Let Life Happen

On Wednesday as I was headed home from work I received the following text...
Ashlee: My friend is opening for sean hayes in oakland tonight at the new parish, going to try and go, you should too!

My immediate thoughts: OH Sean Hayes, how I love thee - It's a school night - I have stuff I was planning to get done tonight - I've really wanted to see him in concert - I love spending time with Ash - it's good to be spontaneous and go OUT on weeknights.

Me: Call me when you get a second, very interested!

Meanwhile thinking: I wonder when it starts *yawn* I'm already tired - last minute concert tickets are usually more expensive - and parking in downtown Oakland...

Ashlee: Doors open at 8pm, tickets are $15. Call you in a few.

Ummm can she read my mind? That's not too late and totally affordable. Done, I'm going. Look at me - I'm spontaneous!!

The concert was at a new venue in Oakland called The New Parish - small stage with standing room and a balcony above with a few tables and chair. Exposed brick and dark wood accents, very cozy.

We arrived a little before the opening act, and we able to chat with Ashlee's friend, Andrew. He is part of several bands, one of which is Kacey Johansing, and plays the marimba. I had not heard of Kacey Johansing, but really liked her music. Her lyrics are very Bay Area focused and she sounds, to me, a lot like Fiest. She's also doing some right because her band is comprised of five guys playing all the instruments. As we enjoyed our PBR's we laughed at the hipsters at the very front of the stage dance. Or do you even call that dancing? What ever it was, we were entertained at least.

After a loooooooooong intermission (it was a weeknight, remember?), Sean Hayes made his way on the stage. It was well worth the wait!! He is kind of a goofy looking guy, although he was looking more trendy in a deep v-neck, but once he starts singing you can't help but love him. During the first or second song I looked over to Ash and said "I am SO GLAD we're here! I kind of can't believe I didn't know there was a concert." (I was a little bit obsessed from the first time I heard him.)  Ashlee agreed and said "some of the best things are unplanned...you just gotta let life happen." Maybe it was the great music or the spontaneity, but her words rang so true to me. I am a total planner; although on the scale of Type A's, I'm not quite as stringent as others. I like routine, structure, having a plan of attack.  Through friends and a non-planner boyfriend I'm learning that it is just as great to go with the flow, and let life happen.

We had so much fun singing and after a while could not help dancing too. Sean played a few new songs, as well as some that I love, such as Alabama Chicken. So strange and goofy, but so fun to sing. Every single person was singing (except maybe the big scary bouncer who was looking for the illegal substances)! We left before the concert ended, so we either missed or he didn't play one of my favorite songs, Big Black Hole and the Little Baby Stars. It's a favorite for these lyrics:

You're always gonna find problems 
That's just the way things are 
Now how you choose to deal with them 
Make problems what they are  

I couldn't agree more.

Sean Hayes is going on tour with the relaese of his new album. He's playing in Santa Cruz or Petaluma, as well as other cities on the west coast. If you are at all into indie-folk, I highly suggest the concert. Might be the best $15 you'll spend in April.