Dispatch your enthusiasm like hounds because this is a worthy blog!

When it comes to spotting musicians, I suppose I have a knack. It’s kind of like they make their way through a crowd while decked out in red-and-white stripes, you know? Striped sweater, striped knit cap… just like Waldo.

That being said, let me tell you what happened yesterday:

My friend Erin and I ventured up to Bethel Woods, New York (this is where Woodstock was held!) in order to attend the Catbird Music Festival. On Sunday, while watching Amos Lee perform, I spotted a fellow in a blue t-shirt and a baseball cap and thought to myself, That’s Brad Corrigan.

Erin didn’t notice.

Brad talked to one of the security guards, and then he meandered farther under the pavilion to watch Amos Lee for a minute, and then he moved up to the next level and talked to another security guard. And the whole time I followed him with my gaze and thought, That has to be Brad Corrigan.

Erin didn’t notice.

Then Brad looped around and came toward us. I saw him pause for a quick photograph with a fan and I said to Erin, “That’s Brad Corrigan.”

Erin said, “What?”

“That’s Brad,” I repeated. “Get up.”

Erin said, “What?”

I said, “Get up. Hurry. Come on. We have to go.”

I squeezed by Erin, leading the way, and walked over to where Brad was passing by a security guard. Then I said, “Excuse me.”

Brad Corrigan stopped and turned to me. So did the security guard. I said to Brad, “You’re Brad from Dispatch, yes?” He nodded. I continued, “I have been trying to get in touch with you for years.”

I think this surprised him a little bit because it’s probably not typically what a fan would say. But it is true: I have been trying to get in touch with Brad Corrigan for years. I think he’s an amazing musician and an amazing human who stands for so many amazing and important things--like a woman’s right to choose what’s right for her body, and the importance of kindness and acceptance, and supporting people who have been sentenced to prison and how that impacts their health and their lives.

The reason I’ve wanted to be in touch with Brad (and all of Dispatch, for that matter) is because they gave me permission to use the lyrics of “Out Loud” in my novel Kick It One More Time. I went through all the appropriate channels--no copyright infringement occurred--but I wanted to thank them and also provide them with a copy of the book. I might also like to send a piece of art. I tried to send art once before, but I believe it was (sadly) lost in the mail.

(This is what the artwork looked like. It's called "Cross the World," which is the title of a very cool Dispatch song, and I suppose it's either in the garbage, sitting in a mailroom somewhere, or hanging in a thief's home...)

Anyway, Brad is hopefully going to provide me with a mailing address for the book and the art--that’s pretty much what we talked about on Sunday when I met him--and he congratulated me on the release of my novel. And then Erin said, “How about a picture?”

After taking a picture of Brad and me, Brad said, “I’ll take a selfie with all of us.” So he did.

Then he congratulated me again, shook my hand, and I thanked him for making some of the best music out there. I was a little shaky after that (just with excitement), and as we walked away, Erin said to me, “So who was that?”

Oh, Erin…

I’ll also say a few things about Dispatch’s performance. As per usual, they were incredible; they always are. They had the best stage banter among band members that I’ve seen yet at a show (JR has three lungs and “Lady J” is about drunken orgies!), which I obviously really enjoyed. And at the end of the performance, after having the crowd give a round of applause to the ASL translators standing off to the side, Brad went over and gave them his drumsticks, which I thought was so sweet.

Here’s hoping he really does remember to email me with an address for some art/literature because I’d love to share a bit of my creativity with him since he’s already provided me with such an incredible soundtrack for my life.