You Are Here

Dear Slingshot Dakota,

I saw you last night, playing in a tiny, cramped basement that smelled like beer & sweat. You were fantastic. I want to go to your house in the middle of the night and stand outside your window playing “In Your Eyes” from a boom box held over my head.

I just wanna say thanks for booking this entire tour as all-ages shows. And thanks for being so damn nice. Like, seriously, you guys? You’re so cute I want to vomit. I mean, have you seen the cover for your album, Their Dreams Are Dead, But Ours Is the Golden Ghost!?

So, yeah, anyways. You fell in love with Ohio! but I fell in love with you.

Love,
Madeline

P.S. You like Fugazi? And do a totally rad cover of “Waiting Room?” It’s love. In a big way.

Photo by Max Varkudal

Remember a couple posts ago, when I was talking about songs that make me cry? Remember “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong” by Against Me!?

I punched a dude in the kidneys to this song. It wasn’t a random act of violence–I was at an Against Me! show in Seattle back in October. Ever since the release of their latest album, New Wave, their fan base has grown exponentially and unfortunately it includes more than a few jerks. I had been shoved by hulking Cro-Magnons to the back of the pit and was separated from my friends, not to mention surrounded by huge jocky guys and their girlfriends, who more resembled child prostitutes than kids at a show. So I had to fight my way back to the front, elbows out and teeth gritted. After the show, Stephie said, “I hope some people piss blood tomorrow.”

I have this friend. Against Me! is her favorite band. When she was still at Evergreen, we’d sit around and sing along to our favorite songs. She’d pull out her guitar and begin to strum the familiar chord progression. I can never remember the words to songs, but “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong” is one of the few I know all the words to. So it became my song. The one I always had to sing in my cracking, off-key voice.

And of course, there’s the emotional response. I’m often accused of being an emotional void. This is totally true, unfortunately. But this song manages to melt my cold, cold heart and I usually end up choking back tears because it’s so sad–”I swear to God that I’ll love you forever, Evelyn / I’m not coming home tonight”. It gets me every single time.