It’s true! Sociable, I know, who would’ve thought. I mean, I guess I wasn’t that sociable, but I tried my best. And it was vaguely awkward, as first one-on-one hangouts usually go, but I had fun. And the band we saw (The Starlets) were actually quite good. And for what they didn’t have in terms of musical genius, they certainly made up for in enthusiasm.

So, like previously stated, me ‘n Jeremy met outside his housing building (right across the street from mine). We exchanged pleasantries while we walked to the bar where the show was happening. It was probably a 15 minute walk, and to a place I’d been once before, when I’d grocery shopped with Kat. It’s a nice walk… right through Kelvingrove Park, and then through the University of Glasgow’s campus, which I think is beautiful and darling. We discussed getting used to GSA, the trouble we’re having attempting to figure out what sort of artwork we’ll be making, etc. There were some moments of silence, but nothing too uncomfortable.

We reached out destination, only to have somebody tell us that the show really didn’t start until 8. So we sat down at a table in the to wait. This part was sort of awkward at first. I think it was something to do with the fact that we were both surprised we had to wait another half-hour for the music to start, and we hadn’t been mentally preparing ourselves for that much interaction. Plus the music in the bar was at the volume where maybe you’ll have trouble hearing the person you’re sitting across from, so you’re unsure if conversation is a good/bad decision. So he went up to find the bathroom, and I snagged a newspaper.

But even so, after reading for about 15 minutes, we started to converse again. I made him read this tiny snippet about this Canadian hunter who was checking his traps, and then his car rolled over him and trapped him underneath? So he stayed under there, eating a dead beaver carcass and keeping the wolves away with a lighter or something. The newspaper actually said, “He is tough as nails.” I think I like Scottish newspapers.

Finally we were actually allowed to go inside, so we got up and migrated. Once inside we chatted a little more, but soon enough the music started. There were actually seats (it was a pretty small little place, with little tables in the back), so we sat near the front-ish. The opening fellow began, and he was OK. His guitar playing was quite nice, but his lyrics were… well, here’s an example: “Two toothbrushes form a ‘V’, this represents a Victory.” It was kind of halarious, made even funnier when this huge man wearing a coonskin hat, complete with raccoon tail, sat right in front of Jeremy. I could tell that he totally couldn’t see ANYTHING, so I moved my chair over for him. We are clearly the best of pals.

Then, eventually the Starlets came on. Jeremy had explained them as being Camera Obscura-esque, and listening to them, they sort of reminded me of bright eyes too (albeit a happier, less drunk version). The singer’s voice was kind of odd at times, but they were all charmingly Scottish. And the music had definite Celtic undertones (a girl in the band plays the fiddle), which immediately makes me like them. Plus, the guy singing dedicated 1 song to his sister who was visiting all the way from Skye, and another song to his Mum, because his family was there to see the show. And furthermore, he kept teasing one of his guitarists about having rescued him from an ACDC cover band. And also, this Japanese guy Takashi-somebody (a friend of the band) got up and played a Japanese song. And for the grand finale, they did a stompy, jiggy, jaunty, no-words tune where basically they all rocked out Scottish style, which was way OK by me. The Japanese guy played the spoons.

So we walked home. Of course by then it was raining, and also of course I didn’t wear a coat or bring an umbrella, but I didn’t really mind. And Jeremy had an umbrella, so I half-shared his. We were discussing music, and I mentioned that I really wanted to see Sufjan Stevens in concert, and that I’d been listening to Joanna Newsom a lot recently, and he’s seen Sufjan 3 times, and Joanna once! He is kind of a mystery, in that way where he seems like the type who just stays inside and reads, but clearly he is at least semi-worldly, or at the very least more worldly than me.

I’d call it a success. Now I have a more-kind-of friend!