Feeling Nostalgic Four Months Later...

Well, it's been four months since my last "Shaina's SNC Ramble," so I guess it's time for a new nostalgic look. And, like last time, it's in the "wee hours of the morning," though it's not as abnormal for me anymore as it used to be, what with my crazy college hours and whatnot. I apologize in advance for sappiness, cliches, and cheesiness. (I did have macaroni and cheese for dinner.)

I can't believe it's been two years. Two years ago this Saturday will be my two-year anniversary of my first SNC concert. Two years ago this Saturday, I saw a concert that would change my life, so to speak. Now that I think about it, I should probably write this blog on Saturday, since it will be the official "anniversary." And, I do need my sleep...

But, once you start a ramble, you can't stop.

Two years ago, unbeknownst to me, I was getting ready and gearing up for finals week my junior year of high school. I can't believe it was really that long ago; it seems like such a short time ago, yet such a long time ago. I had already taken the SAT once, I was taking two AP classes and one honors class, I was singing in choir... I loved harmonies and knew only a little bit about a cappella music (mainly just "older" stuff like do wop and barbershop; we'd done "Mister Sandman" for our spring concert the year before), but I hadn't been introduced to "modern" a cappella.

Rewind a year ago. It was my first year in concert choir. I'd seen the concert choir, The Nightingales, perform throughout my freshman year. I was a member of only the Liturgical Choir that year, but every time the concert choir sang, I was thrilled to hear such great music, from "Bohemian Rhapsody" to "When Love Came Down." So I joined. It was my sophomore year, I had made it into the chamber choir, and I was looking forward to hearing my fellow choir-mates perform a funny version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." I loved it; the kookiness, the seemingly messing up, one girl storming off... It was all an act, of course, and I wanted so much to sing that.

I was still taking piano lessons at the time, and I happened to mention that performance to my teacher, who told me that a friend of hers had forwarded her something similar. As I mention in my previous rant, she emailed me the link, and thus, my first exposure to Straight No Chaser.

Unlike many others, though, I didn't really 'get it.' For one, I had no idea what song it was that they were singing at the end of the song. I mean, really? What is this about Africa? I had no idea what the song was; I'd never heard it before. I didn't fall in love with the guys or their music then. I wasn't enthralled by their performance; I didn't search for more of their songs on YouTube.

Fast forward a year later. Junior year. I was selected to sing "12 Days" that year, and in order to properly prep myself, and after remembering that version I saw the year before, I searched for it again. Except this time, I saw that they had been signed and would be touring around the US. Intrigued, I went to look at tour dates, noticed that they would be in town on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 and Thursday, December 18, 2008. Thursday was the day of my last final. I went to my mom, asked her if she could give this to me for Christmas (and under the guise of "it'll be a great show to do my concert report on!"), and she said okay!

The performance of "12 Days" was the best it had been in a long while, and my last final was over. My mom picked me up from school, I changed my clothes, and we drove to the theatre; a small theatre called Largo at the Coronet. We found parking, we walked to the Beverly Center and back, we got our tickets, we walked around the block, got some yummy French pastries, and went in for the show.

Now, back in 'those days' (man, I feel old), we weren't allowed to take pictures or videos. But then again, the theatre probably seated about fifty to one hundred people. The concert was way different back then... Well, that's not true. There were a lot of things that were different, but some things haven't changed. Charlie's wisecracks. The magic of ten voices. Hoosiers in the audience. A mic-less encore. (It was much better in that small theatre than in a thousand-seat threatre, let me tell you.) A funny thing was that Jerome had (apparently) lost his luggage in transit, and so was wearing a pinstripe suit. He made a crack about it; something like, "I know I'm wearing a pinstripe suit. As if I'm not already different enough." I was enchanted by the music, and also by their sense of humor.

That morning, my mother told me, SNC had paid a visit to a local radio station, KOST 103.5 FM, and did a few small performances. I had not yet bought the CD; I had been listening to Holiday Spirits on the website, I think, and I loved the music... But not enough to buy it. You should know something about me; unless I think I will be listening to music for a long while OR if I'm truly obsessed with a song or artist, I don't buy their music and would -- get this -- get a cassette tape and tape my favorite songs from the radio. Or pull up a music video from Launch.com, get the microphone from our cheap little karaoke machine, push it as close to the speaker as we could, and record the song EXTERNALLY onto a cassette. Okay, maybe I stopped doing that once I got to high school. But, that's just telling you how much I wouldn't buy music.

Most of the music they sang I had NEVER heard before. I went in expecting a pure holiday music set, only to find that there were such a variety of songs, from "Moondance" to "Any Dream Will Do," most of which I had never heard before in my LIFE, just like "Africa." Nevertheless, I was so amazed at the performance that the first thing I did after getting out of the theatre, after convincing my mom to stay a few minutes for the meet and greet and getting my first photo with Ryan as everyone was milling about and saying hi to old friends (my mom was like, "SHAINA. Go UP to him! Ask him for a picture!" I was thinking, "I don't even know who he IS!" And I'm just a naturally shy, awkward, non-assertive person to begin with, so THAT made me feel uncomfortable. And I felt short. Because, you know, I am. I'm also a full head shorter than he is. But anyway.), was ask her if I could buy a CD to get signed. Heheh, part two of my Christmas present. ;)

Thanks to the pictures I have from that night, I remember the order of the meet and greet. The tables were just several tall round tables with the barstools all pushed together into something resembling a row, and there was no organized system of people going through the line. My mom told me to hurry up (she hates driving at night and gets progressively grumpier the later it gets), and she literally PUSHED me as we inched towards the tables. Steve was first. I don't remember what I said to anyone. All I remember is that I got the CD signed, didn't say much because of my shyness, took pictures, and then left right after to avoid my mom grumpy-ing. ;) Next up was Randy; then Walt, Jerome, Dan, Mike I., DR, Charlie, Ryan, and Mike L.

We drove home that night listening to the CD I bought, enjoying the music.

I'm at home now as I write this, and after writing the above sentence, I reached over into my bedside drawer and pulled out my copy of "Holiday Spirits." I still can't believe it's been two years. Things have changed so much since then. I'm no longer in high school. Mike I, Steve, and Dan are no longer with the group. I don't freak out and act like a squealing fangirl when I get an email notification that a member of SNC has contacted me. (Well, most of the time.) I have interviewed many members of SNC for the SNC FanChat. I've become more assertive on the internet and in my typed word. I buy every single SNC album I can when it comes out for preorder. I have made somewhere around 60 new friends, SNC and Chasers, who are the most loving, caring, wonderful people I could ever hope to know. A lot has changed.

And yet, not that much has changed, either. SNC is still enchanting people with their amazing music. I'm still non-assertive and incredibly shy when seeing the guys unexpectedly (as witnessed in the restaurant we went to before the concert at the Wiltern on 12/4/10 when I put my sweater to cover my head as Seggie, Tyler, and Charlie come over to our table). My mom still doesn't like to wait for me after the concerts. ;)

I don't know what I'm trying to say here. But I do feel blessed. Blessed to have had this opportunity two years ago. Blessed to have met such amazing people that I can call my friends. Blessed to have found amazing music that has opened my mind to a whole new realm of possibilities. But most of all, I feel blessed to have had my life changed in such an amazing and powerful way. Straight No Chaser changes lives. I should know. It changed mine.

(Photos from 12/18/08 at the Largo at the Coronet)