Chance Encounters.

I love a WIDE RANGE of music. Literally, my iPod has songs from Neil Young to Lady Gaga, from Bon Iver to Lil Wayne...but as far as inspiration goes...there are a few bands that stick out to me as favorites. 

If you've never seen this video clip of The Flaming Lips and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, I would suggest you check it out. (For a better idea of who he is as a person, and why he inspires me, fast-forward to 08:12...though if you have the attention span, you really ought to watch the clip in its' entirety!) Both of these bands I really admire, but The Flaming Lips I've admired for much longer. My love for Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips started with Yoshimi and grew deeper while I lived in Oklahoma for five years. I lived there when "Do You Realize" was named the official rock song of Oklahoma by over 20000 votes! It beat contenders "Endless Oklahoma Sky," "Never Been to Spain," and "Oklahoma," which all included references to the state. I know that the Flaming Lips took the win because of their love and loyalty to the state of Oklahoma. Wayne Coyne grew up in Norman (one amazing town!!!!) and almost lost his life working in OKC at gunpoint! He formed his band, The Flaming Lips, in Norman, in 1983. He still lives there today.

Tonight I met Wayne Coyne. I haven't felt this starstruck in a while. I never dreamed I would meet the man in person! I've seen him in concert a few times...but tonight, speaking with him, getting my picture with him, and having him autograph the back of a Lush receipt...I felt pretty darn lucky. Fluke! Coincidence! But entirely AWESOME!!!!

I thought I was lucky to have been this close to him in 2006 at Austin City Limits. We waited for about 3 hours to save a spot near the front, hoping to touch his human-hamster ball!

This was at the same 2006 show, my first time to see The Flaming Lips, with George and Cade. 

And THIS, ladies and gents, is me with Wayne Coyne TONIGHT, at North Park Mall. He was sitting on a bench with a woman near a restaurant in the mall, and I whispered to my mom and sister, "That's Wayne Coyne. I think. It's gotta be. That hair! That's gotta be him. I'm going to ask him." I got a pen, back of a receipt, and camera phone out and ready. After the woman walked in the restaurant, I approached him. "Mr. Coyne?" I asked..."Yes, hi there." He was smiling. Warm and friendly, just as I'd hoped and expected. "I'm a huge fan, and my fiance is too. You've really inspired him musically, and I was wondering if you could sign an autograph for him, and take a picture with me?" He answered "Of course!" then asked what I was doing here (I'd also mentioned living in Norman). He said HE LIKED IT HERE! (Way to make him feel welcomed, Texans!). And after I left, about 5 seconds post-picture, my hand was still shaking. Talk about being at the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

I had him autograph the receipt for George. Because first of all, I'm an awesome fiance, and secondly, George was the one who told me about the band to begin with. It's only fair.

I also had the opportunity to meet Ingrid Michaelson while living in Oklahoma. In short, she was doing a live radio show one morning, and the doctor I was working under had done some advertising with the radio station. He pulled me out of work, and the two of us went to the radio station and enjoyed a live, acoustic set, with Ingrid Michaelson and a back-up singer. We were two of six people in the room. It was AWESOME. She was very down to earth, somewhat reserved and quiet, and kind. It was really incredible seeing her in casual clothing, with little to no make-up.

She played "Maybe," one of my favorites

Lastly, I had a great encounter with Doug Martsch and Jim Roth from Built to Spill. Twice. Built to Spill goes down as a top-five favorite band of ALL TIME for me. One of my favorite songs ever, "Car," I even mentioned in an old blogpost about lyrics that have inspired me. George had met them years prior to us dating in Texas, and hung out with them after a set in DFW. When George drove up to Oklahoma for a BTS show in 2008 (I think?), we waited after the performance, and he made eye contact with Jim Roth. Lucky for us, he remembered George, and invited him out to the bus to catch up. I don't know how George scores these cool points, but he seriously does. When they came back to Dallas last year, same thing! So I got to be on the bus with Built to Spill in both Oklahoma AND Texas! And what did I learn while hanging out with them? That Doug Martsch has a maltese! I kid, I kid. We had awesome conversation, actually. But I totally remember Doug talking about his little white pup and relating to him in a way that I never thought I could! 

Jim Roth, Me, Doug Martsch.

I have been really lucky! I feel like I'm on Cloud 9 tonight!!!! Thanks to Wayne Coyne for making me feel special for those 60 seconds, and thanks to the Universe for putting me in the right place at the right time, on multiple occasions!!!!!