't, I'll come up with some reason or excuse not to...