LAST NIGHT: ANAÏS MITCHELL

Last night I went to what may have been my favorite live show so far!

Anaïs Mitchell (a local Vermont singer-songwriter) was in town, armed with a guitar, a few friends, and a big voice. When I was in high school, my dad got a copy of her CD from her mother (who happened to work in my dad's department). I thought she was very clever -- (inevitably over-drawn comparison: Ani Difranco) -- and I've been meaning to see her live ever since.

She was playing at the Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, and the room was warm and bathed in a soft red glow and she knew many people in the audience personally, so it was a very intimate environment... almost like she were playing in someone's living room (with a better sound system). I was drinking red wine and feeling a little hot in my furry collar but my mind was so intensely focused on her charming style, profound poetic lyrics and incredibly elastic vocals that I hardly noticed.

She was inspirational. Whenever I see or hear a great female singer-songwriter I almost (for a moment) think it would be worthwhile to seriously learn how to play the guitar. Simple chord progressions don't count. I just get so frustrated because (try as I might) I just don't have the requisite musical ability in me.

Alas, I'll have to settle for living vicariously. This weekend I'm definitely going out to pick up The Brightness, and so should you!

(The photos are not from last night, they're from her website.

I didn't want to be "that girl" creepily taking photos in the back. I always feel slightly weird trying to photograph a live show, especially in a small, cozy crowd like this one - doesn't it kind of ruin the experience? I know that I'm indubitably part of it now because I have happily succumbed to the blogging world, but part of the reason I find sites like Facebook and Myspace repugnant is that I feel like they can cheapen the raw experience of life. That's quite a statement, I know. I could go on and on but I will cease&desist for your benefit).

Now Coveting: an Umlaut. What if I started spelling my name "Caïtlin?" "Caitlïn?"

Just kidding. But it is cool.