What's in the intimacy of a smaller show?
This is where I rave about the Aaron West basement tour. But really, jokes aside, this was one of my favorite performances by frontman Dan Campbell of the Wonder Years, with his project, Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties.
I ended up scoring a ticket to this show (tix were super limited) last minute and went into this basement solo. Approaching the home, I trailed behind a group of young guys, where we heard some commotion and light coming from the bulkhead of a colonial New England house.
I entered down the steps and gave what appeared to be Dan's wife, my name. She checked me in from a clipboard, and from there, I entered into the unknown. Spooky isn't it? October just brings this eerie vibe into anything you do when the sun goes down.
So back to the basement, I was one of the first 20 people or so to enter. I could see where they set up the mic and the speaker system. There were some decorative cobwebs and some old skeleton prop. Being alone with a group of people I didn't know, I found myself a spot to stand right by the mic. Roughly 20 minutes later, Soupy comes walking down the staircase and makes his debut.
This is when I nearly wet my pants. I'd never been so close to Soupy with so little commotion and fans freaking out behind me. It was calm. And it was different.
The first band went on and played only a few songs. I can't recall their name, but I did like them a lot. Next, it was time for Soupy. With the mic right in front of me, he walked right through and made himself comfortable, surrounded by all of us.
He went on to explain that he was very fortunate to have us all abide by the homeowner's requests and wishes. We were a respectful little crowd, and he knew it. Due to his songs not being quite complete yet, he reminded us again not to record or use our phones until after he was done with the newer stuff.
This is when the room went nuts- but silently- it was the most interesting thing to watch. We all absorbed this brand new, never before heard music, in sheer delight. When Soupy was finished, most of us were in awe. "This is the part where you can record and take your phones out", he said. Nobody really rushed to do this, but me, being in total shock, whipped out my phone to take a few quick pics. Moments later, Soupy starts off by singing the lyrics, "Hey Diane, could ya pick up the phone". We all sang along.
All in all, this was one of my all time favorite performances, ever. I don't think anything could ever mimic the mysterious entrance or the way the air felt that night. It was magical and something out of a dream. A really fucking good dream.