Mark,
I agree whole heartedly about Rickie, and especially about the song Company.
I've seen Rickie live numerous times, but one time I saw her at the now defunct Poplar
Creek Theater, and she did a version of Company that left me sobbing like a baby. It
was the most emotional reading of a song I have ever witnessed.
Three or four songs later, she was playing a much more lively song (I wish I could
remember which one) and I just had to get up and dance, even though the rest of the
audience remained seated. I was in about the fourth row, and half way through the
song, the band went into a instrumental part, and Rickie jumps off the stage, comes
running up to me, drags me in the aisle, and dances with me for a couple of minutes
while the band jammed away. A magic night for sure!
Which reminds me of another favorite Rickie moment. I was seeing her at a small
concert hall on a Chicago campus, and dragged a friend along who I thought might
appreciate her. She was touring with a very small band, and the whole evenings
performance was very laid back, and my friend wasn't overly impressed. For her final
encore, she did an accapella version of some song I never heard before, but it had
something to do with a couple meeting in a bar, and cigarettes - I wish I could
remember more. Anyway, half way through the song, she messes up, and shouts "Damn, I
fucked it up - Now I'll have to start the whole thing over". And in the process of
starting it over, she completely re-interpretted the song. It was simply amazing.
But what was even more amazing was my friend's reaction - "God, she not only fucked up
the song the first time, but then she couldn't even remember the melody when she sang
it the second time".
If anybody happens to know the song I am referring to here, I would greatly appreciate
hearing from you.
Jack
