I had planned for months to attend a Lisa Loeb concert in Scottsdale, AZ, and decided to invite a few of my girlfriends. I guess I am a bigger fan of her than my friends are, because by the time the concert came, I was down to just one friend coming with me. There was also a strong chance of rain storms that evening, which I believe kept MANY people away as this was an outdoor concert in a park. My friend and I were shocked at how few people there were when we arrived about 40 minutes before show time. Our parking spot was literally behind the stage. (That is literally rock star parking.)
It was impossible to get a photo without her face being a while blob.
From the very first note, she sounded exactly like I expected her to. By the end of the second or third song, she really started to loosen up and began chatting with the crowd while she changed the tuning on her guitar. This banter quickly became the highlight of the show! She was funny, real, relatable, and all over the place. One thought would lead to another thought, and so she'd start telling one story, only to begin telling another story. But she always returned back to the original story even if the additional stories took several minutes to tell. Us in the audience learned that she can only eat 2 1/2 tacos before getting stuffed, she gets a kick out of hearing one of her songs on the radio or when shopping at CVS ("Hey, that's my song!"), that she is currently reading Still Alice, and she loves to listen to her local Los Angeles NPR station no matter where she is...traffic reports and all.
Oh, and through all of this, there was the constant threat of rain. It started raining lightly off and on about a third of the way through the show. She didn't let it stop her though. She played right through, even as it became windy, and she continued with the conversations with the crowd between songs. She also did not have a firm set list. Instead, she started with a few songs she wanted to play, and then asked for requests from the audience. A few people shouted out ridiculous responses, like "Enter Sandman," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Free Bird," but she was totally game. Lisa played a pretty equal mix of new, old, and children's songs. Everything was great. I had felt slightly sick the past few days, but during the show that all went away.
The funniest and most real moment of the show was when she told us a story about a new song that she was going to play. She proceeded to explain how the new album, No Fairy Tale, came about and that this song in particular, "The 90s," was about the making of the video for "Stay (I Missed You.)" Then, as she was about to start playing, she had a brain freeze and completely forgot how the song went. She explained this to all of us, and said she'd play a different song in the hopes that it would kick-start her brain into remembering "The 90s." She asked for a request from the crowd, and the person in front of me yelled, "Monster Stomp." Lisa was confused and said she didn't know that one. But then after a couple seconds she backtracked and remembered that "Monster Stomp" is one of her songs. We were all cracking up. So, she sang the silly song, which the audience loved. And, her tactic worked, as she then went immediately into "The 90s" before it escaped her memory again.
By this time it was around 8:45pm, and the wind really picked up. This was her cue to end the show while she was ahead. So, the concert was probably cut short a few minutes, but it didn't really matter. The performance had already exceeded my expectations and thoroughly entertained me (and my friend.)
Lisa announced that she would sign CDs after the show near the merchandise table. I hadn't intended on buying anything, but this seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up, and my friend agreed. We both purchased an item, and stood in line. The line only had about 20-30 people, and we were in the back. Before we knew it, it was our turn to meet Lisa!
I handed Lisa the book/CD combo that I bought. She asked who it was for and I said, "It's for me. My name is Lisa." (Smile.) I told her that I had never heard the "Disappointing Pancake" song before today, and I liked it, so that was why I got the book. She replied (I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was something about the song), signed the book, and then stood up so my friend could take a picture of us.
Next it was my friends turn. Lisa signed my friend's CD and ticket stub. Then I took their picture (twice, because I moved too fast the first time.) As we were wrapping up, I decided to chime in one last time and tell her, "Thanks for making it cool to wear glasses." She was very excited by this, and stood back up saying that she should give me one of her business cards. She reached into her pocket and grabbed something out, but I don't think it was what she was looking for. Then she said that she has an eyewear line. I told her that I had no idea. She said that it can be found at Costco, and that I would probably like the way they fit because I am petite (like her.) We chatted a few more seconds about this, and then it was time to move on to let the next person in line have their turn.
Side note: You can check out her eyewear here - http://www.lisaloebeyewear.com/
While this experience was nothing like my previous idol meeting, it really was just was unexpected and special. I never had fathomed that I would get a chance to meet Lisa in person...and get a picture of just the two of us together! Other than having the same name and both loving Hello Kitty, we seem to have several commonalities. Over the years many people have jokingly called me Lisa Loeb because we look similar. I think the proof is in the picture!
She loves hoodies just like I do!
Side note: Life is fun!
Additional side note: It wasn't until after I got home that I found out that Lisa is 47 years old. I knew she was at least in her early 40s, but I never would have guessed 47. She looks incredible, and was so full of life and energy during and after the show. Yet another reason that she is such a great inspiration for me.
Tip: If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Lisa Loeb concert, DO IT!!!
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