I have lived in many places throughout my nearly fifty years. 13 to be exact to include six moves
before the age of 7. I've lived in Indiana, in Chicago
memorable. I visited that place today.
I am fortunate that it is a place not too far away, 60 minutes is all. I can visit often and have quite a bit but have never written of it. It had been raining on and off all that week but I was glad that it was a sunny day. It was also warm outside and I watched the country scenery quickly pass as we rode along.
I think maybe the reason this place is so significant to me is because it is a great place to be if you are a musician. Back in the day, I made a lot of music on a very regular basis here. Even more significantly and most importantly, I heard a lot of music here. Music that I associate with many past memories. I can pretty much say that in a lot of ways I am who I am today because of this place.
When I arrived, there was really only one word to describe the whole reason for my visit, and that is - JUNK! And the older and more nostalgic, the better! I knew just the place.
It was wall to wall, floor to ceiling, indoors and outdoors as we made our way through the many tunnels. It was a sea of vintage lamps, record albums, old Watchman TV's, musical instruments, board games, furniture and clowns. There was even an area we could not get to because there was no pathway that had yet been established.
In wanted my experience to be comparable to a good slow meal that I did not want to miss any part of. One small bite at a time savoring every single one. I opened cases and shook boxes before I opened them, I moved things around, lifted and looked under things. I didn't want to miss a thing. But what was really great was the music that was playing. Three songs in particular that I heard as I sifted through my treasures.
REM
It was all everyone ever talked about. It was here where it all started. One of the worlds most well bands came from this very place.....and...it was all anyone ever talked about. Everywhere we went, we heard their songs. Ok I get it. Until something happened one night. It had been a long week of exams, classes and performances. I needed a night out with friends. It was perfect. We walked the streets under the stars, waved to people we knew and did whatever we could to try to get the attention of those we wanted to meet.
We walked until we found our spot at a well known club and settled in. After I had a beer I began to relax a bit. Now, I have been known to be bold at times. There was the time when I was a kid when I played the star spangled banner on the kazoo at the start of a talent show at a family reunion. Then another time, there was the very public temper tantrum at the bowling ally after to many gutter balls which led to a necessary trip to the parking lot.
Then, I saw him. There he was. The man who was the lead vocalist in a band that released 15 albums, made numerous appearances on television and film and sang with monsters on Sesame Street. He was standing at the bar and I had decided I was not going to let the moment pass. Once again, boldly, I walked over to him. And, well, I could tell he had not bathed in a while and he was a bit scruffy. "Are you Michael Stipe?" I asked him. He made eye contact with me and replied with a slow nod. I then asked "Did you once take a class with a Dr. Lewis Neilson?" I thought my efforts would some how open the doors for conversation. "No." he replied. And that was all. I returned to my friend and in humility asked :"Sally, can we please go now?"
Today, as I continued to browse through my gold mine, I realized that where I was standing was only a few blocks away from where this happened.
Boston
When I first moved to this place, I didn't like it much. It was a big place, I had gotten lost a few times, I got an F on my first term paper (not just an F but an F-) and worst off, I was homeless. I slept in a study lounge my first few weeks here. Music was what got me through this time. However, once I got settled in and found a place to live, I was often the one resident who received the knock on the door to turn the music down.
One morning, I woke to the surprise of snowfall outside which is a rarity here. Classes were cancelled that day and we were advised to stay home. Most knockers who were bothered by my music took advantage of the situation and left to get drunk.
When I listen to music, I listen. I don't wash dished while it plays, its not playing in the background just going to waste. I listen and I hear everything. When I listen to it, I do nothing else and I hold this time to be sacred. I don't listen to the same song over and over again until I don't want to hear it anymore. I listen to many songs and keep them with me for a time. One of my favorite bands that I listened to often at the time was Boston whom I had recently discovered.Later that day, my drunken neighbors returned sick and hungover in the middle of the afternoon. I left and ate veggie lasagna and chocolate cake and then had a snowball fight with my friends. It was a great day!
Led Zeppelin
I was dressed in black and my audience and grand piano were waiting. I had been preparing for weeks. I had big hair at the time and the music by Mozart I played that night made me smile and I was free. All I remember was that I was in another world. It was exactly how I wanted it to be. I learned that night that if you love the music you play it will be easy. But sadly it would be for the last time. I would soon say goodbye.
The last year I was here, I lived by myself. I didn't have to worry about bothering anyone.
No more fire drills in the middle of the night (where some were not actually drills), broken elevators, wild parties, and meetings that turned into gripe sessions. I had a black velvet bed spread, my own rocking chair, my own television and a black and gold clock that I bought at Service Merchandise. It was a small studio apartment that I called my own. I started drinking coffee that year. I cooked in my own kitchen but I was close enough to the dining hall that I could walk.
(recital)
Though I had high school friends that talked about Led Zeppelin and made great effort to try to play Stairway to Heaven on the guitar, it wasn't until this particular time in my life that I had made the discovery. I was so into them I bought the entire box set and listened to them on a daily basis. The day of my final recital I had a total of four performances: Jury's for my professors, accompaniment for a vocalist, and a band concert at the end of the day. That night when I got home, I listened hard.
There have been many studies on the effects of background music while shopping. I am musically minded most of the time so any music in the background with have a very strong impact on me. However, the impact of the background music today was unusually profound. I didn't break the bank today but what I experienced was priceless. Though I would have loved a vintage clarinet or a retro Danish Modern loveseat, school is now out and my funds need to be saved for future travels. I did come away with a small hand painted ocarina most likely from Peru, and a dazzling little piano. My third item was a napkin holder with a manufacture date of 1992...the year my short stay here would come to an end.
Place visited: Vic's Vintage, Athens, Georgia
Date visited: June 2nd, 2018
Vic's Vintage is unique and different from any other flea market I have ever been. It started as a collection of items gathered from all over the world from his travels and developed into a thriving business which started in 2011.
Songs:
"The End of the World"- REM
"Foreplay-Long Time"- Boston
"Rock and Roll"- Led Zeppelin
My encounter with Michael Stipe took place at The Globe which is a well know tavern in Athens, GA.
"Rock and Roll"- Led Zeppelin
