Isaac Hayden may have made me giggle like a schoolgirl, but Wilco rocked my face off.

So this weekend was about music. Most of it was actually good.

Friday I drove up to Superior to meet Kristen. We got ourselves ready for the Isaac Hayden performance later in the evening. We arrived way too early, of course, and roamed around a pretty ghetto Kmart in West Duluth to waste time. Then we set out for Beaner’s, hoping at least one of Kristen’s friends would decide to show up.

We talked briefly with a worker, perhaps owner? at Beaner’s about why we came to the show. Kristen filled him in on the Librarian’s Revenge and that Isaac (because we’re on a first-name basis now, don’t you know) was on the March mix. (Side note: Bless you, Redlaw, for the intro to his music.) The guy was really excited and encouraged us to email him whenever we found someone whom we thought more people should listen to. I’m thinking the Avett Brothers, but they’re probably already too big?

So, I saw Isaac tuning up his guitar on stage. He smiled at me. I quickly looked away because apparently kindness from hot strangers is more than I can bear.

Kristen’s friend Kelly arrived just after the first band started, a duo calling themselves E.J. Asher. One played guitar, the other electric violin. Don’t get me wrong…it sounds like it would be pretty cool. But everything sounded exactly the same. When about the fourth song began, Kristen leaned over and remarked, “Uh, didn’t we already hear this one?” What was hilarious was that Kelly had just come from a Pearl Jam concert, so she looked a little like we were nuts to be sitting in this café. But Kristen assured her that E.J. Asher wasn’t who we’d come to see.

Finally, after listening to the first band’s lame knock-knock joke, sermon on how we all have addictions, and an admonishment that Isaac Hayden somehow owed them royalties because they’d “invented” something, Isaac took the stage. Hallelujah.

He put on a fun show, though he looked a bit tired. Touring does that, I’m sure. I only drove 100 miles to get to Superior, and that was tiring enough. Anyway. Isaac Hayden was funny, talented, and mocked our northern accents. “How aboot some coffee?” He also made the audience participate in a song where he sang a line, and then we’d have to repeat it. But I don’t think any of us understood a word he said during that one, so we all sounded like idiots. And after he introduced a second song that he wrote “about a girl,” a girl in the audience asked if it was about the same girl.
Isaac: Which girl?
Girl in Audience: I guess not.
Hahaha

Afterwards, Kristen, Kelly, and I hung around until most of the place had cleared out, then we approached him to buy cds. Here’s where I turned into an idiot.

Isaac turned to say hi and thank us for coming to the show. I tried to avoid looking directly at him, lest my face burst into flames. Yes, he was that hot.

Me: Er, I’m gonna buy a cd.
Isaac: Okay.
He grabs his official cd, still wrapped in plastic, and then a bonus cd of him performing live in Utah.
Me: Do you autograph them?
Isaac: *looking surprised* Do you want me to?
Me: Well, I’m here. Might as well. (Could that have sounded any ruder? Yikes.)
So he rips open the plastic with his teeth, which was quite sexy and made me even more nervous.
Me: My name is April, by the way…
Isaac: *looks at me like he knows the name from somewhere* Nice to meet you. *shakes my hand*
Me: Yeah, I emailed you like a week ago…
Isaac: Oh, yeah! Right!
Me: The dork who emailed you.
And then, instead of laughing or mocking me, he takes a step back, puts one hand on his chest and says, “Oh, no. I’m totally a dork, too.”
So endearing. *sigh*

So then he asks how we heard of him, and Kristen explains again about Librarian’s Revenge and that he was on the March mix. He seemed pretty excited about it. Kristen bought a cd, too, and then we started heading out. I was ahead of the other two girls, and Isaac was still talking as I was leaving. I remember him saying something about how I should email him on his MySpace account…keep him updated? I don’t remember. I was trying to concentrate on not tripping or giggling like an idiot. So, with a nod in his direction, I said, “Okay, cool.” And walked out.

Out on the street, Kristen and Kelly were smirking at me. Before they could make fun of me, I’m like, “Yeah, I don’t know what happened in there. I’m a total idiot.”

But it wouldn’t have been an official April moment without making a fool out of myself in front of a hot boy, would it? And in case you’re interested, he signed the cd, “To April- Thanks. Isaac Hayden.”

Okay, onward Christian and/or unchristian soldiers. Skipping all other delightful weekend moments for a later post, let’s get right down to Sunday evening. Wilco. In concert. Rocked my freaking face off.

Kristen provided the tickets. I provided…er…myself. We had pretty decent seats, about 24 rows back but right in the middle of the row. Excellent view of the stage. We people-watched until the concert began. The audience ranged from like 9-year-olds on up to 60. Two guys in the row ahead of us looked like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Steve Zahn. Phil, who was wearing golf shorts that stuck to his butt each time he got up, asked me if I knew who the opening band was and if I knew much about them. I replied that they were called the Black Eyed Snakes, and I only knew that they were local. Apparently he knew all that and was just quizzing me because he then informed me that it was a “side project” of one of the guys from Low. I had no idea who he was talking about. But the band was pretty good. They used a distorted microphone throughout every song, so unfortunately, I couldn’t understand anything they sang, but the music rocked.

During their set, a group of guys behind us were trying to figure out what the seat numbers were for the six empty seats next to Kristen. She kept trying to tell them that the empty seat next to hers was #10, but they ignored her. So she kept yelling, “It’s 10! 10! This seat is 10!” I laughed a lot as she got irritated.

So, yeah, Wilco came out and kicked some ass. I only know one of their songs, which they didn’t play, but even so, it was an amazing concert. Everyone was singing along. The 13-year-old next to me who kept poking me with his tour poster even knew every word to the songs. And at one point, lead singer Jeff Tweedy said how much he liked Duluth. Then he goes, “I might even say you’re….Superior?” I laughed, but most of the audience groaned. He hung his head in shame as another band member made his guitar play the sounds “Wah…wah…waaaaaaahhh…” It was hilarious. Then Jeff Tweedy says, “Yeah, that’s why I don’t talk into the microphone much.”

Two encores, people. Two. That’s how awesome they were. Only downside was that everyone stood during the entire concert, which sucked because the floor was slanted and I was wearing sandals, which led to numb toes. Kristen bought herself a T-shirt and a set of tour postcards, and I also bought the tour postcards. They’re pretty sweet.

So that was my musical weekend. Other dorky moments will be documented later. For now, check out the Isaac Hayden and Wilco sites to add insane awesomeness to your day.