In His Own Words
Last night Chris and I cheerfully handed over tickets purchased months ago to see Jackson Browne at The Schnitzer, and while the show was fabulous for many reasons, his political songs spoke the most profoundly, the most loudly to the crowd last night, and he played more than a few of them.
After one particularly stunning set a man from the crowd yelled at Jackson: “WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR?”
(All caps, of course, because, again: YELLING, LOUD ENOUGH FOR THE ENTIRE THEATRE TO HEAR HIM, from the first balcony, I think.)
Jackson Browne laughed and replied nonchalantly while tuning his guitar for the next set.
“Are you serious?”
A thunder of applause and laughter and then, “Well, let’s see. I’m SUING John McCain, so…”
I think his sentence may have continued coherently after that “so,” but it was oh so quickly swallowed by the joyous cheers and fists thrust victoriously in the air for a candidate that the overwhelming majority of a crowd that was comprised primarily of men and women over forty so clearly support.
I’m recounting it here because (it was awesome, and) it was also probably my favorite happening of the evening.
Save, of course, for the woman who took to dancing in her aisle about three minutes into the show, so restless were her limbs when the band started playing, and the way she gyrated and raised her arms in surrender and sheer musical adoration reminded me of church, and it was then I realized that Jackson Browne was her own personal Jesus.
There were also two INCREDIBLE (Yes, I YELLED IT, because they SO WERE) back-up singers in his band who might have been angels from heaven, so perfectly could they sing, and they had the crowd literally on their feet and Jesus-gyrating in their general direction on multiple occasions.
Can I get a witness?
From Jackson Browne’s “Lives in The Balance”
I’ve been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you’ve seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
And a country is drifting to war
And there’s a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs
I fucking love Jackson Browne. Yes, I swore. The occasion calls for it.
I am living vicariously through you!
Reading those lyrics gave me chills. ENTIRE BODY CHILLS. Wow.
I truly adore Jackson Browne! I’m so jealous! “Lives in the Balance” will now be in my head all day!
That’s amazing. My husband would be so jealous. He’s a big fan.
[...] 1, 2008 by Corey Blake KerriAnne.org posted a review of last night’s Jackson Browne concert in Portland, OR. After one [...]
Amen to that, sister!
Seriously? I felt a little gyration coming on, myself. So fun.
I got chills just thinking about Jackson Browne. He’s one of my favorites, and I’m so jealous you got to see him!