Trampled By Beautiful Music

This blog post is dedicated to my dear friend Kristin and she will figure out why pretty quickly.

So last night my high school buddies Erin, Brock, Concert-Husband Phil, and I ventured down to DC for a show at The Anthem. Who were we going to see, you ask? Trampled By Turtles! We met up with Jenn, who graduated with us and lives down that way. Coincidentally, we actually parked a few cars down from her in the parking garage and found her as we were walking to the exit. That, everyone, is an example of perfect timing.

We had a 5:30 reservation at a Mexican restaurant, but it was only a little after four when we arrived. Brock knew of a rooftop bar near the water, so that's where we went! The bartenders were two really nice women who looked as though they might like books, so I asked them if they were readers. One of them was; the other told me she likes reading, but doesn't always make time for it. I told her about the short chapters of The Way Back and how I actually wrote it with the intent of reaching nonreaders, and then I gave both of them my card... along with a third card for their friend Beth.

A couple sitting at the bar heard me talking to the bartenders about my book and turned to me, wondering, "Could we have one of your cards too? We love to read!" So I gave them my card.

A bit later, I was observing a trio of couples sitting by the water. They, too, looked like readers. So do you know what I did? I went over and struck up a conversation. Seeing as they were in town to see Trampled By Turtles, it only made sense that they'd be readers... so I gave them my card.

By then, we needed to head over to Mi Vida, which was where we planned to eat dinner. Our waiter was a jovial fellow by the name of Orlando and he used to live in Gettysburg! What are the odds, right? Needless to say, I gave him my card.

My meal at Mi Vida was DELICIOUS. I got the chicken tacos, which were recommended to me by Orlando, and they did not disappoint. A little spicy, very flavorful... I topped mine with some of the traditional guacamole we'd ordered as an appetizer. We also ordered blue cheese guacamole that had grapes in it, and while that may sound incredibly bizarre, it was outstanding! I'm going to attempt to recreate it at some point.

While waiting for our bill, Phil pointed out a woman standing at the bar and told me to take note of her shoes. They were high heels and the heels were exceptionally high. "I was following her up the stairs," he said, "and I couldn't stop watching her feet. Her heels barely stayed on the steps and I was convinced she was going to fall and I'd have to catch her. I mean, I was totally prepared to catch her."

Upon observing this high heel-clad woman and her mate, I determined they were probably readers. Therefore, I walked over to them and asked if they'd like one of my cards. Not only did they want one of my cards, they wanted my book! Jerome and Dana bought it right then and there! How cool is that? And then I pointed out my friend Phil to them and Jerome said, "Oh, he followed us up the stairs!" I explained his concern regarding Dana's heels and Dana said, "I was walking on the balls of my feet" and I said, "I told Phil you were probably employing the tiptoe technique." So that happened.

We went to The Anthem after that and this is where it got nuts! Once inside, I grabbed Phil's hand and pulled him straight up to the stage. I knew I was going to have to make friends because I knew I was going to need to stand in the very front when it came time to toss my book up there. So... I started asking people if they liked to read and much like the response at Sound on Sound, EVERYONE LIKED TO READ. For each person I asked "Can I give you my card?", three more people approached me and asked "Can we have your card?"

The opening band was called Amigo the Devil and they were great! The lead (he is apparently really named Danny, but he also goes by Amigo) is not only a talented musician, but also a comedian. He sang some really funny stuff; the audience had a great time! I stood beside some folks who actually flew in from California to catch the show, so that was fun.

I also made friends with Liza, Mickey, Kaitlinn, and "Peaches" (though I don't call him that because we're not close friends, but that's the name his close friends used when they introduced him). I also met Dan and his son Tyler. They were both super friendly and nice. Dan wanted to see my book and promptly read the back. Tyler was all like, "Dad, Dad! You can't just take her book!" But Dan gave it back, so it was all good.

Tyler orchestrated this whole plan for me to get in the front row when it came time to toss a copy of The Way Back on stage. It involved double taps to his shoulder and then temporarily occupying the spot held by Woman in Plaid. This was accomplished approximately seven songs into the performance. The paperback landed in front of a center amp and one of the band members picked it up. I later found myself standing beside one of the band's photographers (Brock pointed this out to me) and asked if she could take my card and make sure the band has my book. She said she would. So I'd like to thank that photograph, and I'd also like to give a big shoutout to Ellie and Theresa because they were so supportive regarding "the toss" and have such enthusiasm regarding my book!

Okay. Let's talk about the actual show.

Trampled released a new album the other week. It's called Alpenglow and it's INCREDIBLE. I have essentially been listening to it on repeat since its release. These are my favorite songs: "It's So Hard to Hold On," "Starting Over," "On the Highway," "A Lifetime to Find," "Burlesque Desert Window," and "All the Good Times Are Gone." I think they played all of these things... plus others! Like "The Middle" and "Alone," which I also love massive amounts!

Brock was disappointed that "Where Is My Mind?" didn't make it to the setlist, but the show was essentially perfect. Lots of new stuff, a smattering of old stuff, and so much beautiful music! I will definitely be seeing Trampled By Turtles again and again and again in my future!