What would you do if you ran into the lead singer to your favorite band?
Yesterday evening, Than and I were walking on the Town Lake trail along Auditorium Shores, just finishing a run. As we were approaching the zero mile marker, a very familiar-looking dude on a bike stopped short in front of us to observe one of the trail’s maps/signs. Of course, subconsciously, I knew exactly who it was - it was Ryan Miller of my favorite band Guster. Duh - they’re in town because they’re playing a show at Stubb’s here tonight, a show that I bought tickets for two months ago. For some reason though, my mind seemed a bit confused yesterday evening, at least for a split second. For some reason, just for a split second, I was only thinking it was someone that looked like Ryan Miller from Guster. For some reason, I had completely forgotten they were playing here the next day!
Well, just after we had walked right past him (me semi-staring/glaring at this Ryan-Miller-person as we did so), I turned to Than, who was glaring at me (by now my mind is no longer confused). He, of course, knew exactly who we saw (and, unlike me, was not confused at all), AND he was wondering why I, being a huge Guster fan for over eight years, was not saying anything. So, for the next few minutes, while Ryan Miller, the lead singer of my favorite band Guster, is sitting on a bike pondering over a trail sign, Than and I are standing 20 feet away as Than is trying to convince me to go introduce myself as I repeatedly refuse. This probably ended up as a pretty funny scene from the outside.
In the end, I won. I did NOT go talk to Ryan. I’m not sure if Ryan overheard the silliness, and I surely hope he did not. It was probably pretty ridiculous, and I do acknowledge that it was a very opportune time for someone like me (a big fan of a band) to meet someone like him (the lead singer of said band). But I’ve always had this thing where I just don’t feel like I want to meet members of bands I really like. I mean, I’ve seen Guster like 18 times, and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to meet them. Basically, it’s like I treat a band’s music as completely separate from the actual people in the band. I like the music they make, isn’t it enough to just listen to them and see their shows? I know it doesn’t make sense, because I can see how it would be cool to be able to talk the people that wrote and sang music you really like. I guess I’m just really weird.
Does anyone else see where I’m coming from, or is it just me? Am I weird?
Of course, this could be my excuse for not risking making a complete fool of myself. After all, yesterday evening I was sweaty, in running clothes, and had a lot of mucous in my throat.