Joseph Arthur is my favorite musician on earth. I have loved him since about 1997, when I was fifteen years old. If I am ever a super famous astronaut who dies in her attempt to make peace with the misunderstood alien population of Gump-loo-noo, and if from this amazing feat someone super amazing decides to make a movie about my life, the music of Joseph Arthur will be in nearly every scene. Example: in the year 2000 I was violently making out with Clinton in my dorm room (and it was twice as great because he wasn't supposed to be there - think conservative school on crack), and we had a lovely sound track going in the background. WELL, mid make-out, something goes wrong on my cd player and BAM, the song In the Sun by Joseph Arthur starts playing on FULL volume. Jo's voice VIBRATED into my brain for a good 15 seconds (so it was building and BUILDING) before we could stumble across the 7 foot room to turn it down... this is just one of thousands of ways Joseph has been a part of my life. He is not only an incredible musician, but he is an incredible performer. He is truly an artist that you will love abundantly more from seeing him live. In other words, though you could see his potential in a chat room, you really have to meet him to feel the chemistry. I have lost count of how many times I have seen him live, and am delighted by this loss of memory. Because of this loss I can say things like, "Oh I've seen him thirty, maybe sixty times." and still maintain my always snow-white conscience.
I saw Joseph Arthur last night. It was an acoustic show, so it was just Joseph, his guitar and his harmonica. Someday when I have children and they ask me, "Mummy-dearest (yes, they will call me this), what is heaven like?" I will say "Well dearest dumplings (yes...), imagine Joseph Arthur, a guitar and a harmonica..." in a chipper, fairy-princess voice. And the dearest dumplings will be profoundly confused, and later in therapy they will realize, "Mummy-dearest never said to imagine Joseph Arthur, a guitar, a harmonica and CLOTHES" and I will realize my tremendous mistake... OR WILL I?). As I watched him play last night I was transported from earth to a more wonderful earth for about two hours, and as I always do in Joseph's musical presence, felt myself to be the luckiest person on the planet.
His shows with his band are brilliant - and yet there is always something "treat like" about getting to hear his VOICE so exposed. His voice is incredible, you just have to hear it to understand. After the show I was standing around, like you do, when I saw a group of people that I knew. I decided to be completely out of character and act dramatic and ridiculous, so I pointed dramatically at Joseph Arthur (who had just come out from backstage to be at the merch table and was standing about 15 feet away from me) and said "LOOK! IT's JOSEPH ARTHUR!! HE'S RIGHT THERE!!" My words came out much, MUCH too loud, and Joseph Arthur (and, let's be honest, the entire room) heard me very clearly. I then made eye-contact with Joseph, who was laughing at me, and I didn't really know what else to do except do a little dance or walk up to him, and since I don't have my special Joseph Arthur dance finished quite yet, I walked up to him. And how do I explain the following few minutes? "I can't" I say. "It's impossible" I sigh. "But you must try" says my inner Aslan. "Okay" I say as I start to cry (of course... it's Aslan for Christ's sake... you try not crying when he encourages you to enter into a glorious, erotic moment of being alive - it's emotional.)
I told Joseph how much I love him. I told him how his music has literally accompanied me through some of the hardest times in my life, and how every major change since high school has a correlating album or certain song of his. I told him that he really does touch me down to my core, and then I asked him if he would sign my iPhone. He looked at me right in the eyes the entire time I was talking, and as I told him how much his music had impacted me, he said in his deep, smoky voice, "That warms my heart." All while looking right at me. I said I was glad, but that it really was just the truth. And he said again (eye contact maintained), "I hear ya, and it really does warm my heart to hear it." And then he signed my iPhone.
I think I floated about an inch from my bed all night last night. I slept, but just floated as I slept.
There really was something magical about talking directly to Joseph - and I've said "Hey" to him before - but this was different. There was magic in admitting and telling him that he is a hero of mine - a very, very human hero; in light of the way "hero" has come to mean virtually nothing to me, telling him he is a hero of mine meant something. There was magic in saying exactly what I meant and feeling him receive it (all of it, my ridiculous antics, my loud laughter, my emotional words and my request to sign my iPhone) all with such a genuine, gentle kindness.
So, the morals of the story are, listen to Joseph Arthur; go see him when you can; if anyone needs a soundtrack to a movie about my life let them know it needs to be Joseph Arthur music; and my iPhone is better than yours.
This is the best story ever. I love your iPhone pic. (The part of me that told you on the first time that I went to your apartment in our baby days of becoming friends, that I pushed your candle to the back of the toilet seat so it wouldn't burn your hair, wants to also suggest having some way to protect the drawing so that it won't get rubbed off some way. Sorry) :)
On a side note, see how quickly you move from Rafa to Angel to Joseph? Strong and steady are my affections!
Posted by: Karen | July 23, 2008 at 07:24 PM
Um, Karen. Angel has QUITE a ways to go to reach the Rafa or Joseph stage.
QUITE a ways.
QUITE a ways.
Posted by: Charis | July 23, 2008 at 08:21 PM
I think In the Sun in your dorm room was the first JA song I ever heard, didn't it KEEP doing it over and over again too? I hope he keeps making music for 30 more years and we see him when we are grandparents. I love all of the amazing music you have turned me on to over the years.
AND your phone is AMAZING.
Posted by: Clinton | July 23, 2008 at 08:50 PM
There was this one time I tried not crying when my inner Aslan encouraged me to enter into a glorious, erotic moment of being alive, and on a scale from 1 to failed, I can definitely say I did not succeed.
I'm inspired to listen to this JA guy now, any suggestions to get me started?
Posted by: mike | July 23, 2008 at 09:01 PM
um, holy shit that's awesome
and I'm super jealous of iphone signage.
Posted by: Dana | July 23, 2008 at 09:04 PM
MIKE. I am so excited to have this moment to help you ask Joseph Arthur into your heart.
But seriously - I would love to tell you what to do. ;)
Start with "Come To Where I'm From."
I think it will hook you to the point where the more you struggle, the more deeply tangled and bloody you will become. (a good thing).
MMWWAAHAHAHAHA.
I think I am partial to other people discovering JA in the order that I did... ya know? You've gotta get to know his older stuff first... in order to appreciate his new stuff.
Similar to how I wonder what people think of Radiohead's OLD stuff if they fell in love with their brand new stuff FIRST. Would they think "What the hell?" or would they think "Cool." I knoweth not.
Anyways. Start with the album Come To Where I'm From. And SEE HIM LIVE. You have to tell me what you think, yo.
Posted by: Charis | July 23, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Dana - you make me laugh. iPhone signage. Sweet phrase.
Posted by: Charis | July 23, 2008 at 09:16 PM
this sounds like a chapter of passionate marriage.
Posted by: stefshaf | July 23, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Um, yeah, the fact that he said the phrase "that warms my heart" makes this story maybe one of the best I've ever heard ... and then I saw the iphone pic. Seriously, it's kind of a dream that you know happened in real life... but it's still too dreamlike to believe.
I wish I could have seen your lovestruck face.
Posted by: Meghan | July 23, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Spectacular!
Posted by: Kj | July 23, 2008 at 11:55 PM
CLINTON - it DID keep going over and over... I forgot about that. We couldn't unplug it either because it was buried under books and in a weird cubby hole that only dorm rooms have.
Yup - I think there was about 5 loud interludes of In the Sun that night. The first one was scary. I remember when it happened maybe the 3rd time we just died laughing. By the fifth we were cursing Joe.
I love the though about us loving music (and of course, JA) when we are 80 years old. No one will listen to this dorm room story when we are 80, because it will gross them out. I think it will be fun to gross the youngsters out.
ANyways.. yeah.
Posted by: Charis | July 24, 2008 at 11:02 AM
You're the iPhone Girl! That was VERY cool what you did. What an awesome experience. The head shape is placed perfectly around the apple-eye. Great post!
I actually stood near you and your friends in line--I think I heard you say how tall you thought Anna was, and I had already mentally written how petite I thought she was. Good depth perception.
Also, thanks for your comment. I had some help because I listened to the whole concert again on the CD. Maybe I'll post a pic of our autograph too.
Posted by: Rachel | July 24, 2008 at 12:22 PM
CHARIS! I almost cried when i read this. Mostly because I've already been crying all day, so if i saw an ant get stepped on i'm afraid i would sob.. but this is so special. I can sort of understand because Joshua Radin has been such a huge part of my life the past year and his music gets me through my days, and to meet him, and hug him, and tell him how i'm actually walking down the isle to one of his songs, it was one of the most incredible experiences. I know how much you love Joshua Radin, and i'm afraid your iPhone might have lost some value, but not in your eyes!
I remember when you drug me to see Joseph Arthur in Houston a few years ago, and how captured I was when he opened his mouth. (Not to mention his hot hairy armpitted guitarist was FREAKING sexy, and i think we even had eye sex). I'm glad you have music like his in your life.. because if it weren't for music, i think you can agree, i think you and i would be dead.
Posted by: Kensey | July 25, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I meant "i know how much you love Joseph Arthur". Geeze!
Posted by: Kensey | July 25, 2008 at 11:56 AM
CHARIS! You have to suggest Honey and the Moon and Electrical Storm.. those are my two favorites. Then go see him in concert. That's what made me think he was pretty rad.
Posted by: Kensey | July 25, 2008 at 12:15 PM
awesome.
Posted by: jamie spiro | July 26, 2008 at 11:48 PM