Monday, October 09, 2006

MySpacing out

In addition to my web site, I have a MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/jenniferechols. Some of the other Romantic Comedies authors are on MySpace, too.

Niki Burnham: http://www.myspace.com/nikiburnham
Erin Downing: http://www.myspace.com/erinkatedowning
Aimee Friedman: http://www.myspace.com/11650519
Nancy Krulik: http://www.myspace.com/nancykrulik
Kelly McKlymer: http://www.myspace.com/kellymcclymer
Micol Ostow: http://www.myspace.com/meeksz

Fantabulous as the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies blog is, MySpace does have one advantage: music. I love browsing my friends’ sites, listening to their halftime shows (I’m friends with lots of marching bands), and finding cool new songs to buy for my iPod. Sometimes I just pause on my own page and listen to my own music, because it makes me happy.

“What is it?” you may ask. “Hark, who is that supergroup singing ‘September’?” That, my friends, is Earth, Wind & Fire, the Best Band Evah. I have lots of reasons for loving this group and for choosing them to serenade me.

1. Earth, Wind & Fire and I go way back. In high school, my marching band’s halftime show closed with “Getaway.” My old band came here to Birmingham for a football game last Friday night, and they’re now opening with “In the Stone.” Old habits die hard.

2. Earth, Wind & Fire got me an A. When I was a music major in college (before I switched to English), I had to take classes like Percussion Instruments 347 and French Diction for Singers 243. In Conducting 571, instead of a final exam, we had to direct the band. I chose Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Fantasy.”

3. Earth, Wind & Fire puts Justin Timberlake’s falsetto to shame. And I’m not just saying that because Justin dissed Taylor Hicks.

4. Earth, Wind & Fire is awesome in concert. The auditorium darkens, and a low voice comes over the speakers: “In the beginning there was Earth. Wind. And FIYAAAAAAAAAH!” The crowd goes wild. The stage flickers to life. Giant models of Jupiter and Saturn rise from the depths. Slowly the planets open, and the band steps out in a cloud of mist, wearing fluorescent glowing sweatbands. I am not kidding.

5. Earth, Wind & Fire writes a great cover tune. A friend of mine got married recently. He works at a bank, and the band at the reception was made up of his elderly co-workers. I’ve forgotten the group’s name, but it had something to do with banking. The Frozen Assets? Not sure. Anyway, these dudes could ROCK. They played song after song from Earth, Wind & Fire. I even got my mom dancing. I want to play my saxophone in a wedding band when I grow up.

6. Did I mention Earth, Wind & Fire is the Best Band Evah?

What’s playing on your MySpace page, and what does it mean to you?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I lived in LA, and I was insanely stressed (and mostly miserable) all the time, my friend found this band called The Format. And whenever we had a particularly bad day and wanted to stop thinking about everything, we would take a long drive along the beach and sing along to "Tune Out" at the top of our lungs. "Let's tune out by turning on the radio..."
Not so profound, but still, words to live by.

Little Willow said...

Currently, I have Kelly Sweet's song "RAINCOAT" playing on my profile. It's a cheerful, optimistic song, and I need that.

Marley Gibson said...

I saw Earth, Wind and Fire in concert 6 years ago...with Barry White. It was...a religious experience. = )

Bah-dee-ahh...

Nicole Burnham said...

Right now, it's the Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love. No matter how many times I hear that song, it makes me want to dance!