Thursday, May 17, 2012

Glee Nationals Reaction post

Okay, I'm stalling.

I have a lot to say about going on cooperative education, about choosing to do the Long-Distance Relationship.  If anyone wants to call it easy, it's not.  But we learned so much about ourselves and each other in the process.  And... getting experience in college most definitely got my foot in the door, made it easier to get a job when I graduated.  So, for me, as hard as it was to leave Brian behind, I had to do it in order to pursue my dreams.

Anyway.  Glee.  I loved Props, it was a really well-done show.  But most of what I have to say right now is about Nationals, because those are the fond memories I want to talk about tonight.



For starters, they set it in Chicago this year.  Ah, Chicago...

My freshman year of high school, in Omaha, Nebraska.  For some reason I joined the Art Club.  I wasn't actually taking any art classes beyond the required ones, but I guess many of my friends were in it, and it was fun.  The Art Club planned a Spring Break trip to Chicago, to visit a lot of the museums, and I was able to work things out to go.

We used some of my savings account, and I probably used some of my babysitting money, I don't remember if/what my folks contributed.  We didn't know Dear Brother #3 would be coming, didn't know that Dad's promotion would be turned down again that summer.  Over the fall and winter of planning, we were able to make it happen.

We took a train.  I was singing a parody on the way to the station, "We're leaving, on a 'Trak Train. Don't know if I'll be back again..."

It was a blast.  There were 9 girls (3 Seniors, 3 Juniors, 3 Freshmen, if I remember correctly), and two chaperons.  We played cards, listened to music, slept, watched the scenery on the way in.  We hailed a taxi for the first time ever, but more often we just walked.  I tried & liked the Shamrock Shakes.  We saw Lake Michigan. I learned that I like a lot of Modern Art.  We ate at Dick's Last Resort.

Then I moved back to Indiana, and all of a sudden a trip to Chicago was like no big deal.  I was back several times, I think the first time we were picking up an uncle at the airport, and every time I'd get Styx "Back to Chicago" running through my head. Except it didn't quite fit.  There was no one waiting in Chicago.  It just didn't feel right.

I had bought the "Edge of the Century" cassette for "Show Me the Way," but I listened to it a lot in Indiana.

So.  Glee.

"Edge of Glory" is a recent song, I've enjoyed it but don't have a whole lot of memories to share about it.

"It's All Coming Back To Me Now" is a song I heard frequently during my work sessions in St. Louis, the second and third sessions.  I'd hear it on the radio driving around.  It reminded me of my friend from South Bend, some of the things she had said about her boyfriend.

"Paradise By the Dashboard Lights," I have at least three different associations.
First:  At my first high school, each class had certain responsibilities, and eventually privileges.  The Sophomore class had a Joint Homeroom every Thursday morning, where we would start off putting away tables and chairs from Wednesday night Bingo.  Somebody would plug in the jukebox, and we'd work to a variety of songs.  One that I always remember coming on was this song.  Of course, I didn't know the name or artist at the time.  It wasn't until the end of the year that I started to recognize the beginning of the song.  The part I learned first, naturally, started with "Stop right there!"
Second: I mentioned the Marching Band welcome back dance at the end of Band Camp.  My freshman year it was held at Slaytor Center, but another time it was held at the Armory.  And this song got played.  The boys would line up on one side, the girls on another, except for about three or four people who would act as pitcher, batter, and ref for the baseball lyrics (taken literally instead of suggestively).  Then of course the lines would sing at each other.
Third: A martial arts trip to South Korea, riding with a group on the bus.  The bus had a karaoke machine, and on about the fourth day of the trip, YKJN plugged it in and invited us to sing.  Actually, I believe Brian was asked to sing first, to reprise his "Y.M.C.A." performance from the night before.  Then I sang "Faithfully," although I tried to give it up halfway in.  Someone else with "Bohemian Rhapsody," some other songs.  I would have preferred a different Meat Loaf song, but it didn't look like they had it.  So we ended up singing "Paradise."  I don't think a lot of the people had heard it, they seemed to assume it was a Brian solo at first, took a while to realize that no, it was actually a duet.  Someone later referred to it as "our song," but no.  We have a different song.

"Starships" is another new song, but I first heard it at that Yuri's Night World Space Party.  So we danced to it.  It was a lot of fun, and most of the lyrics seemed so appropriate.  I had to look it up again the next day, to find out more.  I'm not so keen on the language, so I'm happier with the Glee lyrics.  But in general it's good.

We probably played "Pinball Wizard" in the band one year, I think I remember it from then.  Of course I didn't have lyrics, since we were an instrumental group.

"We Are the Champions" was the song the elementary school boys would usually sing on the way in from recess, bragging about their soccer games.  Mostly just the chorus.  I always felt uncomfortable by the "no time for losers" line.

So this is a little off-topic, but I am committed to continuing my story.


No comments:

Post a Comment