John K. Samson Apparently Makes Me Dizzy

There's something special about this performance.

This entire blog... the trip... the stories... were inspired by the music of the Weakerthans and the words of John K. Sampson.  They are just regular guys who happen to have created some really, really great music.

Before this trip, I had seen the Weakerthans play in several states across the US but I had always wanted to see them in their native Winnipeg which they write so much about.  In all those times of seeing them I had never really wanted to meet them.  I mean it's not that I didn't want to I guess, I just didn't "need" to.  I actually had kind of avoided it in the past.  Sometimes I like to just sit back and experience a performance, take it in and process it.  Usually meeting people who you have a lot of respect for just does not work out like you want it to in your head and sometimes it just works out wrong.

However on this trip, I figured because I was going all of this way to see them it would be just plain weird if I avoided meeting them this time.  So over the week, I did muster up enough initiative to meet all of the Weakerthans.  Of course, they were all good people.  

I did have a lot of apprehension about meeting John K. Samson.  I have had dinner with Peter Gabriel, hung out at a bar drinking with Robert Smith and neither made me nervous.  However, meeting John K. Sampson for the first time honestly made me really dizzy.  Maybe I should not admit that but it's just a fact. It happened.  I am not ashamed of it or anything.  It's kinda funny actually. After all, its just a body's reaction to excitement...um, well...or fear!  I have not felt "star struck" in so many years I had forgotten what it felt like.  It's a really strange uncomfortable and pretty fabulous feeling.  In fact, it can make you walk out into Winnipeg weather without your coat - just for the record.

The thing is JKS intimidates me.  I *think* I am good with words.  I *think* I am clever with music and lyrics but I feel like a kindergarten music teacher next to his shadow.  I am ER nurse and believe me, I know that people are just people.  I don't care if you are the bum that sleeps down the street from my house or Michael Jackson.  We are all people.  We all have talents and problems.  We all end up in the hands of a ER nurse at some point.  It's not like I think JKS is a superhero or anything like that.  Maybe it's that he is just an average guy, with amazing talent.  But apparently quite and humble makes this loud and mouthy girl intimidated.  Imagine that.  

I am proud that I tackled my apprehension and the star struck feeling was great, but I am glad it did dissipate and I got over it.  It's not something I want hanging around for too long.  I am generally the "funny girl" which is really hard to be if you stay star struck. As long as I can make someone laugh, I feel comfortable.  I feel like me.  After all, it's the only thing I know for certain that I am pretty good at.

Here are some other little gems from Youtube.  An interview about JKS's one guitar solo in Utilities, and a show where he plays that guitar solo.  It's a charming little solo.